My Favorite Homemade Christmas Gift (And A Recipe)
I often think rather idly about the Christmas gifts I’d love to give and receive in an alternate reality where I exist in a different tax bracket. These flights of fancy are less, “Life would be better if…” and more, “Wouldn’t it be delightful to…?”
I have wasted more time than I’d like to admit putting together hypothetical gifts of truly lavish proportions. Is there anything more entertaining than theoretically preparing a Marie Antoinette-worthy splurge for those you love? You know those movies where someone opens a closet door and hundreds of roses tumble out? Like that but with, I don’t know, a set of pearl earrings for my mom nestled into our Chinese takeout in a rice box. Amongst these less sensible ruminations, it suddenly occurred to me that (at least) the ideas I spun of a hamper filled with the best things to eat could be reality. With just a bit of planning and ingenuity (but very little skill) I could pull off a Dickensian basket of Good Things To Eat as a gift.
My whole life I have been susceptible to descriptions of well-appointed picnic baskets, dinner tables, mysterious feasts appearing suddenly in unsuspected places. I blame a childhood filled with old books. The Wind In The Willows, Little Women, A Little Princess, Narnia, and the Little House stories taught me that holidays were always marked by making, giving, and receiving food. In these books, edible things arrived on the scene in vast, showy quantities; and what food! Never had anything sounded so good as blueberries and brook-chilled milk. Turkish delight must be the most delicious sweet in the world. The proper reward for a snow day was absolutely a slice of pie and a warm cup of cocoa. Giving away your Christmas breakfast to an indigent family would (naturally) trigger a fairyland spread to show up on your table hours later.
Even as I grew older, I loved reading classics about bygone days where plummy things were sent back and forth from great hall to great hall: entire geese, a brace of pigeons, or famously - in the case of Jane Austen’s Emma - a hind of pork. I imagined myself living in a world with suggestive words like “larder,” “cupboard,” and “hamper” in frequent circulation.
It all begs the question: why did food gifts go out of fashion? Well the truth is, they didn’t; not entirely. Growing up, an aunt and uncle always sent a festive box from Hickory Farms at Christmastime. We’d pick through it curiously: yes to this cheese and that summer sausage, no to the honey mustard. We snuffled quietly past the jar labeled “chutney.” None of us knew what chutney might be, but it didn’t sound particularly nice or approachable in the same manner as “double Gloucester cheddar” was. Another family member provided a panettone, per tradition. I was never quite sure if you were meant to eat the paper (obviously not) but I lived for an annual wedge of the poufy, fruit-studded bread. Candied orange peel scented each bite. We did not toast or butter this bread, but ate it cool and soft and sweet, the way it came to us.
We know fruitcake mainly as a notorious brick, and in America we do not give or make Christmas puddings. However entire companies thrive off the idea that sometimes the best gift is not another bottle of lotion and a kitchen gadget, but a box of French macarons or a jar of goat’s milk caramel.
I have visions of a pantry packed with delicious, rare jars of tasty things - a hobbit’s love of culinary preparation. In my dreams I have rows of dark, glistening jams and sticky, moreish pastes; a battalion of gleaming pickled things, spicy and tart; tinned fish of every description; a few good, dried cheeses stacked on top of each other; strands of dried chilis and garlic braided and hanging from the shelves; bottles of carefully labeled extracts and infusions; jar after jar of spices in whole and ground forms to peruse and select thoughtfully, as if from a library.
It is not every situation that provides its own solution so freely, but the question of edible gifts does: if you are excited to return to the epic, moveable feasts of yore, it’s as easy as doing it yourself. I decided to begin giving baskets as gifts, inspired by these flights of fancy. And while I can’t give an entire pantry, I can curate a luscious hamper. Whether it is an assortment of several different types of hand-made cookies, or the result of several batches of jam stashed away across the months, this is a gift that is inherently lavish. The concept of a basket of edible things might not excite everyone who hears it, but the reality of the thing is always met with a lot of, “why don’t we give gifts like this more often?”
I cannot claim that homemade gifts are necessarily cheaper than others - they tend to cost time and ingredients if nothing else - but they have that special quality of being unique, which quality can cost a lot of money to achieve. They also have the attractive quality of being a transient gift, making them perfect for those people who have everything they need and can’t be bothered to own more “things.” And they’re endlessly customizable to fit the dietary restrictions and preferences of the intended recipient.
So let’s get down to brass tacks: here are some of my favorite items to make for hampers, and another list of items to include in hampers that might not be homemade. As always, I encourage you to repurpose cardboard boxes by wrapping them in gift wrap and using as the base of your “hamper",” or to thrift baskets for this purpose rather than buy new. Nestle a cute kitchen towel in the bottom and you are in business! At the end of these lists, I will be sharing a recipe for my favorite “this tastes like Christmas” cookie to include as part of these hampers. I hope these ideas inspire you to do some homemade gifting this year!
Homemade Items To Include In Hampers:
Homemade jams - I am especially fond of a raspberry jam cut with bird’s eye chilis, but a homemade apple butter goes over especially well with those less adventurous. If you are not up for canning your jams, you can always freeze the jam and add it to the hamper last-minute with instructions to refrigerate and enjoy within a couple weeks!
Infused vinegars or olive oils - these can be made at home or purchased. To make a really nice garlic-oil, cut three large heads of garlic in half and set them cut-side down in a small baking dish. Add olive oil till covered, then heat gently in the oven (around 300 degrees) for around 45 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves, and strain the oil into a bottle. It should keep for at least a month! Reserve the roasted garlic cloves for your own culinary purposes - they’re great mashed up and included in a vinaigrette or spread on toast!
Homemade vanilla extract - if you don’t start it months ahead of time, you can write a pretty card with instructions for continued steeping. People are often excited by the opportunity to watch their vanilla continue extracting!
Jars of homemade chili-garlic crisp - there are many delicious-looking recipes for this favorite condiment and I am looking forward to making some myself this year! Serious Eats has a good recipe, but I am planning to adjust it to my personal preference after reading the comments section.
Classic decorated gingerbread cookies - nothing says “Christmas” like a simple, beautiful gingerbread cookie. No matter how many years I pipe white royal icing on toasty-brown gingerbread, I’m still impressed with how magical it looks.
Homemade caramels or toffee, wrapped in waxed paper
Spiced, roasted nut mix - Trader Joe’s consistently has the best prices for raw nuts, so start there when creating a nut mix.
Sachets of mulling spices for cider or wine - try tying cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, a bit of candied ginger, and a few dried orange slices into a little bit of muslin or cheesecloth!
Biscotti - the perennial favorite of hot-drinks season. I love giving biscotti because of how easy it is to make in a large batch, and because of how long it lasts!
Dried herbs or chilis from your garden - this is too late for most of us to take advantage of, but is a good idea for those of you who dried the last of the basil plants in your garden, or dried your overstock of chili peppers. Turn those into Christmas gifts, or plan to grow extra next year.
Spice rubs for grilling or roasting, made at home - I won’t spoon-feed this one to you because there are hundreds of easily-found recipes online. But I think it would be really fun for you to make a batch of your personal favorite recipe for fajita-meats, a rack of ribs, or a roast chicken and gift that! Something that can’t be found online, but is quintessentially a gift from your kitchen to theirs.
Vanilla sugar - the notes on this one are so simple: take a couple of plump vanilla beans, split them lengthwise, bury them in an airtight container with a couple of cups of sugar (I like natural, unbleached sugar for its “vanilla” color), forget about it for a few weeks, and open the container to find perfectly-scented vanilla sugar ready for gifting. I love a dash of vanilla sugar in a cup of oolong tea with milk.
Homemade granola - it is not hard to find a recipe for homemade granola
Preserved lemons - another item I am planning to make as soon as I can find organic, thin-skinned lemons in season in Virginia. They’re so easy, why would I spend money on these?
Shortbread cookies or stöllen bars - recipe to follow!
Other Items To Include In A Hamper:
Smoked or flavored sea salts
Fancy dried beans (Rancho Gordo is my favorite source)
Small bags of heirloom grains such as grits, cornmeal, or wheat varieties
Tinned fish like this wild-caught albacore tuna from Fishwife - local friends, you can reliably find some great options at locations like The Pink Dinghy, Prosperity Kitchen And Pantry, and Pendulum Fine Meats.
Pre-mixed cocktails or mini bottles of sparkling cider/wine - I love the non-alcoholic “Eva’s Spritz” from For Bitter Or For Worse, and get mine from Ceremony.
Fancy crackers - at this point we all know that we could make crackers if we wanted to, but there’s something indulgent about eating an expensive, grown-up cracker. My vote for this category is Effie’s Oatcakes. I’m working on a recipe for a copycat version, but for now just know you can buy them in most places near the cheese counter.
Pickled gherkins - no one I know is going to turn up their nose at a tiny, sour dill pickle. The more the merrier in this category. Ditto, olives.
Fancy, seasonal tea - since we can’t assume everyone is a loose-leaf tea snob and equipped to handle free-range leaves, let’s leave gifted tea in the easiest format for most people: tea bags!
A bottle of infused vinegar - a fancy vinegar makes everything tastier, but they’re awkwardly priced for buying on a regular shopping trip (spend an optional $13 on a raspberry champagne vinegar? Maybe next time…) which makes them a perfect attainable splurge for a gift basket.
Whole spices and a hand-held spice mill - one of my favorite random wedding gifts is a tiny Turkish pepper mill (and accompanying array of peppercorns) gifted to us by my friend Ian. They’re fun, affordable, and elegant.
A very good chocolate bar - don’t skimp here. Head right past the Lindt, Ritter, Ghirardelli, Hershey, and even Tony’s Chocoloney bars. Pick something with a delightfully vague name. Mast Chocolate. HU. Zotter. Marou. You might have to go to a store that isn’t on your usual route for this. That’s part of the gift. Don’t skimp. The chocolate people know.
Beautiful taper candles - I never thought I’d grow up to be a candle person, let alone an unscented taper candles person, but when I tell you that my heart goes pitter-pat when I see some really nice tapers on sale, I tell no lies. I think it’s part of the official evolution of most grown-up people. We bought our Advent candles at Walmart and they’re lovely. But stake out Anthropologie’s sales section and see if you can find some real bougie candles.
A cute box of matches - because nobody wants to light their lovely candles with an ugly matchbox.
Locally made candy - I’ve planned an errand to a local candy factory that still makes hard candy the real, true, old-fashioned way. I am hoping to find some ribbon candy to add to a basket.
As you can see, it is not difficult to pull together a delicious gift for a friend! The recipe below is originally from Molly Yeh, and I have made it several years now as my offering for holiday parties, gifts, and just to have around the house come Christmas. It tastes like those plummy Victorian Christmasses which were so German-influenced (because let’s be real: Germany is the seed of some of the most iconic Christmas traditions we celebrate today). The flavors are rich, spiced, and uplifting and one batch makes fifty little bars which will keep for at least two weeks. An ideal offering to spread across several gift baskets!
Stöllen Cookie Bars
4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cup almond flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 pinches ground cloves
2 pinches grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature - divided
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 oranges, zested
2 large eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup dried cherries
2/3 cup golden raisins
2 cups chopped nuts (I like pecans or pistachios)
16 oz. marzipan, chopped
2/3 cup powdered sugar
Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9x13” baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix together first seven ingredients (the “dry stuff”). Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat one cup (two sticks) butter, cream cheese, sugar, and orange zest on medium-high till pale and fluffy. Add eggs and extract, then beat till combined.
Beat in the dry ingredients, followed by the dried fruit and nuts. Fold in the marzipan by hand. This will be a very thick dough. Spread into your prepared pan and bake 28-30 minutes.
When you remove it from the oven, spread the remaining butter on to and allow to melt. Sift the powdered sugar on to, then cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting into 1” squares. Keeps two weeks in an airtight container.