baking as a gift?

marie-p

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Does anyone here give home-baked goods as gifts? (or other home-made gifts)
What do you make?

I want to give some treats to all my family (along with a donation to charity for each of them). Problem is, I will be giving it to them at a Christmas party where there'll already be tons of baking to eat. So I need to make something that's a bit different and that will keep fresh for at least a few days.
Any suggestions?

Yes, I know it's too early to start, but I'm too excited and I want to find ideas now.
 

trouts mom

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Marie, I LOVE to get baking for the holidays. I can't bake, but receiving baking is wonderful.

I would stick to common things that most peeps like though..good luck!


And don't forget my address on your list
 

tierre0

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I bake quite a lot at Christmas as well. Mainly basic sugar and butter cookies. Chocolate and Mint Chip, Banana Bread and a Pastry called elephant ears.

I freeze most of mine and when I am going to someones home I will put a dozen or so in a fancy little box and use it as a hostess gift. They are generally defrosted by the time I get where I am going and they are always a real hit with everyone
 

lunasmom

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we (my family) use to give sugar cookies to the neighbors we were friends with. They were just from the pillsbury roll.

Our neighbor use to do these wonderful butterscotch & chocolate brownies
I would finish them off in a few days every year.
 

natalie_ca

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When I was feeling better I did.

I would do 12 different types of baking consisting of cookies, squares and things like rum balls. And I would give 12 of each one in each box that I gave away.

It was expensive to do, but I enjoyed it and so did the recipients.

I have a deep freezer so I started my baking months before Christmas in August or September and then just froze it.

Some of the things I would make:

- butter tarts
- rum balls
- short bread (left some plain, others I iced and some I put sprinkles on)
- orange short bread cookies dipped in chocolate (different recipe than the other short bread)
- 2 types of squares
- spice cookies
- gingerbread cutouts
- thumb cookies
- snow balls

And whatever else looked good from my cookie recipe books.

One year I went on a sweet bread making spree and was making bread in the shape of Christmas wreathes. I would braid it and decorate it with silver balls and slivered almonds and cherries, and put a bow in the middle. It was edible, but many used it as an edible centre piece on their tables. Each rope for the braid had candied fruit and raisins and brown sugar and cinnamon in it.

I would make large ones which were about 12" in diameter and some that were smaller, about 8" in diameter.
 

sillyjilly

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I don't think it will matter that there will be tons of stuff there already because they will get to take their gift home with them and have a treat for themselves!!!
Have a great time and enjoy yourself!
 

bella713

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Have you ever seen those mason jars and all the dry ingredients are in them to make brownies or cookies etc. That's a good idea you can put it together yourself...and put a bow on it and a little card of directions for the recipe
 

lmunsie

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Originally Posted by Bella713

Have you ever seen those mason jars and all the dry ingredients are in them to make brownies or cookies etc. That's a good idea you can put it together yourself...and put a bow on it and a little card of directions for the recipe
That is such a great idea!!! I am totally using it, saving all mason jars from here on out!!!! Thanks!!! My friend has a really great healthy, make your own pet treat recipe, i should get it from her and make up jars with the ingredients for all my pet lover friends
 
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marie-p

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Originally Posted by Bella713

Have you ever seen those mason jars and all the dry ingredients are in them to make brownies or cookies etc. That's a good idea you can put it together yourself...and put a bow on it and a little card of directions for the recipe
That would be a great idea!

But it might be hard to adapt a recipe like that, no? Usually we're supposed to mix the sugar with the eggs and butter before mixing the rest...
Would it still work by having the sugar pre-mixed with the flour and other dry ingredients?

Or maybe I could just make the cookie dough. It would have to be refrigerated, but everyone likes raw cookie dough!
(I make mine without eggs, so it would be safe to eat raw)
 

bella713

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Originally Posted by marie-p

That would be a great idea!

But it might be hard to adapt a recipe like that, no? Usually we're supposed to mix the sugar with the eggs and butter before mixing the rest...
Would it still work by having the sugar pre-mixed with the flour and other dry ingredients?

Or maybe I could just make the cookie dough. It would have to be refrigerated, but everyone likes raw cookie dough!
(I make mine without eggs, so it would be safe to eat raw)
That's a good question
But I have seen them in the stores made up like that...and I have a book that tells how to make home-made gifts and there are recipes in there but I am not at home now I am out of the state. Try to do a search and see what you can come up with...The cookie dough sounds like a great idea too
 

pami

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Originally Posted by marie-p

That would be a great idea!

But it might be hard to adapt a recipe like that, no? Usually we're supposed to mix the sugar with the eggs and butter before mixing the rest...
Would it still work by having the sugar pre-mixed with the flour and other dry ingredients?

Or maybe I could just make the cookie dough. It would have to be refrigerated, but everyone likes raw cookie dough!
(I make mine without eggs, so it would be safe to eat raw)
You could separate the dry ingredients in little tie bags in the mason jars, with the recipe attached.
 

gailc

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I have some recipes for the cookie ingredients that you put in a jar.
I've also made-you but those big pretzel rods, roll them in melted carmel and then in chopped nuts. I've made a pumkin cream cheese bread too. Or what about making Chex party mix?
 

mbjerkness

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Originally Posted by marie-p

That would be a great idea!

But it might be hard to adapt a recipe like that, no? Usually we're supposed to mix the sugar with the eggs and butter before mixing the rest...
Would it still work by having the sugar pre-mixed with the flour and other dry ingredients?

Or maybe I could just make the cookie dough. It would have to be refrigerated, but everyone likes raw cookie dough!
(I make mine without eggs, so it would be safe to eat raw)
I have made the mixes as gifts, and homemade pancake mix as well, I used powered eggs, (from the healthfood store) the taste stays the same. I do the same thing for camping. the least ingredients you have to have, on hand the handier it is.
 
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