7 Holiday Food Gifts & Recipes!
The holidays are a great time to share fun food gifts with friends and neighbors. These 7 Holiday Food Gifts & Recipes offer unique (and tasty!) ideas!
This post may contain paid links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
Tis the season for gifting treats. If you’re wondering what to make for friends and neighbors and want to be sure it’s a tried and true recipe, this selection from Food Network will do the trick! We were thrilled to hear from Food Network asking us to share their food gifts! “Of course”, we said. We love their recipes and these are no exception. So pick your fave + gift them up!
1. Caramel Apple Popcorn Clusters – While making traditional popcorn garlands, use leftover popcorn for this treat.
Caramel Apple Popcorn Clusters
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup popcorn kernels
- 4 cups dried apple chips broken into pieces
- 1 cup unsalted almonds roughly chopped
- 2 cups apple juice
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 tablespoon applejack or other apple brandy optional
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat the vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn kernels; cover and cook, shaking the pan, until the popping subsides. Remove from the heat and let any remaining kernels pop for 30 more seconds. Divide the popcorn between the prepared baking sheets, discarding any unpopped kernels. Scatter the apple chips and almonds on top.
- Make the caramel: Bring the apple juice, brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook without stirring until the mixture is deep amber and a candy thermometer registers 280 degrees F, about 30 minutes (the caramel will bubble vigorously toward the end of the cooking time).
- Stir the butter into the caramel until melted. Add 2 teaspoons salt and the apple pie spice. Add the applejack and cayenne, if using, and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Pour the hot caramel over the popcorn mixture and carefully toss with two rubber spatulas. Let cool slightly, then separate the mixture into clusters while still warm. Let cool completely.
2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge – A classic holiday treat! Easy to make too!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter softened, for brushing
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 cups peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with foil, pressing it into the corners and up the sides; leave an overhang on 2 sides. Brush the foil with butter.
- Combine 3/4 cup condensed milk, the chocolate chips and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Combine the remaining condensed milk, the peanut butter chips and a pinch of salt in a separate saucepan. Put both pans over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chips are melted and smooth.
- Spoon the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan, leaving spaces between the spoonfuls. Spoon the peanut butter mixture into the gaps. Brush an 8-inch square of parchment paper with butter and lay it directly on top of the fudge; press to flatten evenly and fill any gaps. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Lift the foil to remove the fudge from the pan and cut into 1-inch squares. Store up to 1 week in an airtight container.
3. Super Chunky Christmas Cookies – Combine the ingredients to these delicious Christmas cookies + gift them in a mason jar! You can even attach on these cute holiday gift tags!
Super Chunky Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup toasted shredded coconut
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
- ½ cup chopped cashews
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ¾ cup red and green M&M’s
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ liter glass jar
Instructions
- Beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1 stick butter with a mixer until fluffy.
- Beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Add the Super-Chunky Christmas Cookie mix and mix until well combined. Scoop big round cookies (about 2 heaping tablespoons each) onto a baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.
4. Ricotta Orange Pound Cake – This treat makes a delicious Christmas morning breakfast!
Ricotta Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more to grease the baking pan
- 1½ cups cake flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 orange zested
- 2 tablespoons amaretto
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with butter. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to blend.
- Using a mixer, cream the butter, ricotta and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla, orange zest and amaretto until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. To wrap, return to the pan and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
5. Chocolate Pretzels – If you have kids, this a great recipe to let them help with! Visit Food Network for the recipe.
6. Swirled Almond Apricot Bark – Barks are a great gift to give because they’re easy to make and you can add in your favorite flavors! Visit Food Network for this bark recipe!
7. Peppermint Mini-Marshmallow Bark – Last but not least, this bark is colorful and perfect for the holidays! Get the recipe here from Food Network!
Spiced® is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Programs and other affiliate services. This means that spicedblog.com receives a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and other sites at no cost to the readers.