Sunday, November 27, 2011

Making Food Gifts for the Holiday

I think that a well-made gift of food for the holidays is one of the best things we can do.  It shows you cared to assemble the ingredients, cook them and wrap them yourself.  That seems so much more personal than a gift certificate. Here are some ideas to help.
Stained Glass Cookies – these are simple sugar cookies that are formed into shapes with a small gap or pane in the design.  When you add some crushed hard candy and bake them, the hard candy melts and the result is like stained glass.  There are several sources for the recipes online.   I do recommend the Base for Filled cookies in my cookbook. It will stand up to the demands of this process.    (TIP - a silicone sheet under the cookies - it makes getting them out much easier!)
Fudge – who doesn’t like chocolate??  There are a lot of recipes for this online too. My favorite is a family recipe.  Make it ahead and keep it in the refrigerator.
If you have a favorite recipe, make a personalized mix for your friends.  Put the ingredients in a glass container that can be sealed.  Tie the instructions on with a ribbon and you have a very attractive gift.
Take a pot of your favorite soup to someone who is ill or has a lot of company. I am sure that they will enjoy it.
These are just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.