Karen Gordon: Edible gifts are the best kind of Christmas gifts

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Handmade Christmas gifts are the best kinds of gifts, particularly when they’re edible.

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While it’s easy to run to the store or shop online for something your recipient will love, taking the time to create something from scratch makes gift-giving so much more thoughtful. Besides, who can resist delicious, homemade treats?

Homemade food gifts also make wonderful hostess gifts to a dinner party. Besides a bottle of wine, as a special thank you, I like bringing the host or the couple a little something extra that they can enjoy later, like homemade muffins or breads that can be enjoyed the next morning with a cup of coffee.

Here are a few of my favourite, traditional and non-traditional, holiday recipes that you can whip up at home.

Packaged in clear cellophane bags, tied with pretty ribbons, and handmade gift tags, these yummy food gifts make beautiful presents that any recipient will love! Most of these recipes may be made quickly and easily at home. However, note that the liqueur recipe will require a little preplanning before it’s ready to be gifted.

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Gingersnap Cookie Butter

Cookie butter is a delicious spread made with finely ground cookies. It’s rich, creamy, and very indulgent! It’s perfect on toast, crackers or eaten right out of the jar.

1/2 package (125g) gingersnap cookies

1/2 cup (120ml) water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs fancy molasses (do not use black strap molasses)

1/2 cup (104g) solid, room temperature, coconut oil

pinch of salt

Place cookies in a food processor and process until finely ground.

Add ground cookies, water, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and molasses into a medium-size saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until the mixture is smooth, and crumbs have dissolved, approximately 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir, and allow mixture to cool slightly. Add the coconut oil. Then using an immersion blender, blend mixture until very smooth.

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Transfer to sterilized 1-cup-size mason jars. Seal and refrigerate for about 2 hours for coconut oil to re-harden. Remove from the refrigerator. Store and serve at room temperature.

Marbled Peppermint Bark

Peppermint bark is one of those holiday candies that we wait all year for! Not only are these super easy to make, once you’ve tasted homemade bark, you’ll never want to eat another piece of waxy store-bought bark again! This recipe makes a firm, yet chewy, melt-in-your mouth, marbled chocolate peppermint bark that is delicious on its own or added to hot chocolate for an extra chocolatey minty beverage.

14oz (400g) good dark chocolate, chopped

14oz (400g) good white chocolate, chopped

4 tsp (20g) coconut oil, divided

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2 tsp peppermint oil, divided

3.5oz (100g) crushed candy canes

Add chopped dark chocolate with 2 teaspoon coconut oil to a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on the defrost setting in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.

Remove the chocolate from the microwave and add 1 teaspoon peppermint oil. Stir to combine. Pour and spread mixture evenly on a parchment lined cookie tray and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden.

While the dark chocolate is setting, prepare the candy cane. Add crushed candy cane to a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon peppermint oil and stir well to combine. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the white chocolate and remaining coconut oil. Follow steps for melting the dark chocolate. Do not add peppermint oil to the white chocolate.

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Pour the melted white chocolate over the hardened dark chocolate. Using a spatula, evenly spread the white chocolate mixture over the dark. Then using a butter knife, create swirls for a marbled look. Sprinkle prepared crushed candy cane over the marbled chocolate. Return the tray to the freezer to freeze for 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut the bark into varying sizes. Store in an airtight container. To package, place different sizes of peppermint bark into 4” by 9.5” cellophane bags. Tie with a pretty ribbon and gift tag.

Spiced Cranberry Vodka

Liqueur always makes a lovely gift. This recipe makes a particularly Christmas-y one with flavours of cranberry, cinnamon, and orange. Plus, the colour is perfect for the holidays! The liqueur may be consumed straight, on the rocks or made into a delicious cocktail, like a Cranberry Mimosa on Christmas morning. Double or triple the batch as needed.

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1 cup (240ml) unflavoured vodka

1 cup (116g) fresh cranberries

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 piece orange rind measuring 1” by 4” long

30g sugar

Wash and dry cranberries.

Add vodka, cranberries, cinnamon stick, orange rind and sugar to a clean, wide mouth Mason jar. Seal with an airtight lid and set aside on the counter.

Every day, for the next 10 days, shake the jar gently to mix the ingredients.

After 10 days, discard the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Transfer the alcohol and the cranberries into a pretty glass bottle or Mason jar. Seal and store in a cool place until ready to give. To present, tie a ribbon around the neck of the bottle, add a gift tag with the instructions for Cranberry Mimosa on the back.

For Cranberry Vodka Mimosa: Add 1-part chilled spiced cranberry liqueur and 2-parts orange juice to a champagne glass. Top with chilled sparkling wine or club soda. Enjoy!

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The Best Cheat Butter Tarts

Butter Tarts are the quintessential Canadian holiday treat! It’s a short crust pastry shell filled with a mixture of butter, sugar, corn syrup, eggs, and raisins. It’s baked until the filling is almost set. Once cooled, the filling forms a slightly crunchy sugary crust while the centre remains gooey. This easy butter tart recipe is sure to satisfy the sweet-tooth lover in your life! Since they utilize store-bought frozen tart shells, these tarts may be whipped up in under 30 minutes, including baking time!

16 frozen tart shells

1/4 cup (57g) butter, melted

1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar

1/2 cup (120ml) corn syrup

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup (120g) raisins, presoaked in hot water to plump up

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Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large mixing bowl, add melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined. Do not overmix.

Place the frozen tart shells on a silicone-lined cookie tray to prevent sliding.

Divide raisins among the tart shells then fill the shells two-thirds full of the sugary mixture.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until the filling is bubbly.

Remove the tray from oven and allow the tarts to cool.

Store tarts in an airtight container. To gift, place tarts in a pastry box or stack, with cardboard in between the tarts, in a cellophane bag. Tie with ribbon.

Karen Gordon is a Food Blogger from North Vancouver who shares her recipe creations online at karentology.com and on Instagram at @karen.t.ology