The holiday seasons are upon us and nothing is more personal than giving a basket of homemade goodies from your own kitchen. Here are the first 5 in a list of 10 of treats to get your gift-giving underway.
1. Looking for a quick and easy Christmas gift? Nothing is quicker and tastier than spiced nuts. And the best part - most of these recipes can be made in about 20 minutes. Shown here are Lemon Pepper Cashews, but here are plenty more variations for your holiday gift giving:
*Jasmine Tea Glazed Almonds
*Chili Chai Walnuts
*Sweet and Spicy Walnuts
*Green Tea Wasabi Almonds
*Chili Lime Peanuts
*Spiced Mixed Nuts
2. Tasty salsas are also a great gift. Although most of these recipes must be refrigerated, they would be perfect for your holiday gift baskets. This is the Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa, but here's a few more variations:
*Bueno Fresh Salsa
*Black Bean Salsa
*Pineapple Cilantro Salsa
*Habanero Garlic Salsa
*Caribbean Habanero Pineapple Salsa
3. Seasoning Blends are also an excellent gift. Not only can you whip up huge quantities in a short amount of time, but they are also a personalized and tasty gift that everyone can use. Shown above is the Cracked Pepper Seasoning blend, which is my favorite for fish, seafood, and vegetables. The Dukkha blend would also be perfect for those who have a flair for something different.
4. Jams and Jellies are a great gift to make, especially since you can make them ahead of time to have on hand for last-minute gifting. This is the Basil Wine Jelly, which is one of my favorites. It's tasty and perfect for serving with cheese and crackers. The Hot Pepper and Garlic Jelly would also be a welcome addition to any cheese plate at your next holiday party.
5. Savory Biscuits, biscotti, and crackers are another great gift to make ahead of time and tuck into gift baskets. These Green Peppercorn Asiago Biscuits are rather tasty and are the perfect little nibble. Sundried Tomato Peppercorn biscotti are perfect for a quick savory snack, and these Polenta Crackers are a dip's dream.
Check back on Friday for the rest of the Top 10!
I can't wait till Friday! What great ideas! I love the ideal of the Basil Wine Jelly. I think my mother-in-law would really enjoy that. She very adamantly told us "no gifts!" this year, unless it's wedding photos. (I still haven't narrowed down the photos for our album...but hey, it's only been 15 months!) She can't refuse a basket of home made goods though, right?
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