It’s officially the holiday season! Christmas songs are back en vogue, twinkly lights abound and I have a good excuse to buy five-pound bags of sugar and flour again.
Two scenarios pop up every year without fail around this time:
1) You have to bring something (preferably easy to carry) for a holiday potluck.
2) You’re giving out homemade gifts (possibly via mail).
Luckily, there’s a lot of overlap in terms of recipes that are excellent in either situation. Homemade chocolate truffles? No one’s turning them down, and if you freeze them, they’ll survive 3-4 days of shipping. Fig-olive jam + a few cheeses is an easy way to win any potluck, and if you pop the extra into little jars, it’s a delicious homemade gift. I could go on, but you probably get the point. These are the treats that I look forward to every holiday season, the ones I return to year after year.
But, I’m always looking for new ideas, so:
What are your favorite homemade holiday gifts to give or receive?
Cookies
Airy Dark Chocolate Meringues
Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies
Chocolate-Dipped Whole Wheat Shortbreads
Coffee Chocolate-Chip Shortbread Cookies
Condensed Milk Cookies
Dark Chocolate, Pistachio and Sea Salt Cookies
Five-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Mini Chocolate Crackles
Peppermint-y Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Pistachio-Cardamom Meltaways
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Regal Shortbread Cookies
Salted Dark Chocolate Shortbreads
Spiced Ginger Cookies
Toasted Pecan Sandies (I literally cannot show up for our Christmas party without these.)
Vanilla Crescent Cookies
Candy
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles
Chocolate-Toffee Cracker Crunch
Peanutella (Chocolate-Peanut Butter Spread)
Peppermint Bark
Pistachio Cranberry White Chocolate Bark
Red Velvet Cake Balls
Jams, Jellies and Sauces
Easy Pear Refrigerator Jam
Fig-Olive Jam (great for friends who prefer savory treats and/or cheese lovers, since it’s insane with sharp cheeses)
Salted Butter Caramel Sauce
Granola
(I love this as a homemade gift idea, since people are usually sugar-ed out this time of year and on the lookout for easy breakfasts they can quickly squeeze in … or maybe that’s just me)
Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola
Vanilla Maple Cinnamon Granola