Perfect Gifts From Your Kitchen

There's nothing as heartwarming as giving gifts made by the giver.

As The Early Show and specialty home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma began their special three-part series, "The Perfect Holiday," chef Tori Ritchie

Ritchie, a San Francisco-based food writer, cooking teacher and host of the long-running "Ultimate Kitchens" on the Food Network, offered these recipes to prepare as ideal holiday gifts.

The segment originated in the Williams-Sonoma store at Columbus Circle in New York City.

But, in addition to giving a treat the recipient can enjoy right away, she likes to give them something to enjoy later. So, she creates "recipe kits." The kits include a homemade food item, the recipe for that item, a specialty ingredient used to make that item (such as a nice bottle of quality vanilla to accompany a tin of cookies), and suggestions for other ways to use the special ingredient.

Of course, if you plan to give a gift to everyone on your block, you don't have to include the special ingredient. But it's a great way to upgrade a gift from your kitchen. And often, the special ingredient is a bit of a splurge that the recipients might not have purchased themselves.

Double-Ginger Snaps
You can buy crystallized, or candied, ginger, or you can make it yourself at home. For homemade, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add 1 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, then put the ginger in a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on waxed paper and let cool. Store in a tightly covered jar for up to 3 weeks.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg white
3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup coarse sugar crystals

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the oil, brown sugar and molasses until well blended. Add the whole egg and stir until blended. Stir in the flour mixture and the crystallized ginger.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white.

Spread the sugar crystals in a shallow bowl. With dampened hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Brush each ball lightly with egg white and roll in the sugar to coat lightly.

Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the tops of the cookies are set and crackled, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely. The cookies will firm as they cool.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Make-Ahead Tip: These cookies keep well. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Cookies, by Marie Simmons (Simon & Schuster, 2002).

Luscious Hazelnut Truffles
The longer that hazelnuts are toasted, the sweeter they will be, and the better foil for bittersweet chocolate. There's nothing difficult about these truffles. They are supposed to be irregularly shaped; their roughness is part of their charm. And when you chop the hazelnuts, they will be different sizes, but that's part of the charm of the truffles as well. If you'd like, coat only half of the truffles with the cocoa; the two types look beautiful together.

1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Pinch of salt
12 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup hazelnut pieces
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and salt just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until dark golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely, then finely chop and place in a shallow bowl. Place the cocoa in another shallow bowl. Working quickly, roll a rounded measuring teaspoon of the chocolate mixture into a 1-inch ball in your hands, then roll in the hazelnuts, pressing them lightly into the truffle, lightly coat with the cocoa and set on a tray.

Repeat with the remaining truffle mixture, hazelnuts and cocoa. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 1 week.

Let the truffles stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 5 dozen truffles.

Note: This is a very flexible recipe. Use any nut you'd like instead of hazelnuts or coat the truffles with something else entirely. Large clear sugar crystals, finely crushed graham crackers or crushed hard peppermint candies would all be terrific. Or just use the cocoa without nuts. Add a tablespoon or so of your favorite liqueur to the chocolate ganache, or use Cognac or other brandy or rum. If it pleases you, add instant espresso powder or replace some of the cream with mascarpone. You could also add minced dried tart cherries, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, finely chopped fresh lemon or orange zest, or minced crystallized ginger. You can even steep Earl Gray tea, spices such as saffron or cardamom, or herbs (try rosemary or lemon verbena) in the cream to flavor it; strain and reheat gently before adding the chocolate.
Adapted from Luscious Chocolate Desserts, by Lori Longbotham (Chronicle Books, 2004).

Smoked Cheddar Twists
Perfect for serving with wine or aperitifs, these crisp twists can also be made with aged cheddar or pepper jack in place of the smoked cheddar.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cayenne pepper, cheddar cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and salt. Pulse to mix. Sprinkle the butter pieces over the flour mixture and place the work bowl in the freezer for 1 hour, then pulse again to combine.

In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and ice water. With the processor on, add just enough of the lemon juice mixture to the flour mixture so it comes together in a rough mass.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and gently form into a rough rectangle; do not overwork. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Fold in the narrow ends to meet in the center. Then fold in half crosswise so that there are 4 layers. Turn the dough a quarter turn and roll out again to form a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Fold the rectangle into thirds as if you are folding a letter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Unwrap the dough and place on a floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 7 inches wide by 15 inches long by 1/8 inch thick. Trim the edges so that they are even. Cut the dough crosswise into sticks 1/2 inch wide and twist each one once to form a soft turn at the center.

Place the twists on 2 ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes, switching the baking sheets about halfway through baking. Let cool.

Serve immediately, or pack into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Makes about 30 twists.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series,Autumn,by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).

Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dried Cherries and Pistachios
Although they're flatter and crisper than the classic Toll House cookie, these still have lots of chocolate chips. "Natural" pistachios are the green ones, not the ones that have been dyed red.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbs. light corn syrup
2 Tbs. whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup miniature bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup unsalted toasted shelled natural pistachios, chopped
3/4 cup dried tart cherries, chopped

Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of an oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add the corn syrup and beat until well blended, then beat in the milk and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat just until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.

Using the spatula, stir in the chocolate chips, pistachios and cherries. Transfer the dough to a work surface and press it together with your hands. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. With the palm of your hand or the flat bottom of a glass, flatten each ball into a disk about 3/8 inch thick. Bake for 4 minutes, switch the position of the pans and bake until the cookies are light golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes more.

Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks and let cool completely. The cookies will crisp as they cool. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Makes a generous 4 dozen cookies.
Adapted from Luscious Chocolate Desserts, by Lori Longbotham (Chronicle Books, 2004).

Sugarplums
These sweet, spicy confections are the perfect conclusion to a holiday meal. The dried fruits and nuts can be varied. Apples, pears and pecans are excellent alternatives.

1/2 cup finely chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup finely chopped dried figs
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
2 Tbs. brandy
1 Tbs. apricot preserves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/3 cup sugar

Line a small baking sheet with waxed paper. In a food processor, combine the dates, walnuts, apricots, figs, pistachios, brandy, apricot preserves, cinnamon and cloves. Pulse until the mixture begins to clump together.

Put the sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Using a teaspoon, scoop up a rounded spoonful of the mixture, press together, and roll between your palms into a compact ball. Roll the round in the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fruit-and-nut mixture and sugar.

Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 18 confections.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, After Dinner, by Kristine Kidd (Time-Life Books, 1998).

Mulled Cider
Sweet spices and crystallized ginger give this autumn beverage its zing. Float apple slices on top for an appealing presentation. If you want an alcoholic drink, add the rum or bourbon.

1 quart pure, unsweetened apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
about 15 whole cloves
1 ounce (6 to 8 pieces) crystallized ginger
1/2 cup dark rum or bourbon (optional)
1 apple
1/2 lemon

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the cider, cinnamon, cloves and crystallized ginger. Place over medium-high heat until cider is steaming (do not let boil), then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and, if desired, stir in the rum or bourbon.

Peel and slice the apple, then moisten the slices with lemon juice to keep from discoloring. Strain the cider into mugs and float apple slices on top of each serving.

Serves 4.
From Cabin Cooking by Tori Ritchie