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I really love handmade gifts. Love to give ’em – – Love to get ’em.
‘Cause here’s the thing…even if the gift ends up being a stinker, you still have the gift of knowing that someone cared enough about you to invest time in you.
I’ve done some sewing projects as gifts over the years: hooded towels, blankets, hanging hand towels. And I frequently gift This Herbal Salve and This Tea for Ladies. But my go-to handmade gifts tend to fall in the “kitchen made” area.
I want to share some yummy things that I like to make and give at Christmas. I’ve given every one of these as gifts. And many times, I’ll make extra as a little “gift” for my family!
Yummy Handmade Gifts
Old fashioned ginger cookies smell and taste like Christmas. This is my grandmother’s recipe and it is a hit with everyone I share them with.
The Best Fudge Ever … at Yammie’s Noshery I’m all about the nuts. But I’ve made it both with and without. It’s decadent and rich and seriously the Best. Fudge. Ever.
Homemade Marshmallows … at Alton Brown I really love Alton Brown. If you never watched Good Eats, you need to find it and watch it. My husband likes to say that he enjoys the show even when Alton is making something he would never eat. I agree. But we do like to eat these marshmallows.
If you think you don’t like marshmallows, you need to try some homemade ones. They put the store bought variety to shame. Not only are these delightfully melty in a hot cup of cocoa, but they are a treat to nibble on solo. (Note: One year I added some peppermint extract and a swirl of red food coloring to make candy cane marshmallows….yum!)
Maple Frosted Cinnamon Rolls… at The Pioneer Woman I make these cinnamon rolls all year long, not just at Christmas. Often, I will form the rolls, put them in the pans, seal up well with foil and freeze. When I take them out, I let them thaw, rise and bake. The frosting is what makes these. Don’t skimp. (Although I do not add the coffee to mine).
Brown Sugar Popcorn…at Little Miss Celebration This is sweet and salty and completely yummy! And it’s equally yummy with or without nuts.
Almond Biscotti is something I’ve given for years. This is definitely something that I make extra of to keep around the house. I love the few weeks I have it around for a light breakfast or afternoon snack. And it freezes beautifully!
I have given this simple homemade granola to family and friends every year for probably a decade now. I like to pack it in Mason jars and tie with a pretty ribbon.
These triple layer mint chocolate brownies are decadent and rich and they make a lovely gift.
Mixed Nut Brittle…at Taste of Home This is perfect for customization. I like to use almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, and pecans. It’s crunchy and that great mix of salty and sweet again.
Sugared Nuts … at AllRecipes. Although the featured recipe uses pecans, I always use walnuts. These sugared walnuts are a special treat, but simple enough to make any time. I have made these for road trips, but usually they come out only at Christmas. I make them for gifts, but always make extras for us to enjoy.
What kind of handmade gifts do you like to receive?
Which are your favorite to give?
Today’s post is my “Y” post, and the final Crazy4Blogging challenge post. You can check out “C”, “R”, “A” and “Z” at these links.
YUM!!! All look so delicious! I have made homemade marshmallows – just once and years ago now, but one of my cousins still talks about them. Homemade are AMAZING. Thanks for all of the goodie inspiration!
That brittle looks amazing! Who am I kidding, it all looks amazing. Totally pinning it!
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These look delicious! I love caramel popcorn and any sweet treat at Christmas. I also like to receive soaps, candles, and lotions, and if they’re handmade, it’s even better!
I haven’t tried homemade lotions, but soaps and candles are wonderful! Any “pampering” gifts are winners, in my book.
Hmmm. Maybe you should accompany those gifts with a 90 day membership in the gym, so they don’t permanently remember those homemade items, every time they look down…
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🙂 Everything in moderation, right?!
Yum! You’re making my hungry, Susan! 🙂 Can those cinnamon rolls be made ahead (or assembled, frozen, and baked the day of)?
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I have made the cinnamon rolls ahead, freezing the pans of unbaked rolls. They just need to thaw, rise and bake. Although I haven’t frozen the baked rolls…I would venture a guess that they’d freeze beautifully unfrosted. Thaw, warm and frost. Now I’m going to have to give that a try to be sure!
My wife agrees with you, Susan. She will not get anything store bought. She says it is impersonal. She makes everything cookies, pralines, brownies (the grandkids favorite) to cakes. Everything is always good and she gets lots of compliments.
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Ooooo, pralines! I haven’t made those in years. Yum!
These all look so yummy! I love to make jewelry, scarves, bath products and blankets (fleece not knitted). Pinned.
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I’d love to be on your Christmas list. 🙂 A fleece blanket sounds lovely in the middle of this snowy weather!
I”ve given cinnamon rolls and caramel popcorn before. This year for my coworkers I made cake balls (cake pops without the stick) They really loved the salted peanut butter ones. Thanks for sharing your post at Family Joy Blog linkup.
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Salted peanut butter cake balls sound like my new best friend. YUM!