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Simple and Affordable Edible Holiday Gifts

I know. I know. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but I can’t help myself. When I noticed that my local market was having a sale on fresh cranberries I instantly thought of all of the homemade gifts I could make with them. I plan to stock up on the tart berries and make a few jars worth of Honey Cranberry Butter to give away as holiday gifts.

For me holiday gift giving begins this month. After all, who goes to a person’s house on Thanksgiving without taking a hostess gift? The following recipes are some of my favorite edible gifts. Not only are they a breeze to make, but also the ingredients are affordable, which is a huge bonus given these tough economic times.

HONEY CRANBERRY BUTTER

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries (Frozen cranberries may be used in place of fresh)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup prepared cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons ground walnuts

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Directions:

Whip butter until pale yellow. Add cranberries, honey, cranberry sauce, walnuts, milk and orange peel. Whip until light pink in color.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

HOLIDAY FUDGE

Ingredients:

3 cups (18 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Dash salt

1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Line 8 or 9-inch square pan with wax paper.

In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat, stir in nuts and vanilla.

Chill 2 hours or until firm.

Turn fudge onto cutting board, peel off paper and cut into squares.

Place in decorative tins or other holiday-themed containers and present to loved ones.

MONKEY BARS

Ingredients:

3 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups rolled oats

4 cups crispy rice cereal

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup peanuts

Directions:

Combine marshmallows, honey, butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Heat mixture over low heat, stirring constantly.

In a 9 by 13 baking pan, combine oats, rice cereal, coconut and peanuts. Pour warm honey mixture over dry ingredients. Mix until thoroughly coated. Pack mixture firmly into pan. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

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This entry was posted in Holiday Foods and tagged , , , , by Michele Cheplic. Bookmark the permalink.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.