9

Gifts from the Kitchen

It’s hard to go wrong giving a delicious, consumable gift. Breads, cakes, cookies, herbed vinegars, flavored mustards, jams, jellies, snacks, candies, chutney, and pickles are just a few of the food items that make highly appreciated gifts.


Hints for Giving Food

A single recipe can be divided into several gifts. Simply arrange pieces of fudge or toffee on a pretty Christmas plate, wrap it in clear cellophane, and top it off with a pretty ribbon or embellishment.

Snack foods can be presented in a small tin or Chinese takeout container. Look for these at any well-stocked craft store. If you don’t tell, no one will have to know just how easy and inexpensive these delicious gifts really are.

Write down a favorite family dessert recipe and place it along with all the required ingredients in an appropriate new baking or serving dish. Wrap everything and top it with a big bow.

Present your edibles in special containers: an interesting bottle, a nostalgic candy box, or a pretty jar.

Fill a pretty or comical mug with flavored coffee, tea, or hot chocolate mix. Wrap it along with a holiday-themed, sentimental favorite, or devotional book.

Fill a cookie jar with homemade cookies. Include the recipe.

Wrap up the ingredients and recipe for mulled cider.

Create your own cookie-of-the-month gift (or quarter for the less ambitious among us). Bake one dozen cookies to include in the holiday gift, along with a card announcing that the recipient will receive another dozen each month all year long. This can be one of those gifts that’s easy to give but more difficult when it comes to following through, so give cautiously.

Even if you do not cook or bake, you can still give wonderful, inexpensive gifts of food. Buy quantities of nuts, fancy cookies, fresh coffee blends, candies, or dried fruits. Repackage these into small unique containers you’ve been collecting all year.

A simple cookie cutter in the shape of a star, tree, or gingerbread man can make a great little gift. Lay the cookie cutter in the middle of a piece of clear cellophane. Fill the center of the cookie cutter with tiny candies such as jelly beans. Gather the cellophane and wrap with a bow.

Personalize your food gift with your own label. Millie’s Chutney or Minerva’s Cookies sound very special.

Attach the recipe to the gift with ribbon, a piece of raffia, or a tasseled cord. Add a spoon or spreader for chutneys or flavored butters.

Here are some of my favorite recipes I’ve given as gifts over the years.

Cereal Crunch

⅓ cup white sugar
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ cup butter or margarine
Pinch of salt
4 cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, or Crispix cereal OR 3 cups Bran Chex or Wheat Chex

Mix sugar, cinnamon, and salt and set aside. Melt butter or margarine in large skillet. Add cereal and mix well. Heat over medium heat, stirring until coated (five to six minutes). Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the cereal and continue stirring until well coated. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture and heat several more minutes. Spread on wax paper or foil to cool. This recipe multiplies well if you have a large skillet.

Yield: 3 to 4 cups.

Santa Claus Cookies

1 package Nutter Butter (or Vienna Fingers) sandwich cookies
12 ounces white chocolate wafers or chips*
Red sprinkles or red-colored sugar
32 vanilla or white chips, not melted
64 semisweet mini chocolate chips
32 red-hot candies

Melt white chocolate. Dip one end of each cookie into melted chocolate. Place on wire racks. For Santa’s hat, sprinkle red sugar on top part of chocolate before chocolate hardens. Press one vanilla chip off-center on hat for pom-pom; let stand until set. Dip other end of each cookie into chocolate for Santa’s beard, leaving center of cookie uncovered. Place on wire racks. With a dab of melted chocolate, attach semisweet chips for eyes and a red-hot for the nose in the uncovered area. Place on wax paper to set.

Yield: 32 cookies.

*Chocolate-melting notes: Melting wafers are chocolate formulated for making candy. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and available at grocery stores, cake and candy supply stores, and craft stores. Chocolate bars and baker’s chocolate melt well. Chocolate chips, however, are formulated to resist melting. You can melt them, but it’s tricky. Stir in 1 teaspoon vegetable oil for each ounce of chips. Microwave on medium power at thirty-second intervals.

Christmas Crunch

2 cups white sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup cashews

Grease a 10 x 15-inch baking pan. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water; bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300°F. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and baking soda. Add cereal and cashews. Pour into prepared pan and allow to cool. Break into pieces and store in airtight container. Recipe doubles well.

Yield: 3 to 4 cups.

Christmas Walnut Toffee

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
1½ cups chopped walnuts, divided
6 ounces chocolate chips (your choice)

Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, corn syrup, and water; stir until smooth. Heat to 290°F using a candy thermometer.

When the temperature has been reached, stir in 1 cup walnuts and cook for three more minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into the prepared pan and allow to cool. When the toffee is cool, remove from the pan and place on wax paper. Melt chocolate chips in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave, stirring frequently until smooth.

Spread half of the melted chocolate onto one side of the toffee slab and sprinkle with half of the remaining nuts. Allow to cool until set, then repeat on the other side of the toffee. Break into bite-sized pieces when set.

Yield: 1½ pounds.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

Melt your choice of chocolate wafers, bars, or chips. Dip pretzels of any size or shape. Place on wax paper to harden.

SueSue’s Chocolate Pecans

1 pound pecan halves (about 4 cups)
¼ cup butter
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
12 ounces chocolate wafers or equivalent

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place butter in a medium bowl. Microwave for thirty seconds on high or until melted. Add pecans and stir until well coated. Spread pecans on a cookie sheet in a single layer and sprinkle generously with salt.

Bake pecans for about ten to twelve minutes or until they just begin to turn a shade darker. Stir several times so they roast evenly. Watch carefully because they can burn very easily.

Meanwhile, in microwave, melt the chocolate in the same bowl you used to melt the butter, following package instructions. Remove pecans from oven and pour into a bowl. Pour chocolate over pecans and stir to coat thoroughly. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. If you want, you can break up some of the pecans to make smaller portions.

Once completely cooled, place in airtight containers or zip-type bags.

Variations: You can make this with white chocolate or almond bark too.

Yield: a lot—and they’re fabulous!

Almond Crunch

1 cup butter (no substitutes)
1¼ cups sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 cup chopped or slivered almonds
12 ounces milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until lightly browned, approximately five minutes.

Line a jelly roll pan with foil. In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil, without stirring, to hard crack stage, 300°F. Remove from heat.

Working quickly, stir in almonds and pour mixture into foil-lined jelly roll pan; tip pan from side to side to spread candy evenly in pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over candy brittle. Let stand about five minutes or until shiny and soft. Spread chocolate evenly over candy. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for one hour. Break into bite-sized pieces.

Note: Best when made on a dry day. If it’s raining, this will not get as brittle as it should.

Easy Candy Cane Fudge

20 ounces white chocolate chunk-sized chips (12-ounce packages of small white chocolate chips may be substituted)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1½ cups crushed candy canes
1 dash red or green food coloring

Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil; grease the foil. Combine chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in peppermint extract, food coloring, and crushed candy canes. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Chill for two hours, then cut into squares.

Yield: 40 to 45 pieces.

Holiday Fudge

12 large marshmallows
2 cups white sugar
1 6-ounce can evaporated milk
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Lightly butter an 8 x 8-inch glass pan. Combine chocolate chips, walnuts, and butter in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine marshmallows, sugar, and evaporated milk over medium heat and stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Boil exactly six minutes (time this carefully) and remove from stove. Pour this hot mixture over ingredients in the bowl. Stir to combine and then beat by hand or on low speed with an electric mixer for exactly twenty minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour into the glass pan. Allow to cool and set. Cut into squares.

Yield: 40 to 45 pieces.

Note: If this does not turn out perfectly, you likely did not believe me about exact timing. Try again. It’s that good and not that expensive to make.

Holiday Spiced Nuts

2 cups walnut halves
1 cup hazelnuts
1 cup whole unsalted cashews
1 cup pecan halves
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground anise
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup smoked almonds

Heat a large skillet and cook walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans over moderate heat for seven to eight minutes, stirring constantly until golden and well toasted. Do not leave unattended as nuts can burn quickly. Transfer nuts to a plate and return pan to stove. Add butter to the pan in small pieces. Add anise, cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg and stir for one minute to allow butter to become infused. Turn off heat. Add toasted nuts and smoked almonds to the skillet. Gently stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Allow to cool.

Yield: 6 cups.

Slow Cooker Sugared Nuts

The unusual steps in this recipe ensure that the nuts are crisp and perfectly glazed, so follow these instructions carefully.

½ pound pecan halves
½ pound shelled walnuts
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat a 3½- to 4-quart slow cooker, uncovered, on high for fifteen minutes. In warmed slow cooker, combine nuts and butter and stir well. Add powdered sugar, stirring to coat evenly. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for fifteen minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until nuts are coated with a crisp glaze, about two hours. Transfer nuts to a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine spices. Sift them over the nuts, stirring to coat evenly. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Yield: 6 cups.

Slow Cooker Chex Mix

This classic combination of cereal, nuts, butter, and seasonings cooks in your slow cooker so you don’t have to watch it or stir it while it’s baking.

3 cups thin pretzel sticks
4 cups Wheat Chex cereal
4 cups Cheerios cereal
12 ounces salted peanuts
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ cup butter, melted
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker and stir gently until well mixed and cereal, pretzels, and peanuts are coated with butter, cheese, and spices. Cover and cook on low for three to four hours, stirring twice during cooking. Remove lid during last half hour of cooking to let the mix dry.

Yield: 12 cups.

Peppermint Bark

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
4 red-and-white peppermint sticks OR 6-inch candy canes, crushed
2 drops peppermint oil or extract

Line a 13 x 17-inch cookie sheet with sides with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. When chocolate is melted, stir in peppermint oil. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the crushed peppermint pieces and spread the mixture on the cookie sheet, about ¼-inch thick. It will not fill the pan completely. Sprinkle the reserved peppermint pieces over the top. Let set at room temperature until hardened, about two hours (or refrigerate for thirty minutes to harden more quickly). Use your hands to break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Yield: 3 to 4 cups.

Lemon Sugar

3 lemons
2 cups white sugar

Using a zester or fine grater, remove only the zest from all three lemons (no white pith). Stir zest with sugar in a mixing bowl; then spread mixture out on a cookie sheet and let dry for about one hour. Place in an airtight container. Add this tag: “Lemon sugar gives a cup of tea that perfect zing!”

Yield: 2 cups.

Vanilla Sugar

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and crosswise
4 cups white sugar

In a large container with an airtight closure, place 2 cups of sugar. Add the bean quarters and cover with the remaining 2 cups of sugar. Close tightly. Place in a cool, dark place. Twice a day shake the container to distribute the vanilla essence. Continue the process for at least one week and up to three weeks. Place in an airtight container. Add this tag: “Vanilla sugar: Use as regular, granulated sugar (for instance, in coffee or cereal).”

Yield: 4 cups.

Almond Coffee Creamer

¾ cup powdered sugar
¾ cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Place in an airtight container. Add this tag: “Almond coffee creamer: Add to coffee in place of non-dairy creamer and sugar.”

Yield: 1½ cups.

Chai Tea Mix

1½ cups instant tea powder
2 cups powdered non-dairy creamer
½ cup dry milk powder
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla powder

In a food processor, combine instant tea, powdered creamer, dry milk powder, powdered sugar, and brown sugar. Add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, allspice, and vanilla powder. Process for two minutes. Place in an airtight container. Add this tag: “Chai tea mix: To serve, place 4 teaspoons in a cup and fill with hot water. Stir and enjoy!”

Yield: 3½ cups.

Bavarian Mint Coffee Mix

¼ cup instant nonfat powdered dry milk
⅓ cup white sugar
¼ cup instant coffee
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 hard peppermint candies, crushed

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until mixed. Place in an airtight container. Add this tag: “Bavarian mint coffee mix: To serve, combine 3 tablespoons with 1 cup boiling water. Stir to blend. Ahhh!”

Yield: 1 cup.

Friendship Tea

1 cup powdered Tang
½ cup instant lemonade drink mix
1½ cups white sugar
1 cup instant tea (unsweetened)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Place in an airtight container. Add this tag: “Friendship tea: To serve, combine 3 teaspoons with 1 cup boiling water. Stir and enjoy!”

Yield: 4 cups.

Cappuccino Mix

1 cup powdered instant creamer
1 cup cocoa
⅔ cup instant coffee granules
½ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all ingredients. Place in an airtight container. Add this tag: “Cappuccino mix: To serve, place 4 teaspoons in a cup and add boiling water. Stir well. Enjoy!”

Yield: 3½ cups.

Mocha Mix

1½ cups white sugar
1 cup instant coffee granules
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
¼ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Mix ingredients thoroughly. Place in an airtight container. Add this tag: “Mocha mix: To serve, combine 2 tablespoons with 1 cup boiling water. Stir and enjoy!”

Yield: 3 to 4 cups.

When I was a little girl growing up in Kansas in the late seventies, I had a brother named Bob who was twelve years older than me. I rarely saw him due to our age difference. He was very sick his whole life, suffering from diabetes. At the time, he was working with a cleaning crew at the bank where my dad worked. Even at seven years old, I knew he had very little money. For Christmas, he gave me a giant roll of paper that he was allowed to take from the bank and a box of sixty-four crayons. I loved that gift. I could roll the paper out to twenty feet and draw giant pictures.

Gifts in our house were elaborate and went on forever, and I remember few of them. But I will never forget the paper and the crayons from my brother Bob. Contact between us as adults was rare, and he passed away in 1996. I will never forget how hard he must have tried to think of a gift for his baby sister.

Kelly B., Georgia

In August, my daughter and I make out our Christmas lists. These are not for things we want but rather the people we want to bless from our kitchen. We plan the different treats for simplicity and figure out what ingredients and quantities we will need. Each week we buy a few things for the “holiday shelf” when we do our food shopping, and by the week after Thanksgiving we have all that we need.

We start on Black Friday (for us, a go-nowhere, spend-nothing day). We bake, cook, jar, tray, and package all of our treats using containers purchased at after-Christmas sales from the previous year. By the end of the week we are done and all the mailed gifts are sent. Over the next weeks before Christmas, we deliver the local gifts and enjoy a stress-free, no-malls, no-crowds Christmas.

Michele B., email