C'mas Food Gift Ideas

[MisterTinkles]

Since I have little money this year for Cmas presents, I thought I would make some food gifts and send them out.

Besides the same old boring fudge, divinity, cookies, and fruitcake.......I need ideas on something interesting for food gifts this year.

And EASY....it has to be EASY and SIMPLE to make!!!! Nothing with filo dough or anything that is expensive and time consuming.

One food gift Im thinking about making is Pumpkin Bread or Banana Bread.

I would like to make some other kind of goodie to send with them, but Im bored with all the usual stuff.

Oh!! And it has to be able to travel well. Most of this will be shipped to other parts of the US, so it has to be something that wont get all broken up or squished while shipping.

Any suggestions?

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Muffins over breads. They have these aluminum and paper cups. Slip off the aluminum cup for baking and cooling, let the muffins sit 2 hours to dry out a bit before putting them back in their aluminum tin. I have colored cellowrap/saran wrap (red and green, yellow and clear - I think it comes in purple and blue as well) and I wrap each muffin individually.

Since I tend to make some with nuts and raisins and some with just nuts or just raisins I will use the colored wrap to 'color code' the product... I include in the box a pretty printed up 'Christmas' slip of paper with the Color Code and what it means.

Pumpkin muffins - some with raisins, some with raisins and nuts, some without raisins and nuts.

Zucchini bread same sort of raisin/nut situation.

Then you have lots of boxed cake mixes to choose from... Chocolate, white, lemon - IDK - how into baking are you? Is 'from scratch' your think or will a box do?

If you want a touch sweet cake mix I suggest using white sugar for blueberry and lemon and white cake mixes and brown sugar for the chocolate and other dark colors mixes. This bit of added sugar (1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 white) will increase the sweetness to where you don't have to muck around with a frosting - which frosting something you plan on shipping is a bad idear.

An alternative is to take a cake mix mix it up then fold in candied fruit, sugar sprinkles - gummy bears, chocolate chip, etc. I have had mixed results with thick chocolate and gummy worms (something I tried one Halloween for the nieces and nephews in the last century)

I'm using dates this year for something... Can't recall the name right off my head - I dug up a date cake/bar recipe... Dates were cheap this year.

One of the things I make that everyone seems to love is rice-crispy 'fruit cake'. There is no real baking involved - a double boiler, melting marshmallows and mixing melted marshmallows, candied fruit (sold in the produce section) with rice crispies.

Hint use real butter and only half of what the typical recipes call for. Store in the ice box one day without a covering to help dry them out a bit. You can use metal cookie cutters to cut basic shapes - nothing to intricate. If you plan on using a bit of rum soaked fruit then cut the butter to 1/4. The fruit will be a bit wetter and make the treats too damp. That is assuming you soak your own candied fruit the three days and three nights before use.....

Parchment paper is a good idea for wrapping rice crispy treats. Make certain the waxed side is against the treat, - and just fold it over by thirds then wrap in cello to finish it off. It makes it easier to pull the cello off and the waxed parchment paper removes far easier than cello.

An alternative is to have a thin sheet of rice crispy material and when still warm cut into a strips - then use an alternative mix - say candied fruit that has been blended and compacted into 'rolls' and you can make sushi rolles.

And you don't have to use just rice crispies, I have seen them made with apple jacks, fruity pebbles, chocolate crispies

[MisterTinkles]

Ooooo....those "Fruit Cake Rice Crispy Treats" sound GOOOD!!!!

I think I will make those!!!!

THANKS!!!!!

[Lilitu]

what about some really nice confectionery like some dates with cream cheese, or little mini muffins or chocolate truffles!

You could alot with chocolate truffles and you can do lots of really fancy flavours as well like chilli or lime or if you use white chocolate you can use some more delicate flavours. And you can give just like 5 per person.

Or some candy like butterscotch or praline or something like that. Go look at yoyomax12 on youtube for good ideas but her ideas are more arty and crafty and children's birthday.

Chinese and Japanese confectionery is also very gift-friendly, since most are specifically used as gifts and to look pretty.

Or maybe preserves or apple butter or something like that.

Maybe even like just hokey pokey, or even like toffee art dipped in a bit of oil to make them last longer.

[MisterTinkles]

I love muffins, but they dont travel well. Plus the temperature changes while shipping make them all sticky.

I dont have a lot of money to spend, since I am out of work, thats why Im looking for something cheap to make, that I can make a lot of. So cant do chocolate, cause thats expensive.

I think Im going to make Pumpkin Bread mini loaves, Fruit Cake Rice Cripsy Treats, PeanutButter Rice Crispy Treats, and maybe something else, if I can afford it. I will have to look up some of Lilitus suggestions.

Thanks!!

[Jovial]

I'm using dates this year for something... Can't recall the name right off my head - I dug up a date cake/bar recipe... Dates were cheap this year.

Wow, if it is Matrimonial Bar I will fall at your feet – it tastes better than chocolate when done right!