Homemade Food Gifts - Candy, Infused Vodka, Etc.

Food gifts have always been popular. They are perfect for those people in your life that are hard to buy for or don't need/want anything.  Today's list of homemade gifts includes a wide assortment of candy as well as some nuts, pastries and infused alcohol.  If you missed my cookie roundup, head on over to this post.

Candy

Salted Vanilla Bean Caramels  This quickly became one of my most popular treats.  Everyone absolutely LOVES these caramels and hoards them whenever they're available.

Cake Balls  This is my most popular food recipe of all time.  People are really into cake balls.  I go for simple decorating, but you can go all out with fancy designs.

English Toffee  Right next to the caramels, this is one of my favorite candies.

Truffles  Homemade or not, truffles are impressive gifts.  This post shows four different recipes: Champagne Truffles, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, Dark Chocolate Strawberry Balsamic Truffles, and Toffee Truffles.

Chocolate Bark  This is one of the easiest candies you can make.  Use any chocolate, fill ins and topping

Eggnog Fudge  This fudge is a nice addition to your regular fudge recipes, and the white chocolate and eggnog flavors go perfectly together.

Butter Pecan Fudge  This is my absolute favorite fudge!  I highly recommend you try this recipe.

Miscellaneous Food and Drink

Cinnamon Rolls  My aunt always makes a ton of sweet rolls and delivers them before Christmas so we can eat them on Christmas morning.  This is not her recipe, but I love her gifting idea.  This recipe makes 7-8 pans so it's perfect for giving away (don't forget to keep some for yourself).

Coffee Cake  It's breakfast, it's a snack, it's dessert!  Who wouldn't want a delicious all purpose cake?  It's a heck of a lot better than a brick of fruit cake.

Spiced Nuts  This is a great (healthy) alternative to all these sweets!

Candied Walnuts  Mmmm, more nuts great for snacking!  Can't go wrong with candied walnuts (well, unless you're allergic).  If you make extra, they're great on salads or these amazing appetizers: Grape, Goat Cheese and Candied Walnut Bruschetta.

Tea Infused Vodka  Who says iced tea is only a summer drink?  Mid-winter we need a little reminder that the sun and warm days will be back again.  This is my most popular post of all time.


** Contact me if you want me to do your holiday baking for you! **

Chocolate Bark

Chocolate bark is so easy: melt chocolate, spread it in a pan, sprinkle with topping, cool, break apart and eat.  Chocolate bark makes a great gift and can be customized in a million different ways with candy, dried fruit, nuts, coconut, flavored extracts, whatever.  It keeps for a long time too.  Chocolate bark is a great option for a cookie exchange if you don't want to bake.  Leftover candy from your Easter basket (or any holiday) would make a great topping for chocolate bark.  Those Robins' Eggs Whoppers sprinkled on some dark chocolate?  Yum!

If you're melting chocolate chips, you don't need to chop them up.  If you're melting chocolate from a bar or large block, use a serrated knife to chop/shave the chocolate.  The baking and/or candy sections of some grocery stores and markets sell good chocolate in larger bars or 0.5 lb - 1 lb chunks broken off from giant blocks.


Chocolate Bark Master Recipe
Original Recipe

For every pound of chocolate, use about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of toppings or mix-ins.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave stirring at 30 second increments until completely melted.  If using mix-ins, stir them into the melted chocolate.  Pour onto prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with toppings and lightly press them down.  Let cool completely, then break apart or cut the candy into pieces.


Peppermint Bark
Original Recipe

1.5 lb dark chocolate, chopped
1 lb white chocolate, chopped
40 peppermints or 12 candy canes, crushed
1 tsp mint extract

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave stirring at 30 second increments until completely melted.  Stir in mint extract.  Pour onto prepared baking sheet.  Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Optional Step:  While the chocolate is cooling, put the crushed mints in a sieve over the bowl holding the white chocolate.  Let the mint dust fall into the white chocolate, and reserve the mint pieces for decoration.

Melt the white chocolate.  Pour the white chocolate over the dark chocolate.  Working quickly, spread into an even layer.  Sprinkle with crushed mints, then press down slightly into the chocolate.  Let it cool at room temperature or in the fridge. 

When the bark has cooled completely, break apart or cut into pieces.

Eggnog Fudge

I really like eggnog, so it's a good thing it's only in stores around the holidays.  As far as I know, I never had eggnog until high school.  I think I asked my mom to buy some so I could try it.  Maybe my parents don't like it?  Maybe it's just something they didn't have while they were growing up?  Neither my mom or dad's side of the family offer it during the holidays.  The first year I spent Christmas with Kevin's family, I had my first homemade eggnog, what a treat!

This fudge definitely tastes like eggnog, yum!  It was a complete success, and it was fairly quick and easy too.

Eggnog Fudge

From: Recipe Girl

Yield: 60 to 70 pieces

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

3/4 cup dairy eggnog

10.5 oz white chocolate bars, chopped into small pieces (I used an 11 oz package of Ghiradelli white chocolate chips)

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus a little more for the top of the fudge

7 oz jar marshmallow creme (I used 7.5 oz jar of Fluff)

1 tsp rum extract

Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with foil and let it hang over the sides. Butter the foil.

In a heavy, 3-quart saucepan combine sugar, butter and eggnog. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until a candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

Using a wooden spoon, work quickly to stir in chopped white chocolate and nutmeg until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in marshmallow creme and rum extract. Beat until well blended and then pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle a little freshly ground nutmeg on top. Let stand at room temperature until cooled. Refrigerate if you’d like to speed up the process.

When completely cool, cut into squares. Store in a covered container.

*This fudge freezes well. Place in a covered container; it will keep for several weeks.