Christmas is in less than a week and you are out of ideas. Or money. Or both. But you still have a long list of people who need gifts, from the day care teacher who likes your kid the best to the UPS guy who never tells your husband about all the packages from Zappos. So, get in the kitchen and start making some edible gifts!
Edible gifts have so much to recommend them. They are inexpensive, thoughtful and from the heart. Everyone loves edible gift and they do not create clutter. Do you need some ideas? Okay. Just for you, here are some of my best edible gift recipes just in time for Christmas.
Candy is a classic edible gift. People never fail to be impressed with homemade confections, from chocolate bark to truffles to brittle. Caramels are universally beloved and make a wonderful gift for anyone except people with braces. They are also the perfect project for the novice confectioner because they don’t require anything in the way of special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. I have several caramel recipes, including these Ancho Chile Smoked Salt Caramels and these Thyme-Infused Sea Salt Caramels. But you should feel free to come up with your flavors. That’s one of the great things about caramels: they are easily customizable.
Granola. Granola is easy to make in large quantities, so you can make one batch and have gifts for several friends. Packed in a pint jar and decorated with a hanging tag, homemade granola looks festive and, hey, who wouldn’t appreciate something healthy a little this time of year?
Like caramels, homemade granola is infinitely variable. You can make it with different nuts and dried fruits, all kinds of spices, and even different sweeteners, such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup. For inspiration, try my Three C’s Granola, nut-free Cranberry Ginger Granola or Strawberry Maple Granola.
Citrus. Winter is the best time of year for citrus. I am starting to see striking blood oranges and fragrant Meyer lemons in the grocery store. So whip up some delicious, citrus-flavored baked goods for holiday gifting. What about Meyer Lemon Lavender Bars, Lemony Jam Thumbprint Cookies or Meyer Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake? If you do not feel like baking, a jar of Key Lime Curd would also make an impressive, indulgent gift.
Quick breads. People entertain a lot during the holidays and it can be hard always to have something on hand to serve guests, whether they are family staying over or neighbors dropping in for cocoa. When you give someone a delicious quick bread, be it classic banana bread, a more seasonal pumpkin apple bread, or a slightly unusual persimmon bread — persimmons are also in season right now — you are giving them a gift they can use right then. And who wouldn’t appreciate that?
What is your favorite edible gift to give at this time of year?
