Monday, May 11, 2009

Ideas on food gifts for Christmas -- something different?

I'm self employed and have 10 'close' clients that I would like to surprise with tasty gifts. Buying pre-made just seems cheesy and impersonal to me. I really don't want to do the cleche cookies. Anything good that can be made within a reasonable budget for this many people and that won't take all day to do. I'm busy! :)

Ideas on food gifts for Christmas -- something different?
Homemade cocoa mixes with an accompanying box of fresh (and easy to make) marshmallows are really elegant. If you package the cocoa mix in a nice jar, and cut the marshmallows into festive shapes (stars, trees) I'm sure everyone will be appreciative--and it's surely something theyve never received before.
Reply:i must suggest to you that you bring your special someone to a charity institution and spend some quality time with the abandoned children or elderly people truly its a different kind of a gift to mankind..
Reply:How about a gift certificate to a nice local restaurant? They still get something tasty, they will think of you with every bite, and it won't take a lot of time to pick them up! :)
Reply:Edible jewelry made from dried fruit.





Small cakes (cupcakes) that appear to be small, wrapped Christmas gifts.





Treat them to icecream at Cold Stone, Baskin and Robbins, Dairy Queen, or what ever place that serves icecream.
Reply:You could do the ''cookie in a jar'' idea, layer the dry ingredients in a cute jar, tie festive fabric on top of the lid, write instructions on what wet ingredients and other instructions on a cute card and tie it to the jar with a holiday cookie cutter or measuring spoon.
Reply:Chocolate is always good. I've made chocolate truffles before, which went over really well. Chocolate bark is easy too. Food network and recipe source should have some good recipes.
Reply:chocolate ( or butterscotch, or vanilla etc:) chip bars (not cookies)


fudge
Reply:Make some Funnies and some Small Turnovers. Funnies are what we called the leftover piedough, that my mom rolled out flat and then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar of equal amounts and then rolled up tight and wet the inside edge with milk to seal the outside edge,cut the roll into about 1 inch wide segments and place on a cookie sheet standing up and dab a little milk on the tops with your fingers to make them golden, bake only til golden , be careful not to burn the bottom as the cinnamon melts under the bottom. The turnovers , she took piedough, rolled flat and take an old cool whip container and use it to cut the circles in the dough. Then take strawberry preserves and put on center of one half and fold over, crimp edges closed with a fork, and make slits on top with a knife and brush milk on top with fingertips,cook til golden . sprinkle a little confectioners sugar over them when done. The easiest way to do this is to buy the Pillsbury premade rolled piecrusts (two rounds in each package) they are often on sale 2 packages for some amount, this time of year. buy as many as you need. You can roll them a little thinner than they come. Just buy a big jar of Strawberry Preserves at your local discount food store,and a pint of milk, or use what you have on hand. They wouldn't take very long to cook and you can have two cookie sheets full , going at the same time. Just make up two batches of each , bake the Turnovers first and then bake the Funnies last . They taste like the kind of old fashioned treats one would get at Grandma's house.
Reply:When my wife and I had our consulting business a few years back we made some "Care Baskets". Being from the Philadelphia, PA area we took some baskets and filled them with various items related to the Holidays as well as items from our area. Most of the baskets had a box of good coffee (1/2 lb Gevalia coffee), TaskyKates, Hillshire Farms Sausage, a good cheese and some crackers. They were all hand delivered with our holiday card personalized and our thanks. They were greatly appreciated and we even got a few thank you after Christmas.





We made the baskets based on the size of the office staff, so that everyone could enjoy.





The Weekend Chef


http://theweekendchef.com


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