Are you giving food gifts for Christmas?
My family likes food gifts. My dad had the ingredients for a New England clam bake sent down to my brother in Florida. My other brother is putting Toblerone bars in the stockings.
I got my dad some duck bacon. I've never tried it, but Dad loves bacon and he loves duck, so I hope it's good.
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24 Comments:
I've got a brisket and spareribs on the smoker as we speak, they seem to always go well recieved
Markbb at 1:27PM on 12/22/08
i'm making dark chocolate truffles and pickled garlic...
hungrygrl7 at 2:06PM on 12/22/08
I'm making mini-pound cakes for my boyfriend's relatives. I'm kind of known as a cook, so I think people would be disappointed if I didn't make anything. Plus, we're big on food gifts (and food in general!) in my family.
emgroff at 2:24PM on 12/22/08
I've baked pumpkin bread and the ubiquitous (at least around these parts) peanut butter blossoms to give to my son's daycare providers. I'm considering making some homemade granola for my parents and sister and possibly something else for other family members (in laws, aunts and uncles, etc). I don't know how motivated I"ll be and since I have tons of cleaning and organizing to do over the next week and half I may not have time. Procrastination is a bad, bad thing. I should have done all this cleaning and organizing before Niblet arrived in August...
AuntJone at 2:26PM on 12/22/08
Since last Thursday, I've been working on the food gift baskets that we're giving to our friends and family for the holidays - baking, cooking, arranging, etc. Baskets include results of my picking and canning frenzy back in August - September:
Pears poached in Spiced Merlot
Pickled Aubergines (layered white and purple, on top of being delicious, they look so lovely!)
Cornichons in Tarragon Vinegar
Peach Jam
Apple Butter
Grape Jam/Jelly
Spicy Green Tomato Jam
Apple sauce (when requested)
Hot Pepper Blend (hand-picked, dried and ground)
and stuff I've been working on for the last week:
Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti (a very similar recipe to the one posted on SE recently)
Butterscotch Brownies (recipe courtesy of @wellred from several months ago. I loved the idea since I wanted a change from the chocolate espresso ones I usually make, and they are spectacular.
Honey Rosemary Shortbread
Lemon Madelines
Granola Bars
Granola
Banana Walnut mini tea loaf
Blueberry mini tea loaf
Spiced Butternut Squash mini tea loaf
Ginger sesame Salad Dressing
Now, not everybody gets every single thing on the list, but the baskets turn out to be huge, absolutely lovely and impressive looking, and from the first half dozen already delivered - very much appreciated. I've already got requests for seconds:-). I can barely stand on my feet now, and I haven't really slept since some time last week (or eaten, for that matter), but I'm so chuffed to hear how surprised and happy our friends were to get these gifts, it makes it all worth it! Back to the kitchen now, I still have three more baskets to complete by 6-7 pm, then a couple more tomorrow. Our official Hanukkah dinner is on Wednesday (it's a good thing Hanukkah lasts for so long, or I wouldn't get my latkes fix:-)), and yes, it's at my house.
brooke29 at 2:38PM on 12/22/08
Rice crispie and marshmallow squares,
crushed rich tea biscuits covered in dark chocolate and cut into squares,
peppermint cookies - cookie dough wrapped around a chocolate mint and drizzled with chocolate when cool,
honeycomb (made with sugar and bicarb),
sesame balls with crushed cornflakes, malt syrup, rice crispies and milk chocolate,
double chocolate choc-chip cookies
snowmoonelk at 2:59PM on 12/22/08
@AuntJone - go see Fly Lady! She'll sort you out in a soothing way.
snowmoonelk at 3:00PM on 12/22/08
Yes, of course!
My friends received bags of homemade candy (peanut butter cups, peppermint schnapps-filled cups, kahlua chocolate cups, pb fudge, chocolate fudge, chocolate truffles).
My mother is getting a large tin of the same, plus some coconut and chocolate macaroons, in a hand-painted canvas shopping bag. And I'm throwing in a few other things, too.
My sister is getting chocolate-flavored tortilla chips, mint cocoa and tea in a hand-painted tote bad.
My brother gets peppermint JoJos (I've got the poor kid addicted, and he lives nowhere near a TJ's) along with a DVD.
KarynMC at 3:00PM on 12/22/08
Oh, my dad is getting wedding cookies, chocolate crinkles and beer.
KarynMC at 3:12PM on 12/22/08
I made gingerbread cut-outs for the office. As part of my grandmother's present I'm making one of the family meals so she can take a night off, and as part of my dad's present he's getting a meal as well, because neither him or my stepmother cook.
Laurel E at 3:17PM on 12/22/08
YEP! Of course!
Bought this one game cuz its sweet,
and this one book because it's really helpful and I use it all the time for ingredient combination ideas,
and this book as well because it's got some good beer recipes for my papa!
@Laurel - Gingerbread is a great idea for the office! Thanks for the tip!
hungrychristel at 3:41PM on 12/22/08
I made bagels for a great friend who's from NY. I gave them to him already. He said that they are very authentically "New York" and super delicious. I am very proud, and now everyone I know will be receiving bagels!
aungeinphx at 3:56PM on 12/22/08
Everybody is getting homemade fudge. I made 2 kinds: Chocolate with salty peanuts and kosher salt on top and white chocolate with matcha tea and ginger. Also the worthy adults on our guest list are getting homemade Limoncello or lime infused rum.
finsbigfan at 4:33PM on 12/22/08
Pear chutney (Martha Stewart recipe)." S'Mores" and "Sand Art Brownies" mix in a jar. My husband is bewildered by the fact that the recipient bakes these but I'm giving them only to friends who like to bake..and they look so cute.
elaine nan at 5:11PM on 12/22/08
my people are getting homemade salted caramels, candied orange peel, and pistachio-almond nougat.
andshewas at 8:49PM on 12/22/08
Just made wild plum jelly and Mounds coconut fudge, and rice krispie treats, and popcorn balls for my mother, since she can not do it anymore and she taught me when I was very young. Also making fresh strawberry jam and syrup for her.
nevets at 10:30PM on 12/22/08
My guests for Christmas eve will be getting fresh Kolachies.
nevets at 10:32PM on 12/22/08
@nevets~You are soo sweet! You're making me smile and cry.
@snowmoonelk~Honeycomb recipe please. Please.
I said please.
Late start because of the lack of stove for 2 weeks and then Stupid Christmas shopping. I always do trays of assorted cookies and bars. My 11 year old son has made mini pumpkin muffins since he was 7 and I also make these ridiculously cute (I said it) Santa pretzel sticks that are a pain in the *%#. People expect them now and it makes the dread and the effort worth it.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 11:31PM on 12/22/08
Pumkin bread, fudge, and since my sister and I have a mustard exchange going on...blue cheese dijon, Scorned Woman-a jalapenoe mustard, chilpotle mustard, and well the list is too long to complete but if it is made or recommended by one who cares....priceless. Now what credit card company has that catch phrase?.
dhorst at 12:17AM on 12/23/08
I'm not giving food per se, but I'm giving out my services as chef for dinner parties to relatives and friends. Works out nicely with the economy and all...
sailordave at 12:59AM on 12/23/08
I just finished the marathon baking so hubby can bring cookies and rum cakes to coworkers. It was a little rushed this year, because I had more work last week than I anticipated. Normally, it's a slow time and I can play a lot more in the kitchen. So I didn't make as many different cookies as normal, but oh well, it is what it is.
I also made up a tray of assorted cookies for hubby to take to work tomorrow for office snacks. His office-mates actually were looking for treats today, which I think is funny. I think I've spoiled them. I usually bake on the weekends, and they end up getting the extras on Mondays.
I also brought cookies to a business meeting last week, since there isn't one this week, so that was the extent of what I'm doing food-wise, for my coworkers (at one job).
FIL is getting bacon brittle and pretzel brittle to tide him over until he can have nuts. I also bagged up some nutless cookies for the inlaws to take home Christmas day. I might bag up some more. I;ve got more dough in the fridge, so there's more baking to do.
Last year I gave MIL a "gift certificate" for cake, bread, cookies, buns, ice cream, or whatever else she might want me to make for her when she had other people over for dinner. She never took me up on that. Bummer. If she had, I would have made the same offer this year.
Often, I send the inlaws home with leftovers after they've eaten here, but we're having beef tenderloin and lamb chops, so I'm not imagining those leftovers are going to stay here.
That's pretty much the extent of it. Hubby's siblings quit exchanging presents a few years ago, and I barely send Christmas cards to the remanants of my family.
dbcurrie at 2:07AM on 12/23/08
Christmas is scaled way back this year, partly but not entirely because of the economy. But my sister's getting three jars of Better Than Bouillon paste. I've never used a single bouillon cube since I discovered it. Google the name - you're in for a treat. It comes in bunches of flavors and Ray's grocery chain stocks 8 of them.
gentlyferal at 12:46PM on 12/23/08
Dark Chocolate Truffles for my sister
Buckeyes for my brother-in-law
White Chocolate Cheesecake for my mom
Shortbread cookies for my dad and my hubby's parents
Homemade pasta sauce for my grandfather
LizSherman at 4:41PM on 12/23/08
I'm making these 5 layer bars for my boyfriends' grandparents since we're going to their house for a holiday dinner.
Chew on That at 5:20PM on 12/23/08