Make the holiday season sweeter with delectable Christmas food gifts from your kitchen. From flavoured vinegars and homemade liqueurs to fruitcakes and cookies, there’s something for everyone.
You can never have too many festive food gifts on hand during the holiday season. You can bring them to parties as hostess gifts, or give them to friends or neighbours who stop by unexpectedly. When you don’t quite know what to give to kind co-workers or talented teachers, give the gift of food. Everyone’s got to eat!
There are many recipe sites online with heaps of great free recipes. The one I refer to most is Taste, which is an Australian website with over 20,000 recipes. It is super easy to navigate too.
Here are a couple of ideas I like…
‘Cookies in a jar’
For great recipes like this one click here.
These are the easiest puddings you’ll ever make.
Gosh, how many batches of chocolate royal puddings have I made for my kids school functions over the years? They still love them and if I made a batch now they’d disappear in seconds. Especially good for me, as I have a child who doesn’t eat any type of cake… I know, how crazy is that? Who doesn’t eat cake!!! Here’s the recipe.
I also make this – White Chocolate bark. Click here for recipe.
This looks great packaged up in cello bags and fancy ribbon.
Perhaps what I am known best for at Christmas, is my truffles. I make them all year round but ALWAYS make several batches for the holidays. I serve them to guests, give them as gifts to neighbours and often pop some in a small cello bag to give to people when I visit their homes at Christmas.
Here are my tips for making truffles:
· Make sure your balls are all a uniform size.
· I find truffles freeze really well. I spend an afternoon making up several different batches and then freeze in smaller lots, often combining a mixture of different truffles in the same snap lock bag. They are great when you get those phone calls announcing the eminent arrival of unexpected guests. Simply grab a bag from the freezer, plate up and being small they will defrost in no time.
· If making fresh, you can make truffles up to a week earlier and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Roll in coatings up to one day ahead.
Click here for 60+ truffle recipes.
I love decorating truffles and have as much fun making them as I do eating them!
Here’s some more inspiration…
Christmas truffle trees. Attach truffles to foam cone using toothpicks.
Dip in white chocolate and then crushed candy canes for a festive look…yummo!!
What about Red-Nosed Rudolph Truffles.
Here’s how: Frost a cupcake generously with white icing. Roll truffle in cocoa powder. Flatten the truffle slightly. Use more frosting to make eyes, and a red M&M to make nose. Stick the truffle on the cupcake, and use chocolate leaves to make the antlers. Never made chocolate leaves? Super easy, wash and dry leaves from your garden and paint the back of leaves with melted chocolate and a paint brush (I keep a small paint brush just for chocolate making in my utensil draw). Allow chocolate to dry and then gently peel off the leaf. These also look lovely added to the top of a chocolate cake.
So there you go… a few ideas for kitchen gifts. I’d love to hear your suggestions.
Also, if you pop back on Wednesday, Jordan from Polka Dot Prints has a great guest post tutorial for making gorgeous packaging for your foodie gifts.
And in keeping with the handmade food theme this week, the Friday Giveaway for my followers this week is this cute 8” x 10” pudding canvas painted by yours truly!
Just a reminder… on Friday I will be running a blog linky party ‘Show us your Christmas home’. I hope you will all join in by sharing photos of your Christmas home decorating in a blog post. I can’t wait to see all your festive inspiration. Check in with ‘Simply Christmas’ on Friday to add your link.
Until then, I’ll be in the kitchen baking.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
Some great recipes there, love those little reindeers! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers
Jo
Thank you for all the yummy recipes! Wish I could taste the truffles right now. Happy Holidays!
That canvas is lovely.
All those sweetie goodies mmmmmmm
Thank you for sharing such wonderful ideas & recipes.
Toni :o)
cute giveaway. this post was right up my alley – I’m all about the holiday baking!!
the truffles look good enough to eat off the blog..my downfall..we made fench-canadian meat pies..I always make some goodies for xmas gifts..this year oatmeal-raisin for dad..and lemon-almond biscotti for sister…have a great week..thanks for the great receipes
I must say Kerryanne yours and mine baking reportoire are very similar indeed1
I made truffles on the weekend and they lasted the weekend!!! lol!!!
Today we had Kinder concert day and the good old Choc Royale pud’s were there on the table of goodies.!
Love the Pud Picture!
Thanks for the great recipes Kerryanne. I love the little puddings and the reindeers.
Lee:)
The truffles look yummy!
I heart all the wonderful inspiration on this blog, those truffles look divine, and I’ve been wondering what to make for the teachers this year as I am quickly running out of time! Thanks for this awesome blog!
Hi Kerryanne
Another wonderful Christmas Post, I sent a link to your blog to my Christmas mad daughter, who in turn has given it to her work mates!
I made up a batch of your delightful Christmas smelly receipe…it is heavenly.
Thanks again for all your efforts
xx
Dear Kerryanne…I have to say you are TOTALLY ONE TALENTED lovely lady..
Your cooking looks just sooo professional..
you can sew..paint beautifully…
I am really in awe of your talents…
(ps..can you throw some my way??~~)..
xx andrea
Hi Kerryanne,
these ideas are fabulous, thanks so much for the inspiration!
xx Anne
lovely ideas and inspiration – I don’t think mine would look so professional as these chocolates but I have printed the recipes off and am full of enthusiasm to give it a try. I would love to join in your ‘show us your Christmas home’ – I won’t have my tree up until the following Monday so can I tag along a bit late? Love your blog and artwork but don’t put me in for the giveaway as I am UK and would imagine the postage would be way off the radar. Betty x
Thanks for all the great ideas!
I’m off to find out what white chocolate bark is!!
Gill
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. They sound great. Hope I have enough time this Christmas to try some new ones.
OMGosh, I love that painting of the Christmas pudding. Thanks for the chance to win it!!!
Desi
These are some great ideas and I’m hungry after reading this! I love to make hot chocolate kits in jars and am giving those to several people this year.
Karla
Love painting of the pudding! Great work!
I am going to try and make some truffles!
Hi Kerryanne,
Oh gosh, those truffles look scrummy, do you think they would be carb free? lol
Thanks for the recipes and your painting is fabulous!
Hugs,
Anna
Hey Kerryanne! Now … I’m not usually a chocolate gal, but I have to say those white choc truffles look pretty darn tasty!! :0) My Christmas balls are usually the apricot kind … a little less fiddling and SOOOOO yummy! Have to hide them from the husband … and myself! Tee! Hee! Hee! Happy cooking! Bear Hugs! KRIS
mmmmmmm now I’m hungry!! I have a kid who wont eat fruit cake either..or plum pudding! I kind of suspect they mixed her up at the hospital cause she doesn’t get it from me lol
Oh My GoodNesSSSSSS! Kerryanne..you have simply outdone yourself on this post! I found it so informative and helpful…I love baking..and giving foodie gifts…and you have made it all so easy…
click here…you say….and I say…yes, yes I will click! thanks so much for taking the time to put this post together!
it is so beautiful!
come on by for some tea!
ciao bella
bring a truffle, okay! lol
Creative Carmelina
eeeek your chrissy music came on full bore with deck the halls and scared the bejesus out of me!!! Ok have calmed down now from looking at your pics of delish choccies and more. Great ideas on your bloggy kerryanne!
alicia
Oh yes Kerryanne,
Fantastic and I’m definitely going to try some truffles.
Thanks for the fun xxx
Yum! Yum! Yum!
What beautifully decorated edible delights! Thank you for the links and recipes, sweetie!
As for the Plum Pudding canvas… (drool)… the one I have is at pride of place on my sideboard – it’s definitely my favourite piece! And what’s better? No calories!!! LOL
Love and hugs sweetie!
Vikki xoxo
Goodness, lots of yummy things, they all look very tasty Kerryanne a creative post as always, you make it looks so simple. best wishes Julie.C
love your canvas…specially is “FAT FREE” .Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent!!!
best regards,
Wanda
Yum Yum Yum, I love these little puddings and the other goodies you have shown here. Thanks for the link to the recipes, I have added a few to my recipe folder.
Lee:)
I couldnt find recipies