
With the fire lit and Christmas tree twinkling, evenings at Treseren are cosy and warm. Earlier in December we invited lovely guests in for an evening of festivities, gathering round the dining table to make Christmas wreaths. Wonderful Emily of Three Acre Blooms led this wreath making workshop, sharing some of her floristry flare. Ahead of everyone’s arrival, she laid out the long table with foraged foliage, pinecones, dried oranges, ribbons… and a wreath frame, wire, pliers and a little bell at each place. After welcoming our lovely guests, they got comfy in their chosen seat and plans for each wreath took shape over cups of tea and coffee.
Crafting and Creating
We offered round homemade mince pies to enjoy whilst Emily gave a masterful demonstration and her top tips for building layers of pine, eucalyptus, and dried grasses. The crafting soon got underway and creative visions started to take shape. Some of us chose to make crescent shaped or symmetrical wreaths, others went traditional, or opted for a bushy wreath. Everyone took inspiration from each other as well as Emily’s ideas, and each wreath turned out totally individual and personal. With Christmas tunes playing and chatter all round, the evening had a special atmosphere. As final touches were made, things got serious as ribbon colours had to be decided! Each wreath turned out beautifully – there certainly are some well adorned doors in Cornwall this December.
Christmas Cocktails and Canapés
After admiring each wreath, everyone made their way into Lovedays bar for a Christmassy cocktail. Izzy crafted cranberry mimosas, adorned with fresh cranberries and a twig of rosemary. Pretty and festive, this is one drink we will be recreating this Christmas and New Year!
Nellie had been busy in the kitchen during the day, creating canapes for everyone to enjoy in front of the fire. Squash and feta rolls were fresh from the oven, along with cheese straws served with a good bowl of cranberry sauce. She made caramelised onion and goats cheese bruschetta, and crackers with apple, stilton and prosciutto, reminding us of the Christmas feasts to come. A touch of Treseren honey from Paul’s bees made these feel really special.
A luxurious bite to finish, there was plateful of Nellie’s chocolate dipped medjool dates. These look pretty and festive, sprinkled with Cornish Sea Salt, and the date encases a secret toasted almond. Here is the recipe, for drinks parties and family meals this Christmas. Having a bowl of these out over the festive period is a lovely idea, to reach for whilst the Christmas films are playing.
Chocolate Dipped Dates
Ingredients
20 medjool dates
20 almonds
1 bar of good quality dark chocolate
Flaky sea salt
Method
- Spread the almonds across a baking tray and toast at 200oC for 10 minutes, or until golden in colour.
- Meanwhile, using a small, sharp knife, remove the stone from each date by making a slit lengthways along one side.
- Fill the hollow of each date with one of your toasted almonds, gently closing the date around it.
- Break your chocolate into pieces and melt in a heatproof bowl, either in the microwave or above a pan of simmering water.
- Dip each date into the melted chocolate to halfway, so that some of the date peaks out from its chocolate casing.
- Lay them on a greaseproof paper lined tray and sprinkle with a few flakes of salt, before leaving to set in the fridge for an hour.
Thank you Emily of Three Acre Blooms for helping us to create beautiful wreaths. Emily works with lots of lovely Treseren couples to create heavenly, seasonal floral arrangements and bouquets from blooms she grows on her flower farm, a few miles away. Thank you as well to the ladies who joined us for this wreath-making workshop – it was lovely welcoming friends as well as new faces to Treseren for a creative, Christmassy evening.