Gourmet Food Gifts you've made...

[Terri_A]

The thread on vanilla got me to thinking - I usually make Jalapeno and Hot Cranberry Jellies each year, but I'm ready to make other gourmet food gifts.

What have you successfully done in the past ( and please provide some directions if you can!!! )

Thanks!!!

[Linda in MO]

While you're waiting for some new ideas...have you seen these 2 old threads? Tons of ideas!

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?threadid=13252&highlight=gifts
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=28935&page=1&pp=30&highlight=holiday+food+gifts

I'll be anxious to see what people are making this year.

[Terri_A]

Linda - Thanks for the links to those threads. I've given up on the SEARCH on this site!

[Sheila in MD]

I usually make Jalapeno and Hot Cranberry Jellies each year,
Can you please post the Hot Cranberry Jelly recipe? Thanks in advance!

Sheila in MD

[carolv]

A pretty jar of Lemon Curd and a pkg of Scone Mix with recipe and instructions for making faux clotted cream, I get request to please repeat this one. :D

[SheRa]

i have a hot cocoa recipe that my 6th grade teacher gave me that i like to make for gifts every year. it's a HUGE hit! i usually find pretty jars and make little tags with instructions and tie them on with ribbon.

[swquilts]

I've done CL's Cranberry Liqeuer (sp?) the last few years. I also do spiced nuts, a marshmellow type gorp thing, BBQ sauce, and we always do rubs.

[surfer376]

Cranberry Pepper Jelly
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup vinegar
2-4 jalapeno peppers halved and seeded
5 cups sugar
1 3 ounce package liquid fruit pectin
5 tiny red hot peppers, optional

Combine juice, vinegar and prepared jalapenos. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and let simmer 10 minutes. Strain the juice, should have 2 cups liquid. Discard solids. In 4 quart pan, combine liquid and sugar. Bring to full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constatntly. Stir in pectin and red hot peppers. Return to full boil and boil 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pout into clean hot jars. Place one red pepper in each jar. Process 5 minutes in boiling water bath. makes 5 half pints. I have used both the regular and the reduced calorie juice and seen no difference.



Cranberry Jalapeno Jelly
Yield: 8 1/2-pint jars
3 cups cranberry juice
1 cup chopped seeded jalapeno peppers
7 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
2 pouches (3 oz. ea.) liquid fruit pectin
10 drops red food coloring - optional, but sure is pretty.

Place cranberry juice and peppers in a blender; cover and process until peppers are fully chopped. Strain through a double thickness of cheesecloth. Pour the strained juice into a large kettle; add sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar and pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim foam. Add food coloring, if desired. Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/4 headspace. Adjust caps and process for 10 minutes in a simmering hot water bath at 190 to 200 degrees F.

You can find pure cranberry juice in the health food department of your suppermarket or try health food stores..
http://www.bvdrangs.com/recipes/HPjelly.html

[Terri_A]

The 2nd recipe that surfer posted is the one I use....

[ctd1103]

home made Irish cream, which is decadent and pretty given in glass bottles with a ribbon. I also have done a hot cocoa mix given in a celophane bag, stuffed inside a nice mug with a side of marshmellows and a nip of liqour to add to it. This has always been a big hit (especially with teachers....go figure ;) )

Last year I did the candied cranberries, homemade truffels and an assortment of cookies that I got from the boards.

[Sheila in MD]

The 2nd recipe that surfer posted is the one I use....

Thanks! Do you use pure cranberry juice or the cranberry juice cocktail (like Oceanspray)?

Sheila in MD

[tyroleancutie]

i have a hot cocoa recipe that my 6th grade teacher gave me that i like to make for gifts every year. it's a HUGE hit! i usually find pretty jars and make little tags with instructions and tie them on with ribbon.

Could you maybe post the recipe? This sounds like a great gift for Christmas

[Terri_A]

Thanks! Do you use pure cranberry juice or the cranberry juice cocktail (like Oceanspray)?

Sheila in MD


I use the cranberry juice cocktail and it's always worked great!

[Aninha]

i have a hot cocoa recipe that my 6th grade teacher gave me that i like to make for gifts every year. it's a HUGE hit! i usually find pretty jars and make little tags with instructions and tie them on with ribbon.

I second the request for this recipe, you made it sound so good! Looks like it would be a nice gift for friends and my son's school teachers this year!
Ana

[SheRa]

i'll post it from home tonight (i don't have the recipe here).

[Clover]

Homemade marshmallows with the cocoa mix would be good, I think.

But that idea is not what led me to dig up this thread. It was something I found while prowling around egullet. Remember the cranberry cordial that was so popular here? Well, fruit isn't the only thing you can use to make infused vodka. Yes, here it is--weeniecello! (http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=91731)

[Tiger]

The whole reason I taught myself how to "can" was my mustard. Everyone loves it and I do can it and give it as gifts. You can pour it on top of cream cheese and serve it as an appetizer or just use it as a mustard. I triple the recipe and can it but you can make as is and keep in the refrig. also.

Hot Mustard

1 cup cider vinegar
4 ounce can Coleman dry mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten

Combine vinegar and mustard, mix well and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
Place mustard mixture in top of double boiler.
Add sugar, syrup and eggs, mix well. Cook 15 to 20 min. (until thick), stirring constantly.
Refrigerate until time to serve.

Makes 3cups and lasts in refrigerator for several months.

I've been experimenting replacing the Coleman mustard with Penzey's. But I couldn't give you exact amount. When I measure out 4 oz. of Penzey's it's really not enough. I'm not sure why. I "eyeball" it but since you never made mustard before, I would stick with the recipe

[SheRa]

Sorry that I forgot to post this last night. It's from my 6th grade teacher (Northwood Middle School in Fort Wayne, IN) but I can't remember his name for the life of me! I transferred schools that year, so I didn't have him for very long, but he was a GREAT guy! This recipe makes a TON, but it's ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! (oh yeah, and DEFINITELY not light! hahha!!)

Uncle Tom's Cabin Moon Gulch Hot Cocoa Mix
20 quart box evaporated milk
30 ounce box Nestle Quik
13 ounce jar chocolate malt mix
2 pounds powdered sugar
22 ounce jar Coffee Mate
1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
4-6 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
Mix all ingredients in large clean garbage bag. Watch out for the dust storm!

Fill mug 1/3 of the way with mix and to the top with boiling water.

Enjoy!

Notes:
Do not substitute Coffee Mate for other brand. Do not cut in half.

[Sheila in MD]

Do not cut in half.

Have to ask...while I can understand using only Coffemate, I don't understand why it would hurt to cut recipe in half....particularlay when there is an approximation of how much to put in a cup (considering mugs are of many sizes-although I suppose one could say it is still one third mix and 2/3's liquid). Any ideas on if it really would make a difference?

Sheila in MD

[Aninha]

20 quart box evaporated milk


Thanks for posting the recipe! I was also puzzled by the "do not cut in half" thing...
However, my question here is about the evaporated milk. I have only seen it in canned (liquid) form. Would it be the same of "powdered milk"?
I usually buy powdered milk (or milk powder), but haven't seen "evaporated milk powder"... am I missing something? Are they the same thing?
Thanks again for the recipe!!
Ana

[SheRa]

i remember him telling us that for some reason it doesn't work if you cut it in half. i'm not sure why, but i never wanted to mess with it. you're welcome to try it out, but the recipe was so good and he seemed to know what he was talking about. i was also like 11-years-old when he gave me the recipe, so i dunno.

i've found powdered evaporated milk at the grocery store, and last year when i made it, at the wholesale club.

if anyone tries it out, let me know! it's fun to make, too (the garbage bag is just TOO funny!!).

[SheRa]

Sorry that I forgot to post this last night. It's from my 6th grade teacher (Northwood Middle School in Fort Wayne, IN) but I can't remember his name for the life of me! I transferred schools that year, so I didn't have him for very long, but he was a GREAT guy! This recipe makes a TON, but it's ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! (oh yeah, and DEFINITELY not light! hahha!!)

Uncle Tom's Cabin Moon Gulch Hot Cocoa Mix
20 quart box evaporated milk
30 ounce box Nestle Quik
13 ounce jar chocolate malt mix
2 pounds powdered sugar
22 ounce jar Coffee Mate
1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
4-6 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
Mix all ingredients in large clean garbage bag. Watch out for the dust storm!

Fill mug 1/3 of the way with mix and to the top with boiling water.

Enjoy!

Notes:
Do not substitute Coffee Mate for other brand. Do not cut in half.

i just made my annual batch of this last night (and am enjoying another mug of it right now) and i noticed that it should say 20 OUNCE box evaporated milk (not quart!). oops!

[Beth]

I wonder if trying to halve the recipe didnt work because the packages weren't available in half the size stated and trying to measure out and get the proprtions right was too much of a mess --especially if you didn't have a scale? Nothing there that would seem no to work if you got the amounts right.

We've made various jams and jellies, peanut brittle and other brittles (cashew, mixed nut), fudge, divinity, taffy and lollipops (years ago), stollen, cookies (especially the Santa Claus cookies and stroopwaffel), praline dessert sauce and in some years pasta sauce or picante sauce. We did rubs one year, but we didn't get any repeat requests and only one person said anything about using it. I still enjoy them.

We also did the cranberry liquer and years ago did the hot cocoa mixes, spice teas mix (instant tea, Tang and spices). Also layered cookie mixes, pretzel turtles.

Oh -- the teacher gift favorite -- bottles of wassail (recycled plastic Perrier bottles), or this year, wassail making kits -- all the juices in the right sized bottles, a tin with a bag of sugar and spices with the recipe in a reusable grocery bag. Less sticky on my counters and floors.

ETA: soup mix jars and cookbooks. Popcorn balls, flavored popcorn, and Crazy Crunch (popcorn and mixed nuts in a butter toffee type coating).

[breadmama]

This year it is mini bundt cakes of gingerbread with chopped crystallized ginger (from TJ's), and if I get time tonight, braided loaves of cardamom bread.

I love the ideas posted here - I might be able to try some of them before Christmas!

[little_bopeep]

The whole reason I taught myself how to "can" was my mustard. Everyone loves it and I do can it and give it as gifts. You can pour it on top of cream cheese and serve it as an appetizer or just use it as a mustard. I triple the recipe and can it but you can make as is and keep in the refrig. also.

Hot Mustard

1 cup cider vinegar
4 ounce can Coleman dry mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten

Combine vinegar and mustard, mix well and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
Place mustard mixture in top of double boiler.
Add sugar, syrup and eggs, mix well. Cook 15 to 20 min. (until thick), stirring constantly.
Refrigerate until time to serve.

Makes 3cups and lasts in refrigerator for several months.

I've been experimenting replacing the Coleman mustard with Penzey's. But I couldn't give you exact amount. When I measure out 4 oz. of Penzey's it's really not enough. I'm not sure why. I "eyeball" it but since you never made mustard before, I would stick with the recipe


This is wooonderful stuff and quite easy to make. Thanks for sharing, Patti! :)