Spiced Almonds

Easy Edible Gifts

December 2013

Homemade food goodies have all the hallmarks of a successful gift. Whether that gift is for Christmas or any other occasion or simply a thank you for a dinner or party invitation during the holiday season, these treats are warmly received and deeply appreciated because they show thought, creativity and personal effort. They’re winners for the home cook too, who gets to tinker at a well-loved task, spends much less time shopping and, for the most part, also spends less money than for store-bought items.

Even if you’re not the world’s best baker and you really don’t know how to temper chocolate or work with sugar syrup and even if you don’t have as much time as you’d like to cook wonderful things for your friends and family, there are still plenty of options that don’t require much time or the skills of a professional baker or confectioner.

Snack Balls take less than 20 minutes to put together. The additional benefit is that these candies are relatively healthy; they’re sweetened with applesauce, not sugar. The recipe is flexible too: you can change the cranberries to raisins or add some mini chocolate chips or coat the balls with cinnamon-dusted quick-cooking oats instead of coconut. If you don’t feel like grating an orange for the peel, you can substitute store-bought orange-flavored cranberries or add a few drops of orange extract. Snack Balls are pretty when wrapped in individual cellophane papers, but to make things easier, you can pile them, unwrapped, into small, store-bought gift boxes and be done with it.

Condiments are another good choice. Flavored mustards, salsas and such have been trendy for the last several years, so why not make your own quick versions and pack them into pretty jars or even plastic containers that can be useful long after the food has been eaten? There are all sorts of honey mustards around, so consider something unusual, like ginger-and-orange infused Dijon, which can be used not only to slather on to sandwiches or as a dip for roasted chicken or lamb, but also as a glaze for ham, duck, pork or turkey.

The same can be said for Harissa, a chili pepper spiced condiment popular in Morocco and Tunisia. There are several commercial versions, but you can season and flavor the homemade kind to suit your palate, not the mass market. Harissa is a special treat for people who like to experiment when they cook, because it is amazingly versatile. Just a tiny amount is exactly what’s needed to energize scrambled eggs, put some vitality into vegetable soup, invigorate flavor in plain old roasted chicken. Use it to season stew or perk up vinaigrette or a marinade for broiled lamb. Most recipes calling for Harissa require about a teaspoonful or two, so a half-cup gift pack will last for quite some time, stored in the refrigerator.

Chocolate dipped fruit (fresh, dried or candied) always makes an impressive looking gift. It’s easier to make than you might think. Without tempering, the chocolate coating may not have the glossy sheen of professionally-made confections, and they take longer to dry, but they’re still tempting and lovely to look at. For gift giving, you can buy small boxes and tissue paper specially made for candy. Or, for a fancier presentation, pick up a pretty antique-looking dish in a consignment shop and place the candies on top.

Finally, consider seasoned, roasted or toasted nuts, a nice sweet-and-spicy nibble for everyone, especially for football fans. The seasonings are not out of the ordinary (so you’re likely to have them in the house) but when mixed together make a zesty combination of heat and sweet, fragrant and savory. Stock them in a glass jar (a clean jelly jar will do) or cardboard candy box.