Easy-to-prepare, from-scratch fudge is a thoughtful gift for the holiday season. In our latest how-to, we share a simple fudge recipe and our tips for wrapping it all up in a festive package. To stir up this chocolatey dessert, you’ll need sugar, butter, evaporated milk, semisweet baking chocolate, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and the nut of your choice. With its four-hour cooking time, the dessert doesn't provide instant gratification — but delicious things come to those who wait!
If you're looking for a last-minute gift to give to a loved one, why not go for something homemade and delicious? Whether you're looking for a quick and easy project or a more involved afternoon affair, these creative gifts will impress all of your friends and family. Likewise, we have picks for any palate and proclivity, including those with a raging sweet tooth, the salt-obsessed, the boozehound, and more.
This holiday entertaining season, make certain to master at least one back-pocket appetizer — a treat so easy and low-stress that you can whip it up in a flash to fill out a menu, or have it on hand if guests will be unexpectedly popping over. I can tell you now, that these salty-piney-sweet nuts will be mine.
Crisp and crunchy, with a hit of breath-freshening rosemary these nuts are dangerous in the best way; I can't seem to stop at a small handful, much less one or two. I suspect you will feel the same way.
Chocolate crinkle cookies are a holiday favorite. Gooey and fudgy, with plenty of powdered sugar to go around, a package of these cookies is sure to please anyone on your gift list. The recipe is inspired by my absolute favorite chocolate crinkle cookies from Williams-Sonoma ($19). The mix is heavenly, but the price tag keeps me pretty limited to making them for special occasions only. Determined to see if I could hack recipe myself, I got out my trusty scale and started weighing out all the ingredients on the package. I felt like a modernist cook, breaking down the recipe bit by bit.
My experimental hack was a success, and tasters loved the crumbliness of the cookies and the brownie-like interior. Do these taste exactly like the Williams-Sonoma brand? Not exactly, but that is to be expected since I used different cocoa powder, pastry flour, chocolate, and vanilla. Next time, I do plan to splurge on all of Williams-Sonoma's baking ingredients, so I can get even closer to the flavor of the original mix.
I'm always intrigued by all the wonderful candies and confections that make their way to grocery store shelves during the holiday season. Every time I buy a bag of peppermint candies, I can't help but wonder how they are made, which is why this season I became determined to make them as an edible gift.
These little peppermints do require fast speed to stretch and cut, but if you don't get it right the first time, your hardened brick of candy won't go to waste. Leftover candy cane can be crushed and used in ice cream, cookies, or candies.
If you think of limoncello as a Lysol-scented, saccharine-sweet liqueur, think again. While many store-bought bottles are suspect, homemade is a whole other story.
Smooth and bright with zesty lemon notes, a bottle of limoncello makes for an excellent edible gift for cocktail lovers, particularly when paired with a bottle of sparkling wine for a limoncello-Champagne cocktail.
Granted, it takes a bit of advance planning, but aside from the wait time necessary for the lemon peels to infuse their essential oils in the liquor, it's a very low-fuss process, and it is easy to make in large batches to be divvied up in multiple gifts. Just whatever you do, tuck away a bottle for yourself as well — your cocktails will thank you . . .
A few months ago, I tried Cobra Corn Mumbai Masala popcorn, and I couldn't get the Indian spices out of my head. Inspired to create a homemade batch of garam masala popcorn, I knew this unusual popcorn flavor would be appreciated by my family and friends during the holiday season as well.
People usually receive a plethora of indulgent treats as holiday gifts, so I thought it might be nice to keep this batch simple, butter-free, and salty. Garam masala is made of peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom, many of which are familiar holiday spices. Keep in mind you can control the heat of the popcorn, but even the most minute sprinkling of cayenne will give it a sufficient kick.
Sixteen cups may seem like a giant yield, but when I pulled out a big bowl of this popcorn for my family of four, I had to pry the bowl away from them so I could save a few cups for the photo shoot! Click here to make this easy, flavor-packed snack.
While giving any edible gift shows thoughtfulness, care, and the foresight to plan ahead, those that are destined for the breakfast table are my favorite type to give. While they may not be as flashy or festive as most, I'm particularly fond of giving comforting and practical gifts like jams, jellies, and marmalades as a hostess gift, as the next day's breakfast is likely the last thing your host is considering in the rush to prepare for a soiree.
Less bitter than classic orange marmalade (and thus more of a universal crowd-pleaser), this tangy and slightly floral kumquat and Earl Grey marmalade would make for an exceptional gift when paired with a loaf of artisanal (or even better) homemade bread.
During Winter, nothing epitomizes warmth more than a steaming cup of rich hot chocolate. This holiday, why not package that feeling for your loved ones by making a thoughtful homemade version of the stuff?
Unlike store-bought mix, which often tastes chalky and watered down, this edible gift is velvety in texture and pure chocolatey in flavor. This year, I'm making a large batch and distributing individually decorated packages of mix to members of my extended family. Keep reading to make your own version of this luscious-tasting hot chocolate mix.
No Southern holiday party is complete without green pepper jelly mounted high atop a slab of cream cheese, which is why it's a festive gift to offer friends and family.
If you're not from the South, then this might seem like an unusual flavored jelly. Made from green bell peppers, jalapeños, apple cider vinegar, and sugar, it tastes similar to a sweet/spicy Indian chutney. To me, it tastes like pickled jalapeños in a jelly form. In a good way, of course!
I'll be the first to admit that pepper jelly may look a whole lot like Ghostbusters green slime, but it only takes one bite of the sweet, peppery jelly atop cream cheese and a cracker to become a pepper jelly fan for life.
