Giving Food as Holiday Gifts

By Erica

My husband's family has a tradition they call "Christmas Eve Gift!" No one ever wants to wait all the way until Christmas morning to open gifts, so they've created a tradition of exchanging Christmas Eve gifts. In the spirit of familial competition the goal is to "CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT!" everyone before they can get you. There are early morning phone calls where "hello" is eschewed completely and the phone is answered "Christmas Eve gift!" instead. Which makes no sense, really, seeing as we always have enough gifts for everyone so it's not like the losers miss out. But, still, it's fun.

Of course, Christmas Eve gifts (to be abbreviated C.E.G. from now on because I'm really tired of typing it out) are C-H-E-A-P. They're usually something wicked useful or cute from the local dollar store. Magnetic grocery lists, cute household decorations, etc. Last year at Christmas I decided to make fancy chocolate-covered pretzels. In my family, we don't do C.E.G. so I gave them as stocking-stuffers, instead, to that side of the family.

For the pretzels themselves I used rods. I allotted four (one of each type) per person; two white chocolate and two milk chocolate. For toppings, I used Heath Bits and cashew pieces on white chocolate. On milk chocolate, I used crushed candy canes and colored sprinkles. I packaged them in cute little holiday cellophane bags with decorative name tags.

As it was the first time I'd ever made anything to give as gifts, I was a touch nervous. I needn't have been, of course. The pretzels received rave reviews and I've been asked to make them again this year.

I don't know that I want to do the same old thing this year, though. I'm thinking about truffles instead. Do you have any idea how ridiculously easy it is to make simple ganache truffles? I made them BY ACCIDENT the other day. That's how easy it is. Oh my goodness, don't they look delicious?

I've also got this book.

I haven't made anything from it, but it sure looks easy. The largest expense would be buying the jars; unless you're the sort that has Mason jars around for canning and such. I've also seen homemade hot cocoa mix given as a gift. It seems like it'd be easy to "fancy" it up. Make a Mayan Hot Chocolate by adding a touch of cayenne pepper and some cinnamon. You could also add some different flavors of non-dairy creamer. Get some cute mugs from the dollar store, add a few candy canes to use as cocoa stirs and your fancy mix! The possibilities are endless.

{Photo credits: foodnetwork.com, amazon.com.}

Comments

[G]

mmmmm. . .chocolate covered pretzels! Something the kids could probably help with too : b

[twitter.com/omg_youguys]

Yum! My workplace has a craft show/bake sale coming up & I always make some gift-size food stuff. This year I'm making mini-loaves of sweet bread - I have really easy recipes for strawberry bread, and pumpkin chocolate chip. You can get little ceramic loaf pans at Michael's for a dollar, and wrap them in cellophane. Super cute and delish.

I also do Oreo truffles (crush a pack of Oreos & mix with a brick of cream cheese, roll into balls & dip in chocolate). And you know those peanut-butter-filled pretzel nuggets? Dip those in dark chocolate and then drizzle red/green/white choc over them, or add some sprinkles. Then get them the hell out of your house before you go into a diabetic coma.

[Slimming Store]

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