gifts from the kitchen -- are you making any this year?

[grasswire]

This time of year when all the beautiful oranges come into the market I think about making candied orange peel for little holiday gifts. I haven't done it for a long time but oranges are 48 cents a pound this week.........

What do you make? When do you start?

[Warpy]

1. I used to bake for the neighborhood

but most of the people I liked the most have moved away.

I might still bake something for the neighbors on either side. They're still here and I still like them.

[supernova]

2. I probably will be doing something

I'm cash strapped this year, unemployed, so I will be looking to the kitchen to provide gifts and heat up the house. lol.

I've only begun to think about what I can make.

Candied orange peel is an interesting choice. I love the stuff.

edit: Other citrus sounds worth exploring, like lemon, lime, and grapefruit (too bitter?)

[katkat]

4. bake at night, use the furnace less n/t

[grasswire]

5. not too bitter!

People love candied grapefruit peel.

And a real cool thing to do is dip half of each piece in melted chocolate. Very pretty, and delicious.

The great thing is that the gift is made up of something that would just be discarded! LOL You get to eat the fruit itself.

One key is to choose fruits that have nice thick skin.

[surrealAmerican]

3. I'll be making cookies.

I'm thinking about trying to do some gluten-free varieties too this year for my relatives who have celiac.

[AwakeAtLast]

6. My husband's Aunt's (RIP) Sweet Potato Bread

They are PA Dutch. It is a fantastic recipe and makes three loaves per batch!

Unfortunately it is a family recipe that he doesn't want me to share. If I find something close on the net I will post a recipe.

Some people have already told me they can't wait until I bake it again!

[EFerrari]

8. I WANT that recipe!. I promise I'll print it out and eat it after I use it, too!

[AwakeAtLast]

14. OK, but don't tell - SHHHH!

The biggest reason I feel it's OK is because I reasearched online and there are many different versions. This just happens to be the best one! ;)

1 small can sweet potatoes (I use Bruce's yams), mashed (drain, save juice)
2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 C oil
2/3 C juice from sweet potato can, add water if needed
3 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugar & eggs until fluffy. Add oil and yam juice.
In separate bowl, sift dry ingredients, then add to creamed mixture.
Stir in yams.
Divide evenly between three loaf pans. Bake for 45-60 minutes.


***I have always had to bake it 55-60 minutes***

[EFerrari]

15. Thank you! I made my mom pumpkin bread for the first time

and she loved it. I bet she'll really this this recipe. (And the pumpkin bread took half an hour longer than the 50 minutes the recipe called for, both batches. Weird. :crazy:

[eleny]

7. I want to make biscotti

Probably ones with either dried cherries or dried cranberries inside. I can make them ahead and store in tight containers.

I've never made them before but am intrigued by the two step process. My aunt used to make them and said it was fun.

[Callalily]

9. Bicotti is really easy

to make. And a tip to speed up the baking process - after slicing the dough, stand the slices up on your baking sheet. That way both sides get bakes at the same time thus eliminating the step to "turn over and bake again". It does work, I always use this method now.

Happy baking.

[eleny]

11. Thanks for the tip!

[hippywife]

10. I used to practically kill myself in the kitchen

every holiday making all kinds of different cookies and fudge like my gran did, and mailing them to family and friends.

[EFerrari]

16. That was me but I did it because it was an escape from finals week

and from grading. There were cookie pans on every surface in the kitchen. It was a lovely way to skate through December.

On Christmas Day, my kids and their friends would assemble the gingerbread house which was always a California gingerbread house with lots of faults. They liked chocolate gingerbread and some of the candy even made it onto the structure. lol

[Paper Roses]

12. I make a great date nut bread every Christmas. There are many

people I would like to remember but cannot buy gifts for. I make the bread and deliver it a day or two before Christmas so it can be served on Christmas day. It is quick and easy.

Want the recipe? Just let me know.

[kfred]

17. Yes, please and thank you

Always looking for quick breads or muffins, not just for the holidays.

Currently in the throes of planning:

1. Take to T-Day dinner: two salads/fruit and 2 pumpkin pies
2. More formal dinner for 8 on Christmas Day.
3. Buffet Dinner for 20 who will hang out a while shortly after Christmas as in 2 days.

[Paper Roses]

18. Recipe will be posted down thread. n/t

OOps, posted as original, not awake yet.

[InternalDialogue]

13. For two years now I've been cooking for family gifts.

I come up with a short menu of entrees I can cook and freeze, then I let my family choose which they like. I've done chicken soup, chicken tikka masala, seafood gumbo, manicotti, and vegetable lasagna. The gifts end up being enough for a dinner for at least eight, and they're things I make almost all from scratch, so it's relatively cheap. The only drawback for me is keeping track of what everyone wants and scheduling my cooking so it's all done on time. Usually I have to start cooking two weeks ahead of time, trying to do one person's gift per night.