Edible Christmas Gifts - Holiday Food Gifts

Last year I didn't get around to making jam until late summer. I missed the strawberry season and most of the raspberries too, but the abundant harvest from the apricot tree in my garden had me stirring pots of bubbling delicious aromatic fruit well into the scorching heat of late summer. I made at least 36 jars of jam, plus 16 jars of Apricot Chutney, and even more fruit found its way into the freezer for delicious desserts too.

Edible Christmas Gifts - Jams, Chutneys and Marmalade

This year I am better prepared and plan to make jams, chutneys and marmalades, especially as homemade food gifts at Christmas. The prettily decorated jars of glorious colour are cheery reminders of the summer harvest late into the darkening winter days. With their pretty paper and pinked fabric bonnets, tied neatly with festive ribbon and gift tags, frugal Christmas gifts of Jams, Chutneys and Marmalade are easy to make.

#FRUGAL TIP 1:
Freeze your fruity harvest...
then wait til the evenings draw in to stir your bubbling pots of loveliness, and you'll generate not only welcome warmth in your kitchen but the luscious scent will surpass any perfume an aromatherapy candle has to offer.

Edible Christmas Gifts - Toffees, Fudge and Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate truffles are the absolute simplest of edible Christmas gifts to make. Only three basic ingredients, good chocolate (70% cocoa solids) heavy cream and a little butter, melted together - cooled in the fridge, rolled into balls and then into your preferred topping.

Flavour them with liqueurs, fruit oils and dried fruits and pack into pretty boxes, bags or jars.

Edible Christmas Gifts - Cookies and Cakes

Bake your own decorated holiday cookies as:

• Truly personalized Christmas cards,
• place settings for your festive table,
• beautiful edible christmas tree ornaments and tree or stocking gifts,
• or use as personalized gift tags.

Alternatively give gifts of cookie dry ingredients weighed and measured, layered in pretty jars, together with recipe instructions attached. That's more than half the work done for your lucky recipient. Weighing out all the ingredients is the slog compared to the convenience of adding a couple of eggs and milk, spooning onto a baking sheet and popping into a hot oven. Not quite instant gratification, but it comes a close second.

Include individually wrapped cookies with piped icing messages in an 'Indulgence gift basket' for your lucky recipient to relish after the festive season when anti-climax post christmas blues set in. Be sure to tuck away one little gift basket for your own indulgence too!

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