"gift of the day" news and stories

When I was growing up, Christmas time was just about the only time of year when my sister and I would be allowed to have hot chocolate. It was a super special treat and we looked forward to it with great anticipation, reminding our mom repeatedly in the weeks before the holiday to pick up the box of mix at Safeway or Fred Meyers.

Homemade hot chocolate mix makes a wonderful holiday gift, especially for families with young kids who look forward to a mug of cocoa before Santa comes to make his yearly visit. Alison Lewis has posted a terrific recipe for homemade mix on her site, Ingredients, Inc. that makes an excellent holiday gift. Packaged in pint-sized canning jars, deliciousness will ensue if you make this for your friends and family.

For more of our edible gift suggestions, click on the image below.

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This particular edible gift suggestion is designed especially for those among you who love food but hate to cook. Buy a unique or charming bowl or basket (if you're gift-giving on the cheap, I suggest hitting thrift stores for your vessel) and then filling it with mandarin oranges. Don't buy a pre-packed bag or box when prepping for these gifts, as often you'll find some rotten fruit in with the good ones. Instead, spend a few minutes sorting through the display at your grocery store, hand selecting the best fruit. For a more visually interesting offering, get several different kinds of citrus. Tie an old-fashioned cloth ribbon (or a handmade cloth napkin, if you want to get fancy) around the bowl for added holiday cheer.

For more of our edible gift suggestions, click on the image below.

Today's homemade edible gift suggestion comes to us from Marie of Make and Takes. Instead of baking of a batch of cookies to give to a friend, co-worker or family member, she suggests that you make up a batch of your favorite cookie dough, roll it into a log, wrap it well and present it to them. Sounds like a great gift to me, because while there are always a host of treats and temptations around during December, sometimes you want a little taste of Christmas or Hanukkah when the harsh, frigid days of January have settled in. This way, the recipient can stash their cookie dough away for a day when they really need a sweet pick-me-up.

If you want to further jazz up the gift, and you've made a batch of dough that could be rolled out, you could attach a cute cutter or a jar of colored sprinkles to the log. These would also make great gifts for friends who are expecting a baby.

The holiday season can be a hectic and overwhelming time of the year, but it's always nice to take a couple of hours to make up a batch of roll-out butter cookies. They're a little fussy in the making, but frosted with a quick powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar dissolved in a little water and flavored with a dash of vanilla extract), they make an elegant addition to a holiday table and are sure to delight anyone you give them to.

I posted my favorite sugar/butter cookie recipe last year and it's the one I use for these types of cookies. I like to use smaller cutters for cookies that I'm going to give away, because them mean that you can get more cookies out of each roll and they look more delicate and appealing. To glaze, I make a small bowl of the frosting I described above and then quickly dip the top of the cookie into it. Let the glaze harden completely before stacking, otherwise they'll stick together and will lose the beauty and elegance you've worked so hard to create.

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I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. Fudge is one of the easiest things in the world to make and it never fails to delight a chocolate lover. My favorite recipe requires just three ingredients - 1 pound of chocolate, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and half a stick of butter (you can also add a couple of glugs of booze for a more adult treat). Sure, there are more complex recipes that require you to work harder, but everyone I've ever served this quick fudge to happily laps it up and then comes back for more.

Simply melt the ingredients together in double boiler until smooth and combined. While it's melting, line a 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper. When the chocolate mixture is melted, pour into the lined pan and smooth with spatula. Let sit until cool (I put it into a pan of cold water to speed the process) and then refrigerate for at least two hours to let it set. Cutting while cold will ease the process and keep the cuts smooth. Give to chocolate loving friends and family in small boxes or tins.