BohoBeat: [Food + Drink] Homemade Holiday Gifts from the Kitch

Welcome to the final part of our sustainable, homemade holiday gifting series! Here are some of my favorite gifts to get (and give) for the holidays.

My overall advice with this stuff is to always go with things that are easy to package, like cookies and barks and not cupcakes with buttercream frosting. In most cases, those just make a big ol' mess and then whoever gets the messy gift will be all pissed off at you as the new year rolls around, and who wants that?

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies with Pecans

Start with GOOD white chocolate

Add pecans and cranberries at the finish

Package in a cute recycled basket

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or smart balance
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon brandy or vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the egg and brandy.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar/butter mixture.
4. Mix in the chocolate, cranberries, and pecans. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Take them out while they are still a bit doughy for the best results. Otherwise they tend to get a bit dry and no one wants that!

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread (you can gift this right in the bread pan). This recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar or Splenda

1/4 cup butter or Smart Balance

3 mashed bananas (the riper the better, but lessen the sugar if they're super ripe)

1 tbsp flax seeds

3 tbsp water

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk.

3. Place sugar and butter in a bowl. Beat until well-blended. Add banana, flax, water, and yogurt and beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed JUST until moist.

4. Microwave chocolate chips on High for 1 minute or until almost melted. Stir and let cool slightly.

5. Add 1 cup of the batter to the chocolate and stir until combined.

6. Spoon the chocolate batter alternately with the plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread pan. Swirl batters together with a knife.

7. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely.

MORE AFTER THE BREAK!

And some recipes that are not my own... And are therefore less awesome, but still passable. I kid!

Gingerbread cookies from the White House!