Homemade Gifts For The Holidays
Homemade treats always make a great holiday gift.
The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm visited the Williams-Sonoma flagship store in New York where cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Richie offered ideas on how to give those treats a more personal touch.
Below you'll find some ideas and recipes. To give them as gifts, wrap the homemade treats in decorative boxes or bags and attach a recipe card. Add a cooking tool that compliments the recipe for a gift that keeps on giving.
Hot Chocolate:
For a great gift without having to bake anything, make a hot chocolate kit. Pair hot chocolate mix with mugs, a hot chocolate pot and Peppermint North Poles (chocolate-covered peppermint sticks).
Bundt Cakes:
Bundt cakes can now easily be made in all sizes and shapes. With so many different fun cake pans available, you can bake an impressive-looking cake from scratch or using a cake mix.
For example, you can make mini spiced bundt cakes flavored with holiday spices (recipe below) using bundtlette pans or purchase molds shaped like Hansel and Gretel's house or a snowman. Decorate with a dusting of powdered sugar or let your imagination go wild using frosting and candy. For that something extra, wrap the cakes and include a silicone pastry brush and a recipe card.
Infused with warming spices, these little cakes also make a lovely addition to a holiday dessert buffet. Using fresh, flavorful spices is key. If possible, buy them in small quantities, then keep in tightly closed containers in a cool, dark place. Whole spices stored this way will last for about one year; ground spices, for about six months.
For the cakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the glaze:
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup apple juice
Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Generously grease and flour a 6-well bundtlette pan.
To make the cakes, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cardamom and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, alternating with the cream and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition until just incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread the batter evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of a cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes (do not over-bake). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cakes cool upright in the pan for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the apple juice to a boil and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Stir in the confectioner's sugar mixture.
Gently tap the pan on a work surface to loosen the cakes. Set the rack over a sheet of aluminum foil or waxed paper and carefully invert the cakes onto the rack. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the warm cakes with the glaze. Let the cakes cool completely before serving.
Just before serving, in a small bowl, stir together the 1 Tbs. confectioners' sugar and the remaining 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Dust the cakes lightly with the sugar mixture. Makes 6 mini-cakes.
Flo Braker, Author, Sweet Miniatures (Chronicle Books, 2000)
Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies cut into holiday shapes are a staple of the holiday season. For that something extra, include a recipe card and cookie cutters or a silicone spatula.
These classic cookies can be decorated in a variety of ways. They can be sprinkled with colored sugar crystals before baking or decorated with royal icing using a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, or a small plastic bag with a corner snipped off. You may use either a vanilla bean or vanilla extract in this recipe.
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 piece vanilla bean, about 2 inches long, or 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Colored sugars and decorating pens
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and, using a small, sharp knife, scrape the seeds into the butter mixture. If using vanilla extract, add it now. Mix well.
In a sifter, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the flour mixture directly onto the butter mixture. Reduce the speed to low and beat until well mixed.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten the balls into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (The dough can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.) Let it soften slightly at room temperature before continuing.
Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a dough disk 1/4 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheets. Gather up and re-roll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough disks.
Bake until the cookies are golden on the edges, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Decorate the cookies as desired with colored sugars and decorating pens. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Makes 24 to 30 cookies, depending on cutter size.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, Holiday Baking, by Jeanne Thiel Kelley (Time-Life Books, 1995)
Coffee Toffee Bark
Coffee toffee bark is an easy way to make homemade candy because it's made with candy. Just break the finished bark into pieces and wrap. Include an off-set-spatula (helpful for spreading the candy) or a spoon for that something extra.
The freshly ground coffee intensifies the flavor of the finished candy, and the toffee lends crunch. Do not be tempted to use instant coffee granules or the final result will be disappointing. For the best texture, purchase a good-quality white chocolate made with pure cocoa butter.
8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp. freshly ground finely-grind coffee
1/2 cup chopped plain English toffee or English toffee bits (not chocolate covered)
1/3 cup chopped chocolate-covered English toffee
Butter a baking sheet and line with waxed paper.
Place the white chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl. Place over but not touching hot (not simmering) water in the lower pan. Turn off the heat and let stand, without stirring, until the chocolate begins to melt. Then stir until just melted and smooth. Mix in the coffee and the chopped plain toffee. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a silicone or rubber spatula, spread to an even thickness of 1/4 inch. It should form a rectangle approximately 12 by 6 inches. Sprinkle immediately with the chocolate-covered toffee. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour.
Gently peel the candy from the waxed paper. Holding the candy with the waxed paper (to prevent fingerprints), break the chocolate into large, irregular pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1/2 lb. candy.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, After Dinner, by Kristine Kidd (Time-Life Books, 1998)