best gifts are homemade from the heart.
For Belinda Smith-Sullivan, a chef, author, and food entrepreneur in Trenton, South Carolina, “if I really want to show someone how important they are to me, I show that in the form of a handmade food gift.” Growing up, her family was “of very modest means, and handmade edible gifts were the most cherished. Giving someone a food gift was the equivalent of an extremely expensive present,” she said.
She shared a recipe for pecan tassies, perfectly giftable—and perfectly poppable—bite-size treats from her cookbook “Southern Sugar,” a love letter to the beloved desserts of the South. She recalled memories of making cookies and candies for neighbors, friends, and parents’ coworkers each year.
“My mother always referred to it as us giving a little bit of Christmas to others,” she said.
RECIPE: Pecan Tassies
se pecan tassies are pecan pies in bite-size cookie form. (Kate Blohm)Amisha Dodhia Gurbani, the Mumbai-born, Northern California-based food blogger behind Jam Lab, likes to add an interactive twist to her food gifts.
“I love making homemade gifts for Christmas, especially jams with in-season produce. I make mini baskets with baked cookies, a bottle of jam, and a pretty spoon to decorate your own Linzer cookies,” she said. “It personalizes the gift and makes it special for the recipient.”
Gurbani shared a recipe for pear and chai masala jam from her new cookbook, “Mumbai Modern.” jam is based on one of the most popular flavors she sold when she ran a short-lived but successful jam business from her home kitchen, combining California’s bountiful produce with unique flavors from her Indian heritage. It includes Gurbani’s recipe for homemade chai masala powder, which itself would also make a lovely gift, perhaps bundled with a favorite black tea.
RECIPE: Pear and Chai Masala Jam
Instruct your giftees to try this warmly spiced pear and masala chai jam on vanilla ice cream for mindblowing results. (Amisha Dodhia Gurbani)Finally, for those whose tastes lean more savory than sweet, how about a homemade rib rub from a legendary BBQ chef?
Rodney Scott, the award-winning whole-hog maestro behind Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston, North Carolina, isn’t shy about sharing his secrets; his famous rub is among the several recipes included in his cookbook memoir, “Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ,” published last March. Whip up a batch to make the grill- or pitmaster in your life very happy.
RECIPE: Rodney Scott’s Rib Rub
This homemade spice rub puts you one step closer to making BBQ ribs just like Rodney Scott. (Jerrelle Guy)Still looking for more edible ideas? Try these:
Sweet:
Holiday Cookies
Honey Vanilla Marshmallows
Thick-Cut Marmalade
Candied Citrus Peel
Homemade Granola
Cranberry-Almond No-Bake Energy Bites
Savory:
Flavored Vinegars
Homemade Harissa
Traditional Sour Pickles
Black Olive Tapenade
Indonesian Peanut Sauce (Sambal Kacang)
Bacon Mayo
And to drink:
Homemade Mulled Wine
Homemade Bloody Mary Mix
Classic Eggnog
Blueberry Shrub
Pezou : Sweet and Savory Ideas for Homemade Food Gifts to Make for Your Loved Ones