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The
following gift recipes are some that I have collected that I know
will make appreciated homemade gifts for the holidays. There are all
sorts of containers (my hobby is collecting old tins from thrift
shops and estate sales), boxes, baskets and jars that you can make
festive for the holidays with Christmas tissue paper, colored plastic
wrap and/or bows and ribbon,
and glitter.
CASHEW
BRITTLE
INGREDIENTS:
1
c. sugar
1/2
c. white corn syrup
1
1/2 c. dry roasted cashews
1
tsp. vanilla
1/2
- 1 c. shredded coconut
1
tsp. baking soda
1
stick butter
DIRECTIONS:
Combine
sugar and corn syrup in 8 to 12 cup measuring cup with handle and
microwave on high for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir one time. Add butter,
vanilla, cashews and coconut. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in baking soda, mix until blended. Quickly spread on greased
cookie sheet. Rest 30 to 40 minutes, break into pieces.
HOMEMADE
FRUIT BARS
INGREDIENTS:
1
package yellow cake mix
2-1/2
cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1-1/2
sticks butter or margarine (melted)
1
cup (12 oz. jar) strawberry preserves
1
Tbls. water
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat
oven to 375 degrees. Grease 13x9-inch cake baking pan. Combine dry
cake mix and oats in a large bowl; add melted butter and stir until
crumbly. Measure half of crumb mixture into pan. Press firmly to
cover bottom of pan. Combine preserves and water; stir until blended.
Spread over crumb mixture in pan. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture
over preserves; pat firmly to make top even. Bake for 18 to 23
minutes or until top is very light brown. Cool in pan; cut into bars.
Store in airtight container. Makes 4 dozen bars.
SUGARED
PECANS
INGREDIENTS:
16
ounces pecan halves
1/2
cup butter, melted
1/2
cup powdered sugar
1
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4
teaspoon ground ginger
1/4
teaspoon ground allspice
DIRECTIONS:
Stir
the pecans and butter in a 3 1/2-quart crock pot until combined. Add
powdered sugar, stirring to coat. Cover and cook on high for 15
minutes. Turn to low and cook uncovered for about 2 hours, or until
the nuts are covered with a crisp glaze. Transfer to a bowl, combine
spices and sift over nuts, tossing to distribute evenly. Cool before serving.
BROWNIE
MIX IN A JAR
2
1/4 cups sugar
2/3
cup cocoa powder**
1/2
cup chopped pecans
1
1/4 cups flour -- mixed with
1
tsp. baking powder -- and
1
tsp. salt
1
cup chocolate chips
Layer
ingredients in order given (**clean inside of jar with dry paper
towel after adding cocoa) in a 1 quart wide mouth canning jar. It
will be a tight fit, make sure you firmly pack down each layer in
place before adding the flour mixture.
Attach
these instructions to the jar:
1.
Empty cookie mix into large mixing bowl. Use your hands to
thoroughly blend mix.
2.
Add: 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (not diet
margarine) 4 large eggs, slightly beaten
3.
Mix until completely blended.
4.
Spread batter into a greased or sprayed 9"x 13" inch
baking pan.
5.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Cut
into 2" squares.
Makes
2 dozen brownies
CHOCOLATE
CHIP COOKIE MIX IN A JAR
INGREDIENTS:
1
cup brown sugar
1/2
cup white sugar
1
1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2
cups all-purpose flour
1
tsp. salt
1
tsp. baking soda
DIRECTIONS:
Mix
the salt and baking soda in with the flour, then layer the
ingredients into the jar. Use scissors to cut a 9 inch-diameter
circle from calico. Place over lid and secure with rubber band. Tie
on a raffia or ribbon bow to cover rubber band.
Enclose
a card with the following mixing and baking directions:
CHOCOLATE
CHIP COOKIES
Preheat
oven to 375 degrees F. Sift dry ingredients through a colander to
separate the chocolate chips from other ingredients. Beat 1 cup of
unsalted butter or margarine in a medium bowl. Beat sifted
ingredients into butter until blended. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg
with 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix beaten egg mixture into butter
mixture until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop teaspoonfuls of
batter, spaced well apart, onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8
minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
CANDIED
COFFEE OR TEA STIRRERS
INGREDIENTS:
Cooking
Spray
34
pieces fruit flavored hard candy, crushed
2
tablespoons light corn syrup
Heavyweight
Plastic Spoons
DIRECTIONS:
Line
a jellyroll pan with waxed paper; spray with cooking spray. In a
small heavy saucepan, combine crushed candies and corn syrup. Over
low heat stir until candies melt. Spoon candy into bowl of each
spoon. Place spoons on prepared pan with handles on rim of pan and
spoons level. Allow to harden. Store in airtight container. Makes
about 24 spoons
SPICE
BAGS FOR WARM WINTER DRINKS
INGREDIENTS:
8
sticks cinnamon, broken into small pieces
2
whole nutmegs, crushed
1/3
cup whole cloves
1/3
cup minced dried orange peel (or 1/4 cup ground)
1/4
cup whole allspice
DIRECTIONS:
Combine
all the ingredients in a bowl, tie in sachets of 1 tablespoon each
in a double thickness of cheesecloth; transfer to an airtight
container. One sachet of the mixture will flavor 1 quart of cider,
tea or wine.
To
use, simmer 1 quart of the chosen beverage with 1 sachet for 20
minutes; ladle into mugs. If desired, add a garnish of cinnamon
sticks, slice of orange, lemon peel or a sprinkling of additional spirits.
Comments:
A jar of these packets with instructions for use make a nice gift.
PINECONES
Collect
lots of teeny pinecones (large ones will also work) and spray paint
some gold and some silver, and put them in a little basket as a
decoration. They would be easy to roll in glue, then glitter, and let
dry to be displayed in a basket, too.
These
can be used as package decorations for the gift baskets or on top of
any wrapped gift tied up with some festive ribbon.
WINTER
STOVE SCENTER
INGREDIENTS:
1/2
cup whole cloves
2
broken cinnamon sticks
2
tablespoons anise seed
1
tablespoon coriander
2
tablespoons allspice
1/4
cup dried lemon
1/4
cup orange peel
DIRECTIONS:
Mix
together. Place a tablespoon of the mixture in a small amount of
water and simmer on stove. Do not let the water boil away; you must
keep adding small amounts of water periodically. This mixture can be
reused several times. Store any unused dry mixture in a tightly
covered metal box.
CHOCOLATE
LIP BALM
INGREDIENTS:
3
tablespoons Cocoa Butter (available in the pharmacy).
3-4
Chocolate chips
1
Vitamin E capsule
1/4
teaspoon almond oil (or cooking oil)
DIRECTIONS:
Melt
the cocoa butter in the microwave. Add the chocolate chips and stir
until melted. You may have to microwave the mixture again for a few
seconds. Add Vitamin E and Oil. Vitamin E is a natural preservative
Stir very well, or the lip balm will turn out lumpy. Pour into a
small container. Great gift!
CHOCOLATE
COVERED CANDY CANES
INGREDIENTS:
1/2
cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2
teaspoon shortening
16
peppermint candy canes or sticks
Crushed
hard peppermint candy or miniature chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
Line
a baking sheet with waxed paper. Heat chocolate chips and shortening
in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat until melted. Tip saucepan so
that chocolate runs to one side. Dip 1 candy cane at a time into
chocolate, coating about 3/4 of each stick with chocolate. Place on
wax paper on cookie sheet. Let stand
about
2 minutes, until chocolate is almost dry. Roll chocolate-dipped ends
in crushed peppermint candy or miniature chocolate chips. Let stand
about 10 minutes or until chocolate is dry. Store loosely covered at
room temperature up to 2 weeks. Makes 16 candy canes.
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