Forget socks, selection packs and smellies, edible Christmas presents are the ideal way to add a personal touch to gifts. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get the kids involved in cooking-up foodie treats for friends and family this holiday season.
Even if your edible creation doesn’t look perfect – as long as it’s packaged up nicely and tastes good, you’ll be in for brownie points. Dig around for glass jars and bottles, corks, card, ribbon and coloured paper to wrap up these handmade treats.
So whether you’re making edible homemade gifts for that favourite teacher, the grandparents or school gate friends, turn your kitchen into a present production line and get baking with these yummy yuletide gift ideas.
Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies – Recipe in a Jar
Baked cookies make for a tasty personalised gift, but why not give someone special the ingredients to make their own cookies? Layering all the ingredients in a jar is so easy, and it looks beautiful when tied with some ribbon and a personalised gift tag. All they will need to supply is the butter!
Ingredients
- 125g soft butter
- 125g caster sugar
- 50g soft brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 125g plain flour
- 120g oats
- 75g dried cranberries
- 50g white chocolate chips
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 180 fan. Line two baking sheets with non stick paper.
- Measure the butter and sugars into a bowl. Whisk until light and fluffy, Add the egg and whisk again. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until the mixture comes together.
- Shape into 25 balls, put onto the baking sheets and press down to lightly flatten the balls.
- Bake for 12 minutes until lightly golden but still slightly soft in the middle. leave to cool on wire rack
Reindeer Cookies
Cookies are by far a festive favourite! Not only are they a great way to save money and give a present with a personal touch, but it’s the perfect opportunity to get the kids involved. They’ll love sticking on Curly Wurly antlers and Rudolph’s red cherry nose.
Ingredients
- 350 g plain flour
- 2 tsps ground ginger
- 1 tsps cinnamon
- 1 tsps mixed spice
- 1 tsps salt
- 1 tsps bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsps baking powder
- 175 grams butter
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
For decorating
- 3 Curly Wurly chocolate bars
- 10 Glace cherries
- 20 M&Ms
- 1 exclude Black Writing Icing Pens
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / 160C Fan.
- Measure the flour, spices, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a bowl.
- Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix together . Lightly knead together to make a dough.
- Form into 10 balls of dough. Pinch one end of the ball to form a point, then flatten out with your hand. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly golden but still slightly soft.
- Make 2 holes for the ears using a small skewer and leave to cool for a few minutes. Decorate with lengths of Curly Wurly for the ears, glace cherries for the nose and M&Ms for the eyes with a dot of black Writing Icing.
Snowman Cupcakes
These gorgeous snowman cupcakes will look great on any Christmas table – perfect party food, they’re guaranteed to not stick around for long.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 125g butter, softened
- 125g caster sugar
- 125g self raising flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Icing
- 50g butter, softened
- 50g cream cheese
- 200g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp milk
Decoration
- 24 large white marshmallows
- 12 orange Tic Tacs
- Black writing icing pens
- 12 Rolos
- Chocolate ready made icing
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
- Measure all of the cake ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk using an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy.
- Spoon into 12 cases. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until well risen and lightly golden . Leave to cool.
- Measure the butter and cream cheese into a bowl. Whisk until creamy. Add the sugar , vanilla and milk. Whisk until light and fluffy. Spread over the cupcakes, reserving a little for assembling the snowmen.
- Stick the marshmallows together with a little icing and stick a cocktail stick through the middle to secure (but make sure that you remove before your child eats the cupcake). Make a hole in the middle of the marshmallow and insert an orange Tic Tac for the noses. Draw on the eyes , mouth and buttons using black writing icing,
- To make the hat , roll out the chocolate icing, cut out a small circle and place on top of the snowman’s head attaching with a little of the icing . Place a Rolo on top.
- Insert the cocktail sticks with the marshmallow snowmen on top of the cupcakes. Attach arms made out of Matchmakers.
For more recipe inspiration visit www.annabelkarmel.com