One dubious benefit of the pandemic has been to turn holiday shopping into a quick, one-click exercise. Why not use some of the time you’ve saved this year, as we gather in person, to add a distinctive touch? A small, unique food gift that you have made yourself says, "I care about you!"
Let me help you select a recipe from among those I've posted on my blog and taught over the decades at my home cooking school. Here is a short list of delicious gifts at every skill level. Simply choose a recipe that you would like to receive as a gift. Any one could easily be turned into an afternoon family project.
The Lentil Soup Mix recipe, for example, doesn’t require any cooking. Simply layer colorful beans, grains and seasonings in an attractive glass jar. Print out a recipe (your own?) to attach with a colorful bow. You have created a meal without having to cook it.
The next easiest homemade gift is ‘Rise and Shine’ Granola. It involves mixing, seasoning and toasting the grains. You can go nuts, so to speak, customizing the add-in fruits, nuts and seeds. Just think how you will brighten your friends’ breakfast routine this winter.
You will want to tie on an apron to make jars of Cranberry and Ginger Jam. The cranberries and apples soften and thicken into jam in about twenty minutes. My recipe includes directions for quickly vacuum sealing dishwasher-clean jars. One recipe yields 6 quarter-pint (1/2 cups) jars or 3 1/2 pint jars.
For your 'bestie', the ultimate gift is a combo of homemade jam paired with a golden loaf of Nick’s Quick Brioche. Make one large loaf or as many of four single serving rolls. If you are not ready to bake with yeast, a great alternative is a batch colorful Fruitcake Biscotti. Mix up a stiff dough that includes dried fruit and nuts, divide and bake two loaves, then slice and toast individual pieces. A white chocolate glaze will give them special appeal.
It’s no secret that home cooks and bakers get as much pleasure sharing food gifts as those who receive them. Freshly homemade food conveys the most precious gift of the season, that is, your time.
Wishing you Happy Holidays and Healthy New Year!
