Holiday-themed cupcakes are a fun and easy gift.
The end-of-the-year holidays are typically associated with gift-giving, sweet treats and expanding waistlines, so it's no surprise that some of the more popular gifts to give during this time are food gifts. Whether it's sweet, savory, homemade or store-bought, everyone loves to receive tasty treats during the holidays. Does this Spark an idea?
Sweets
Sweets abound during the holidays; the bane of the dieter and the delight of adults and children everywhere. From candy to chocolate and everything in between, these are gifts you can give to friends and family alike. Country Living offers recipes for chocolate-dipped peppermint sticks, chocolate bark, jams in jars and peppermint Christmas nougat, while Better Homes and Gardens gives mouth-watering recipes for chocolate doughnut delights, honey and macadamia nut fudge, and hazelnut-mocha sauce.
Baked Goods
Baked goods form the centerpiece of holiday food gift giving. Whether sweet or savory, the possibilities are endless. FamilyCircle's article on homemade food gifts for the holidays offers recipes for bottled mixes, such as chocolate-walnut cookies and homemade holiday cookies, and from-scratch baked goods, such as banana-macadamia nut muffins and rosemary asiago-laced bread. Better Homes and Gardens lists recipes for baked goods such as pumpkin-sour cream coffee cake with pecan streusel, French market pull-a-parts with pumpkin pie spice and espresso powder, and malted fudge brownies.
Drinks
The holiday season invites adult celebrants to partake in family and social dinners, parties and mixers. In such settings, providing some unique and exotic beverages can help set a festive mood. Culinate provides a recipe for Clemencello, an exotic festive drink "inspired by the popular Italian liqueur limoncello" that you can bottle at home and give to your friends and loved ones, or share at social events. Alternatively, Better Homes and Gardens offers recipes for vanilla bean liqueur and mocha hot cocoa mix.
Food Baskets
Food baskets, filled with prepackaged, plastic-wrapped assortments of various foods and sweets, are always a popular choice for holiday gift giving. You can purchase custom baskets from online retailers, such as Igourmet.com and Adorable Gift Baskets, or check your local supermarket around the holiday season for pre-made baskets. Creating your own basket filled with an assortment of baked goods, sweets, savory options and other goodies also gives the gift a personal touch.
Miscellaneous
In addition to the food baskets, drinks, baked goods, and other sweets, a number of additives and miscellaneous items make for good gifts during the winter holiday season. From fresh olive oil to assorted varieties of honey, preserves and peppers, these are useful gifts that can be used year-round. Culinate also offers recipes for vanilla extract, preserved lemons and marinated olives.
Tags: baked goods, offers recipes, Better Homes, Better Homes Gardens, holiday season