Everybody knows that the real way to a person’s heart come holiday time is through their stomach; in other words, if you’re looking for a gift that’s sure to be a hit, edible gifts that are as beautiful to give as they are delicious to eat are a guaranteed win. Here are familiar favorites as well as new recipes to inspire. May they bring much joy and good eating to your loved ones in the coming weeks.
Butternut Squash, Ginger and Coconut Soup
Everybody could use a breather from the seemingly never-ending parade of holiday sweets. Enter The Artful Desperado’s soup kits, which combine all of the necessary ingredients for a hearty bowl of soup, already cut and portioned. This way, come dinnertime, your recipients can just toss the contents of the jar in a soup pot, add some liquid, simmer and enjoy. Try this butternut squash variety with ginger and coconut for a winter classic with the volume turned up. Get the recipe on The Artful Desperado
Salted Double Cashew Brittle
Nothing beats a piece of classic candy, especially when it’s something as nostalgic and craveable as peanut brittle. Pinch and Swirl puts her own sophisticated spin on the peanut variety with the substitution of cashews. A sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top only enhances the butterscotch flavor and achieves that ideal sweet-salty balance. Get the recipe on Pinch and Swirl
Toasted White Coconut Chocolate Fudge
Come December, there seems to be an excessive rotation of subpar fudge popping up in gift baskets and at holiday parties. Fortunately, this timeless treat doesn’t have to be relegated to mediocre status. Just take Lemons for Lulu’s Toasted White Coconut Chocolate Fudge. Tanya Schroeder uses a white chocolate base as a canvas for triple coconut flavor in the form of cream of coconut, toasted coconut and a bit of coconut extract. We promise you can’t just have one piece. Get the recipe on Lemons for Lulu
Bourbon-Soaked Cherries
Have a cocktail fiend in your life for whom you just can’t seem to find the right gift? Rest easy and whip up a batch of these bourbon-soaked cherries from Gimme Some Oven for a fun bar cart add-on that is sure to elevate any Manhattan or Whiskey Sour from fine to fabulous. Get the recipe on Gimme Some Oven
5-Minute Peppermint Bark
Few foods are more synonymous with holiday gift giving than peppermint bark. You can’t beat the combination of white and dark chocolate dotted with crushed peppermint candies, especially when it comes together in only five minutes, courtesy of Barefeet in the Kitchen. Given its long shelf life, this delectable treat can also be made a week in advance and stored in airtight containers until ready to parse out to lucky recipients. Now that’s some holiday planning done right. Get the recipe on Barefeet in the Kitchen
Cinnamon Honey Butter
With so much hoopla surrounding holiday cocktail parties and dinners, breakfast is often left neglected come December. To take any morning waffle, plate of pancakes or slice of toast to the next level, give a jar of this sinfully creamy cinnamon honey butter from The Food Charlatan. With just four ingredients — salted butter, powdered sugar, honey and cinnamon — and a nearly no prep time required, this spread is a simple fake-out that only you know the secret behind. Get the recipe on The Food Charlatan
Everything Seasoning
Most people know “everything” seasoning as a classic bagel topping, but, recently, this simple mix of salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic and onion flakes, and fennel seeds is finding its way into other food realms. Treat your friends to this flavor-forward blend from Sprinkles and Sprouts. Blogger Claire McEwen recommends sprinkling it over eggs, pairing with a nice piece of grilled steak or even mixing it into butter and pouring it over popcorn. The best part: no cooking required! Get the recipe on Sprinkles and Sprouts
Salted Caramel Popcorn
Popcorn tins seem to act as currency during the month of December. To take this average snack to the next level, try the Salted Caramel Popcorn from Styling My Everyday. Just take a simple homemade caramel sauce and spike it with a hefty pinch of sea salt before combining it with freshly popped popcorn. Affordable, addicting and the perfect treat for your friends and family to snack on between holiday meals. Get the recipe on Styling My Everyday
Chocolate Bark
Who doesn’t love a good piece of chocolate bark? Especially when it’s sporting gorgeous flavor additions like pomegranate seeds and pistachios or cardamom, toasted nuts and citrus zest. Dolly and Oatmeal has recipes for these flavors and more as well as gorgeous packaging ideas to take your holiday edible gift giving to the next level. Get the recipe on Dolly and Oatmeal
Infused Vodka
Don’t let the word “infusion” scare you away! These boozy vodka ideas from My Baking Addiction come together in a cinch and are sure to impress even the pickiest cocktail connoisseur. Try the cranberry orange variety which gets an extra kick of spice from cloves and cinnamon or the citrus rosemary flavor combining sliced clementines and grapefruit with a fresh sprig of rosemary. Simple, elegant and sure to lead to a good time. Get the recipe on My Baking Addiction
Maddie LaKind is a personal chef, caterer and writer living in Ravenswood. For more information about her services, visit her website, madonfood.com.
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