This holiday season, give gifts you made in the kitchen
My hankering for homemade holiday treats started with my Aunt Lillian’s peanut brittle. Throughout my childhood, every year her nut-laden gift of candy arrived a few days before Christmas. Packed looseygoosey in a pristine coffee can, Lillian’s crunchy confections disappeared far too quickly.
Those jagged brittle bits fueled my appreciation for delicious gifts from the home kitchen.
Here are some gift ideas designed to be both easy to prepare and tasty:
• A dry concoction for making hot chocolate goes together quickly. The recipient combines a portion of the mix with milk in a saucepan; on the heat, the mixture is whisked while the good stuff simmers. Marshmallows or whipped cream are optional.
• There’s so much to love about Bourbon Balls. Yes, they are easy to prepare, plus and they can be made a week in advance and stored airtight in the fridge. The adult appeal of their unmistakable bourbon flavor doesn’t hurt either.
• Chef-restauranteur Zov Karamardian has a signature jumble cookie that I have made my own, adding a little wheat germ to the mix and subbing dried cranberries and golden raisins for the raisins. The cookies are rich in toasted nuts and dried fruit, as well as chocolate chips. The dough freezes well unbaked and once the cookies are baked, they keep well for several days in an airtight container.
• Spiced pecans are delicious tossed into green salad or eaten out of hand. I like to add medium-coarse pepper to the sugar and salt that coats them. Feel free to omit the pepper if you prefer. Store cooled nuts airtight.
Zov’s Jumble Cookies
Just thinking about these cookies makes me hungry. Ever since Chef Zov Karamardian wrote her cookbook “Simply Zov,” I’ve been baking them for gift giving. I like to pack them in holidaythemed cookie tins. For the best results measure and toast the nuts before chopping.
Yield: About 25 to 30 cookies. Source: “Simply Zov.”
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups whole skin-on almonds
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional; 1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) package dark chocolate chips; see cook’s notes
2 cups raisins; see cook’s notes
Parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray
DIRECTIONS
Cook’s notes: For my adaptation, I add 1 tablespoon wheatgerm along with the flour in step 2, and I use 1 cup golden raisins and 1 cup dried cranberries. Either way is delicious. And I sometimes use semi-sweet chocolate chunks instead of chips, using on about 8 ounces instead of 12.
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place nuts on rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. On a cutting board, chop nuts and set aside. Maintain oven temperature.
2. In medium bowl, stir to blend the flour, baking soda, salt, and if using, wheat
germ. Set the flour mixture aside. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the mixing bowl until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. With the machine on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated (do not over mix the dough or the cookies will be tough). Mix in the chocolate chips and raisins. Lastly, mix in the chopped nuts.
3. Line 4 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray the baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. (It is easier to scoop up dough if using a 4-ounce ice cream scoop.) If you don’t have a scoop, mound the dough in 1/2 cup measurements onto prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly and forming 8 to 6 mounds on each baking sheet. With the palm of your hand, lightly press down on cookie dough to slightly flatten. Working in batches, bake the cookies until they are golden brown all over and the very center is still pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.
Hot Chocolate Mix
Whizzing this tasty mix of ingredients in the food processor breaks up the bits and pieces so that they melt beautifully when stirred into warm milk. Be sure to include the prep directions when packaging as a gift (see step 2). I like to divide the mixture into thirds and place it in petite canning jars; if desired tie a very small whisk on the side along with instructions.
Yield: 3 cups of mix, enough for 12 (one cup) servings. Source: “America’s Test Kitchen’s Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook.”
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped 1 cup (3 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) nonfat dry milk powder
5 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt To prepare hot chocolate: 1 cup milk
1/4 cup hot chocolate mix Optional: Whipped cream or marshmallows
DIRECTIONS
1. Process all ingredients in food processor until ground to a powder, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to airtight storage containers Mix can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 months.
2. To make one serving of hot chocolate: Heat 1 cup milk in small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to steam and bubbles appear around edge of saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of hot chocolate mix and continue to heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is simmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour hot chocolate into mug and serve with whipped cream or marshmallows, if desired.
Candied Pecans, Peppered or Not
Generally, I include a little medium-coarse pepper in the sweet glaze that coats these pecans, but if you prefer them simply saltysweet, omit the pepper.
They are delicious eaten as a snack or cocktail treat, but my favorite way to use them is in a green salad with fresh
Vanilla wafers and toasted pecans are ground up and mixed with sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder and bourbon to make Bourbon Balls. pears and a blue cheese and cool completely. Store vinaigrette. The choice is them well sealed. yours.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt Optional: 1/2 teaspoon medium-coarse ground pepper
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl combine the sugar, salt and pepper and stir to blend well. Set it aside. Place a rimmed baking sheet next to stove.
2. Heat a large deep skillet or wok over high heat until it is hot. Add the pecans and heat the pecans, about 1 minute, occasionally tossing or stirring. Sprinkle on half of the sugar mixture and shake pan or stir frequently until sugar melts, about 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar mixture and shake or stir until sugar melts. Immediately turn onto the baking sheet. Spread nuts apart
Bourbon Balls
The combination of vanilla wafers and toasted nuts add a just-right crunch to these Bourbon Balls. They can be prepared a week in advance and stored airtight in the refrigerator.
Yield: About 24. Source: “America’s Test Kitchen’s Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook.”
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups (6 ounces) vanilla wafers
1 cup pecans, toasted; see cook’s notes
1/2 cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar
6 tablespoons bourbon 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar Cook’s notes: To toast pecans, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake in middle of preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. I store large bags of nuts in the refrigerator; they generally take less time to toast if they have been refrigerated for a few months. Cool toasted nuts before using in this recipe.
DIRECTIONS
1. Process vanilla wafers and pecans in food processor until finely ground, about 15 seconds; transfer to large bowl. Stir in powdered sugar, bourbon, corn syrup, and cocoa.
2. Spread granulated sugar in shallow dish. Working with 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, roll wafer mixture into balls, then roll in granulated sugar to coat. Transfer balls to large plate and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour, before serving. (Bourbon balls can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 week.)