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Put your hands and handiwork into your gifts. Here are 15 homemade gifts from the kitchen—including easy biscotti, candy cane bark, chocolate truffles—plus, flavored gins and vinegar!
These simple culinary creations are perfect to give as gifts during the holiday season, or to bring along to a holiday gathering.
If you’ve never made biscotti, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is! Our Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti, with its red and green colors, is just perfect for the holiday season.
Ever notice how much stores charge for simple candy cane bark? It’s so easy to make this festive treat. You can swap the white and dark chocolate amounts if desired—it’s foolproof!
Even if you’ve never made candy before in your life, give this easy fudge recipe a try. True to its name (thanks to the presence of marshmallows), it won’t seize, crumble, or make you tear your hair out. It’s a special treat once a year!
Traditional recipes use lots of sugar to bring out the cranberry’s great flavor. In this recipe, however, exotic spices take the place of all that sweetness, without overwhelming the rest of the meal. It’s heavenly on a sandwich of leftover sliced turkey!
Need an easy gift idea? Make REAL hot chocolate. In a mason jar or similar clear container, layer the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, sugar, and cinnamon) and top with mini marshmallow.
15. Flavored Gins
Flavored gins using fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices make fantastic gifts for the holiday season, or any occasion for that matter. What better present than a tasty tipple you’ve made yourself? In the short video below, we’ll show you how to make two irresistible infused gins—Strawberry Gin and Cinnamon Bun Gin. See full instructions on making these amazing flavored gin recipes.
Want more food-related gift ideas? Check out cookbooks, aprons, mugs, and more in the Old Farmer’s Store!
Wishing you and yours joy (and a few treats!) this Christmas season.
Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
My favorite way to flavor gin is with essential oils. It's so easy! Just add a few drops of whichever essential oil (therapeutic grade, preferably organic) that you like. Good choices are lime, basil, and juniper. But, any citrus or herb essential oil would work. Have fun and play around with the flavors.