Four Food Gift Ideas You Can Make at Home
Food gifts can be an inexpensive and thoughtful way to show your friends and family just how much you care, especially if made at home by yourself.
Alternative flours make an excellent DIY gift for “free-from” bakers, while creating your own vanilla extract is both straightforward and cost effective.
Also consider giving savory snack mixes or condiments which will please those with an affinity for flavorful tastes!
Heat-and-Eat Soup
Food gifts are always appreciated, and even more so when they are homemade and beautifully presented for the holidays. With these easy recipes, it is an excellent way to show friends and family just how much you care!
Buttery Saltine crackers covered with chocolate and festive toppings make an irresistibly tasty sweet treat that will surely put a smile on their faces. Put this tasty treat in a mason jar as an easy edible gift idea!
Toasting salt in the oven lends it a rich, deep flavor that makes it ideal for seasoning meat-eater’s steaks and burgers, while it can also add delicious spiced popcorn or vegetables!
Give someone special an unforgettable holiday breakfast this year by gifting this delicious banana bread featuring cocoa and amaretto-soaked cherries – it will start their day off right!
Cheddar Wafers
Food gifts are an effective way to show our gratitude towards friends, neighbors and coworkers–particularly during the holiday season. Instead of giving an expensive kitchen gadget as a token of your appreciation, why not opt for giving something tangible that they can enjoy right away? From birthdays and holidays to major milestones such as graduations, edible presents make wonderful tokens of our appreciation that everyone can appreciate right away!
Cheese wafers (sometimes known as cheese straws or coins) are an indispensable party treat, being both quick and simple to make. Perfect for serving on their own or topping with fruits, meats and more – cheese wafers make every party better!
Cayenne pepper and smoked paprika add extra zest and crunch to these savory wafers in this updated recipe, which are then rolled out on a floured surface to under 1/4-inch thickness and cut using cookie cutters before being baked on a sheet pan.
Making the dough ahead is easy, and these tasty bites taste equally delightful when served cold. Add local honey or maple syrup for an irresistibly sweet finish that balances out the sharp cheddar.
Bacon-and-Egg Casserole
Breakfast casseroles are an easy and delicious way to serve a crowd, especially this version with bacon! Even better is its simplicity of preparation the night before and baking in the morning; making it the ideal dish for holidays when guests may be staying or weekend breakfast or brunches.
Start with any type of bread and add vegetables like diced red and green bell peppers and onions, for an energizing dish. Add cooked sausage or ham for extra flair; mixing in cheddar and pepper jack cheese for an added flair!
Before bed, combine all ingredients except the bacon. Sprinkle it onto the casserole just prior to cooking so it remains crispy instead of becoming soggy in the dish. Bake uncovered until set when wiggled gently with toothpick inserted.
Banana Bread
Banana bread is an irresistibly delectable treat that’s equally enjoyable warm or cold, whether served warm with butter and spread with honey, peanut butter or chocolate, or served toasted and spread with cream cheese and Greek yogurt for breakfast.
In order to maximize its natural flavor, the best banana bread recipes feature a combination of sweet brown sugar and vanilla flavors to amplify it. Furthermore, the bananas should be well whipped before being combined with other ingredients.
Room-temperature eggs and butter work better when mixed into the batter than cold versions, and using a kitchen scale to measure dry ingredients accurately will help avoid over-mixing that could produce dense or dry loaves. A bread pan that allows batter to rise evenly is best, or adding nuts on top may add an extra touch – when baked properly the loaf should have a slight crack down its center that comes out clean when tested by inserting a toothpick.