From the heart and straight to the belly
There are dozens of people you feel like you should give presents to: teachers, babysitters, coaches, clergy, mail carriers, etc. This year, why not spread the holiday cheer with homemade goodies? Best of all, your kids can help to make all of these.
1. Custom molded chocolates: You can find candy molds at any of the big box craft stores, or you can get more fancy molds at a cake supply store. Choose molds that are meaningful to the person you are giving to. I used to make treble clef chocolates for my music teacher, for example. Any type of chocolate works OK, but for best results you should use the wafer-style chocolate specifically designed for molding. Carefully melt the chocolate in a double boiler or, if you are really careful, in the microwave (microwaving chocolate can get messy and even wreck the chocolate, if it overheats), then pour the chocolate into the molds. Older kids can do this themselves with supervision. If your kids are too young to do the pouring, you can get them to add sprinkles or nuts on the flat side the molds while the chocolate is still warm. Set the molds somewhere cool for several hours or overnight, then simply pop the chocolates out and wrap them up with a nice ribbon. Voila! A yummy treat.
2. Baking mix in a jar: Are you famous for a particular cookie or cake recipe? This year, why not share it with loved ones? Take a nice, large jar (an interesting shape, if you can find one ) and carefully layer in all the dry ingredients. This works best if you alternate colors and textures. Kids love pouring in all the ingredients, and they can also help decorate the outside of the jars with stickers or ribbons. Maybe you don’t have any great recipes. Not a problem — this website has tons of options, including some savory recipes for those who don’t like sweets.
3. Pet presents: Your cats and dogs need some love at Christmas, too! Maybe they even have other pet-friends they’d like to exchange gifts with. Grab some wacky cookie cutters and one of these recipes. Kids will get a kick out of the novelty of meaty cookies.
The holiday season can be hectic, but with these homemade presents you can get your gifts together while spending great quality time with the family. Why brave the mall?
The custom molded chocolates really are easy. Those candy wafers melt easily in the microwave (no tempering required) and can even be melted in a squeeze bottle for easier pouring. They also come in many colors so you’re not limited to just brown.