Giving baked goodies as gifts for the holidays is always a great idea. Everyone loves to indulge in a sweet treat, right? In an afternoon, I can create enough goodies to lavish treats on almost everyone on my gift list.
The only trick to delivering up plates filled with baked goodies to your loved ones is to select the right types of goodies. While those intricately decorated cookies at your local bakery are beautiful, you may not have enough time (or talent) to create those cookies by the dozens. In the interest of getting a many treats baked as you can, you have to incorporate quick and simple baked goods into your baking plan.
Mini Loafs – These pint-sized breads are always a treat. You can make an assortment of breads (pumpkin is my favorite) or stick with one type. Wrap each loaf in cellophane and adorn with a bow for a cute presentation.
Cupcakes – Like the mini loafs, cupcakes are super-easy to make. You can even opt to use Christmas-themed paper wrappers. If you are talented at cake decorating (and have the time) you can really go crazy embellishing these. If you don’t enjoy cake decorating, though, you can quickly frost the cupcakes. They’ll still taste wonderful.
Drop Cookies – Although I mentioned before that some cookies are a little too labor-intensive to make in bulk quickly, other types of cookies are perfect for batch baking. Cocoa drop cookies, for instance, are delightful. Chocolate chip cookies, snicker doodles, and peanut butter cookies are other varieties that you can churn out in a hurry. I like to stack these into piles of ten or twelve cookies and tie them up in a decorative cellophane bag.
Brownies – Before you think that brownies are too plain to make a festive gift, do a quick internet search of brownie recipes. You’re surprised, aren’t you? There are tons of different brownies recipes. Because they bake in a pan and slice up, they are easy to make in large batches, too. Just select a recipe or two that sounds interesting (if you can limit yourself) and get started. Personally, I can’t wait to try the Holiday Tree Brownies that I saw on BettyCrocker.com. A little green icing and some peppermint sticks turn these ordinary treats into something really special.
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Don’t forget, dogs love home baked goodies as well. Do you have any friends that have pets?
Under the topic of cookies, how about giving Carrot Cake Cookies a try? If you like Carrot Cake, they’re awesome.
Quite sure you can Google it and get a recipe. I just made them the other day, and they were fantastic. Its basically a carrot cake recipe turned into a cookie, with cream cheese icing in the middle.
Great for the holidays
Home made treats make a great gift and are a great way to spend less on this Christmas.
Home made treats make a great gift and are a great way to spend less on this Christmas. Kids especially love making treats for Granny, Daddy or whoever… and with a bit of fancy packaging can look just as good, if not better than bought. Here are a few more ideas http://thriftymums.com/story/make-your-own-tasty-christmas-gifts