Holiday DIY: Gifts that Taste Great
Nothing beats the feeling of giving someone we love a gift they treasure. If you are lacking a bit of imagination this holiday season and all you can come up with are the usual wallet, pair of holiday-themed socks, or scented candle, why not tackle your gift list with homemade food ideas. Homemade food gifts are a thoughtful and economical way to show appreciation to your loved ones. Not to mention they can be a lot of fun to make!
Here are a few easy ideas to wow your loved ones this year. And to make sure these homemade gifts not only taste delicious, but also look great, we’ve created labels you can download, print, and attach to your containers.
Chocolate Truffles
The perfect gift for the chocolate lover in your life, these truffles are sure to impress. They are super easy to make and taste heavenly. Andrea Benson, executive chef and general manager of Local Point, taught us how to make these delicious treats in one of our past Whole U cooking demos, so we are using her recipe. We used cocoa powder for the coating, but you can use any coating you’d like! Some of our favorites include toasted coconut, finely chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, pistachios), confectioners’ sugar, or red and green candy sprinkles. Place a few truffles in a paper case inside a pretty small box, tie with a ribbon, and attach a label.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 ounces liqueur (Frangelico, Cointreau, etc.)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- Unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling
- Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat cream until it just begins to simmer; pour over chocolate and let stand 10 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture until smooth. Mix in liqueur and salt. Pour into an 8 x 8 glass pan and let cool 15 minutes. Refrigerate uncovered until completely set, about 3 hours.
- Next, shape the truffles. With a melon baller, 1-inch scoop, or teaspoon, scoop out chocolate mixture and place on parchment paper. Coat hands with cocoa and roll truffles into balls; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, about 15-30 minutes.
- To store, cover with plastic and refrigerate, up to 2 weeks.
Infused Olive Oil
Requiring just a few ingredients, infused oils are quick and easy to make. Not only do they taste terrific, they also look beautiful in a glass bottle. An elegant addition to salad dressings, they are also great for drizzling over soups and vegetables, or for simply dipping bread into. Find small bottles with a tight cover. Wash your bottles with soap and hot water and allow them to dry completely before use. There are so many flavors you can experiment with to infuse oil: whole or ground spices, fresh herbs, citrus, and hot peppers are only a few examples. Once you’ve infused your oil, simply transfer to a small bottle, and attach a label. Check out the recipes below for inspiration.
Rosemary-infused olive oil (by Giada DeLaurentiis)
- 1 cup olive oil
- 5 or 6 fresh rosemary sprigs, washed and dried
- Cook 1 cup olive oil and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temp, about two hours.
- Transfer the sprigs to a bottle then add the oil and seal. Refrigerate up to 1 month.
Chili oil (by Giada DeLaurentiis)
- 1 cup of olive oil
- 4 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
- Combine the oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a heavy small saucepan. Cook over low heat until a thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 180 degrees F, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer to a bottle, seal and refrigerate up to 1 month.
Lemon olive oil (adapted from Martha Stewart)
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Zest of 4 lemons
- Combine oil and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool at room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer to a bottle, seal the lid and refrigerate up to 1 month.
Infused Salts
Flavor-infused salt can be used to boost the flavors of just about any dish. They are perfect for jazzing up salads, soups, and eggs, for seasoning meat before cooking it and for finishing off roasted vegetables. They are super easy to make and so much cheaper than their store-bought counterparts. The flavor combinations are almost endless, so be creative and have fun! Package them in a pretty jar, tie with a ribbon and attach a label.
Orange-Ginger Salt
- 1 cup kosher salt
- Zest of 4 oranges
- 2 teaspoons dried ginger
- Set oven to lowest heat. Place the zest on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and dry in the oven for 15 to 30 minuets. Once it’s fully dehydrated, mix well with the salt and ginger.
- Store salt in an airtight container. Let sit for a couple days to allow flavors to infuse. It keeps well for up to 3-4 months.
Herb-infused Salt
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 4 tablespoons fresh herbs (marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme)
- Set oven to lowest heat. Place herbs on parchment paper on a baking sheet and dry in the oven for 15 to 30 minutes. Once they are fully de-hydrated, combine herbs with salt and quickly pulse in a food processor. Avoiding pulverizing the salt.
- Store salt in small airtight containers. Let it sit for a couple days to allow flavors to infuse. It keeps well for up to 3-4 months.
Shiitake Mushroom Salt
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
- Finely process the shiitake mushroom in a food processor. Combine mushrooms and salt.
- Store salt in small airtight containers. Let it sit for a couple days to allow flavors to infuse. It keeps well for up to 3-4 months.
If you end up trying out one or more of these ideas, send us a picture at wholeu@uw.edu. We’d love to see your homemade gifts this year!