As Christmas draws closer, it’s time to start thinking about what type of gifts to give to friends and family. Homemade gifts make such an impact because they come from the heart and you put your time into them. Anyone can go to a local retail store and purchase something off of a shelf, but taking the time to make things yourself makes the gift truly special.
Gourmet Popcorn
Gourmet popcorn is something that anyone can make. It is best to use kettle corn as it stands up to being mixed with other ingredients better. A good mix of sweet and salty makes an indulgent snack for friends and family to enjoy.
One idea for gourmet popcorn is mixing in dried fruit and honey roasted peanuts. Use about ½-cup of each fruit and nut per 3 cups of popcorn. To make the popcorn more indulgent, melt dark chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle it over the popcorn in layers.
Chocolate Bark
Chocolate bark is rather easy to make. White chocolate marbled with dark chocolate adds color and flavor contrast. The dark chocolate helps break up the sweetness of the white chocolate. There really are no rules when it comes to what to add into chocolate bark. Crushed peppermint is an ideal option. Sprinkle just a pinch of sea salt over the top for flavor contrast. Dried fruit and nuts, such as apricots and pistachio nuts, make a great pairing with chocolate. Pretzel pieces, and even potato chips are fun additions to chocolate bark recipes too.
Snack Mixes
Snack mixes are fun to put together. You can make a large batch and separate it into portions for each person on your list. With a snack mix, it is ideal to blend a variety of items together. Every snack mix needs something salty, so pretzels and salted nuts work best here. Homemade crackers will also work. Add in fruit, nuts and something sweet. You can combine fruit and sweet by using chocolate covered dried fruit, such as chocolate covered blueberries or cherries. This is a gift that the whole family will enjoy.
When making edible Christmas gifts, always make sure that the recipient and those that will share the gift are not allergic to any of the gift’s ingredients. It is easy to make substitutions to any of the ideas above to work around food allergies. Gifts from the heart are the most memorable. Some may even ask for the same thing for years to come.
