From:
Recipe Booklet How-To
A collection of holiday recipes, accompanied by a sweet sample, is a gift that will be appreciated for years. The cheery presentation adds to its appeal. Pass on your culinary traditions to friends.
Recipe Booklet How-To
1. To make one booklet, cover the exterior of a blank greeting card with patterned wrapping paper using a glue stick.
2. Remove the flap from an envelope that will accommodate 3-by-5-inch recipe cards.
3. Glue the front of the envelope to the inner right-hand side of the greeting card.
4. Stuff the envelope with recipe cards, printed by hand or on a computer.
5. Finish by affixing a label to the front of the booklet.
First Published: December 2004
From:
Quick Breads, Easy Presents
When done with a little flair, a small gesture is much more meaningful. Look, for example, at the quick bread. It takes almost no time to make -- quick breads don't require rising or kneading -- but can be a wonderful gift for a hostess or a neighbor.
Quick breads are quick because they're yeast-free; the batter is mixed and put straight into the oven, with baking soda, baking powder, or eggs to give it lift. (Baking powder should be no more than a year old; baking soda, however, will last about three years, as long as it's protected from humidity.) The result is something that seems more like cake than bread (think classic banana bread). The flavors, often sweet, can also be savory.
All are ideal gifts. They taste good and look good, particularly when prettily packaged. Offering quick breads to friends with such care is more than a small gesture. It is a personal one, showing the best sentiments of the season. Give one of these delicious homemade breads as a special holiday present:
Chocolate Marble Bread with Ganache
Carrot and Dried-Currant Muffins
Rosemary Cornbread
It's a Wrap
Try these simple packaging ideas -- they're as easy as the breads themselves. Present muffins in the tin they were baked in, with any drips wiped off, of course. Wrap it in a cellophane bag and then in linen with frayed edges; tie on a tag -- and the recipe if you like -- with twill tape. Bake cornbread in wooden molds, which then serve as gift boxes (they can't be reused for baking). Cover bread in cellophane, then put in a loaf box from a baking-supply store and wrap with loose-weave cotton fabric and sewing thread. Bake bread in a can and cover with rounds of waxed paper, then a round of tissue paper or striped cotton; the whole is neatly tied with waxed-linen thread.
First Published: December 2004
 Personalized BlendSpice up a gift of coffee by creating a distinctive flavor. Mix one or two teaspoons of cinnamon or nutmeg into a pound of freshly ground coffee beans; or scrape the seeds from four vanilla beans with a paring knife, and add them to a pound of coffee. For the best flavor, use a medium-bodied coffee, such as one from Kenya or Colombia. Scoop into a coffee bag with a coated lining, available at kitchen-supply stores. Finish with a ribbon and a decorative sticker. Download our sticker template.  From: Mulling SachetsThey're warmhearted gifts: spice bundles for hot cider. Cut cheesecloth into two 6-inch rounds; layer. In center, place 1/2-inch cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 2 pods cardamom, 4 black peppercorns, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves. Tie with twine. Set several in tin, and tie with bow and holly sprig. Adhere decorative label. First Published: December 2005  From: Popcorn TinsPack two kinds of homemade flavored popcorn in one bucket tin. Follow the recipes to make Macadamia Butter-Crunch Popcorn and Chocolate-Almond Popcorn. Purchase bucket tins at a home store. Then cut card-stock dividers to fit the diameter and height of the tins. Fill the containers by holding the divider in place and adding popcorn a handful at a time, alternating between the two flavors to keep divider from slipping. Finish with curled paper ribbon and gift tags. First Published: December 2004 |