Whether you simply need a gift that is personal or one that saves you money, these three edible gifts will remain on your friends and family wish list too. They may even ask Santa for them every year!
The fun of fudge
Fudge is easy to make and comes in a variety of flavors and styles. It can be beautifully decorated with an inexpensive candy tin, jar, holiday bags or colored “Saran Wrap.” Our family favorites include chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge and fudge with walnuts. Here is our favorite peanut butter fudge recipe: 2 cups Sugar, 2/3 cup milk, dash of salt, 1 cup peanut butter and 1 tablespoon marshmallow crème. Combine first three ingredients in a pot and warm until sugar melts approximate 3 minutes. Next add peanut butter and marshmallow crème and keep stirring until thickened. This recipe makes approximately one greased or waxed paper 8×8 inch baking pan of peanut butter fudge for the approximate amount of $5.00. Seems like those expensive tins of fudge or chocolates at the store may be over charging us, especially during the holidays!
Cheers!
Infused vodka is a great way to celebrate the holidays with a personalized gift. There are so many different ways to “flavor” vodka that you can pick and choose from the favorite flavors or friends and family. The easiest infuse your vodka is with Skittles, which only takes a couple about 30 minutes to create and an overnight of chilling.
To create candy infused flavored vodka you need: Vodka (I use Stoli or Svedka you don’t want to use anything that is too cheap), a bag of Skittles, coffee filters, empty plastic water bottles with caps, funnel, measuring cup, 8.5 ounce glass bottles for finished product. Your total project present cost $35.00 for approximately 5 bottles of infused vodka.
Separate Skittles into one color bowl each. Pour about 6 ounces of vodka into water bottles. Add 60 skittles to the 6 ounces of vodka, put on cap and shake, shake, shake until vodka turns to the color of the candy. Uncap and you will see that there are white pieces of candy, which you are going to filter off with the coffee filter. Simple place a coffee filter over the measuring cup and pour slowly, stopping sometimes because it may get clogged. The infused vodka will be all that remains in the measuring cup.
Using a funnel, pour infused vodka into glass bottles and seal with caps. Freeze overnight. Mix it with ginger ale, 7-Up, Sprite or Coke served in a martini glass.
Cookies, cakes and muffins, Oh my!
Many of us have heard of the cookie in a jar gift. You simply assemble the ingredients layer by layer in a mason jar and include instructions on how to bake your cookies. This can also be done with cake or muffin recipes. It’s so easy, and the kids can help create. Take your favorite baking recipe and assemble the ingredients. Using a funnel, pour each dry ingredient into a large size mason jar, layering them. Do not include butter, eggs, milk or shortening. Top with Mason jar lid and tie a ribbon around the top attaching the recipe card with all ingredients listed as well as baking and cooling instructions. Depending on your ingredients, this gift cost approximately $5.00 to make just one.
Now head to the kitchen and give a thoughtful gift that anyone will love and one that offers them a special sweet treat all their own or one they can share with others, especially while doing their own entertaining this busy holiday season.
Sources:
Personal experience and experimentation