Hostess gifts, a little something for a neighbor, stocking stuffers … the list goes on and on. What are your favorite little gifts for friends and family? A bottle of wine? A bouquet of flowers? How about something from your kitchen?
Everyone loves chocolate so luscious Chocolate Truffles, buttery Chocolate Almond Brittle or a jar of Death by Chocolate Sauce are sure winners.
Unless your family and friends prefer savory treats. If that’s the case, I’d go with olives. My Spicy Olives or Tapenade both make great gifts.
For the nuts in your life, you can’t go wrong with my favorite Roasted Almonds. For a change of pace you might want to try some Sugar & Spiced Pecans.
Whether you go for sweet, savory or a bit of crunch, don’t hesitate to make up big batches of these treats. You never know when a friend will call with a last minute invitation or a neighbor will stop by with some of her world-famous cookies.
Happy holidays and bon appétit!
Sugar & Spiced Pecans
These toasty nuts have just a touch of sweetness and spice.
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups pecan halves
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Put the salt, cumin, allspice, paprika and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Remove from the heat, add the pecans and toss to combine. sprinkle with the spices and toss to combine. Add the brown sugar and toss to combine.
Spread the nuts in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets lined with silicon mats or parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature and transfer to airtight containers. Store at room temperature.
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What are your favorite homemade gifts? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.
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Loved the snow flacks on the screen
For those who are into chocolate – what about chocolate covered spoons – melt chocolate, put it in a thick plastic bag and cut it in the end and then fill the spoons. Decorate it with M&Ms or little marshmallows and let it cool. When the chocolate hardened wrap each spoon with a cellophane bag and a colorful ribbon. This is a perfect thing to add to a hot cocoa mug…Yummy!
I usually put 6 wrapped spoons in a big mug and give it as a gift.
It is really easy to make and the feedback is great
Hello Gift Lady – Sounds like a fun idea. For a more elegant/grown-up option – a chocolate coffee bean instead of an M&M or mini marshmallow. Thanks for stopping by and your great suggestion. Happy holidays – Susan
Love the stack of boxes in the top photo.
S. – Red … my favorite color! Thanks for stopping by, S.
im trying out truffles this christmas!
Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! … Susan