295808 Tue Jan 20 12:41:45 -0800 2004 71 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1627120 Now that the holidays are just a memory, I'm wondering what any of you did about homemade food gifts this past holiday season, whether they were well received, and whether you would make them again. This summer, I canned dilled green beans (thank you, Nancy Berry), made bread and butter pickles, blueberry freezer jam, chile pepper vodka and jalapeno jelly. I gave these away for gifts, and all were well received. The blueberry jam was a little tricky to give as it had to remain frozen, but I gave it as hostess gifts at holiday gatherings. Many of these were mailed out of town and seemed very welcome. Nov 1st, I made a double batch of my mom's fruitcake, basted it with brandy and gave it away at Xmas time. I was REALLY careful as to who got these, as they have such a bad rep, but they are expensive to make. I got rave reviews from everybody but am especially proud of the comments I got from a friend in New Orleans and a friend in Macon, both of whom said they tasted like THEIR fmily recipes. This little Yankee girl considers that high praise, as I've observed that fruitcake is much more appreciated (or at least much less maligned) in the south. What I didn't get to:butter cookies made with Plugra (I'm using that for cooking now) and a delightful sounding cheese spread that I had planned to give in some pretty glass cups I found last summer. Anybody else care to share what worked? Tue Jan 20 12:41:45 -0800 2004 0 sudiepav 1 1627127 I did make food gifts, largely inspired by this board, but nothing as elaborate as you did. Everyone got ginger shortbread (Mark Bittman's shortbread recipe made with Plugra and chopped crystalized ginger), cocoa snowflakes (recipe from Penzeys catalog), and spicy rosemary cashews (made with huge, gorgeous cashews from Whole Food bulk section). People with dogs also got dog biscuits made with real beef and other goodies. Everyone claimed that (a) they fought over the cookies, (b) those were the best nuts they'd had and (c) their dogs now turn up their noses at regular dog biscuits. Mostly I think I have very nice (and possibly non-critical) friends but I must say, the whole exercise and resulting feedback were enormously satisfying. Tue Jan 20 13:49:41 -0800 2004 1627120 0 GretchenS 2 1627137 Would you mind sharing the rosemary cashew recipe? Or where you found it? Sounds delicious and addictive. Mardi Tue Jan 20 14:48:37 -0800 2004 1627127 0 mm 3 1627162 They are addictive -- you have been warned! Adapted from an old Ina Garten (pre-Barefoot Contessa) recipe. Spicy Rosemary Cashews 1 to 1 ¼ pounds cashews (I prefer lightly salted) 2 TB chopped fresh rosemary leaves ½ tsp cayenne (or more but this gives a nice kick) 2 tsp dark brown sugar 2 tsp kosher salt 1 TB melted butter Preheat oven to 375. Bake nuts on ungreased baking sheet for about 10 minutes, till warmed through. Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add warm nuts and toss until the nuts are thoroughly coated. Serve warm or store in tightly covered container. Tue Jan 20 16:10:34 -0800 2004 1627137 0 GretchenS 4 1627183 Thank you - and the provenance explained why my internet search was unsuccessful. I'm going to make them for a party I have to attend later in the month. I have some fresh rosemary left from this summer in the freezer. Tue Jan 20 17:40:53 -0800 2004 1627162 0 mm 2 1627139 GretchenS-- I had thought about making the cocoa snowflakes (I'm on the hunt for a good chocolate cookie recipe, and haven't found one). Tell me more about them. Were they reasonably straightforward to make? how did they taste? Thanks! Smokey Tue Jan 20 14:52:43 -0800 2004 1627127 0 smokey 3 1627161 They were very easy to make -- I am a total non-baker and was delighted with how easy they were and how they came out looking exactly like the picture. As to how they taste, I'll let you in on a secret -- I cannot abide chocolate so I never tasted them. (I did taste the dog biscuits and concluded I was glad I wasn't a dog. :) ) My friends said that they were very good with rich, chocolate-y taste (I bought the Penzeys cocoa which they say is better than the supermarket kind). Also I gave a few to my parents who are chocoholics and they thought they were heaven even when invited to be honest. Hope that helps. Tue Jan 20 16:07:27 -0800 2004 1627139 0 GretchenS 2 1627171 Wow! I'm so impressed by you all! I've made plenty of homemade gifts, but have never ventured further than tins of cookies and fudge in the "homemade food gifts" category. Well done. Gretchen, if you don't mind sharing, I would love ALL of your recipes, including the dog bisquit one. (I see you've posted the cashew one, already.) You may need to post the dog bisquit one on "Not about food", though... ~TDQ Tue Jan 20 16:43:58 -0800 2004 1627127 0 The Dairy Queen 3 1627277 I'll risk it here ;) Adapted and paraphrased from MacPherson's K-9 Cookbook, which came with cute, bone-shaped cookie cutters and a pile of good-looking recipes. Beat together 1 lb lean ground beef and 2 eggs, then gradually blend in 3 cups flour and 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats. Add 1 cup beef broth (or water but beef broth is better) and 1 tsp salt. I used an electric hand mixer and big mixing bowl for this. Divide in half and knead each half on floured surface for a couple of minutes. It's a little hard to work with but with a few sprinklings of flour got really nice and elastic. Roll out to about 1/4 inch, cut out with cookie cutters (or just cut into rectangles with a knife, not as cute but I suspect the dogs don't care). Put on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for an hour. The resident dog and 5 others of our acquaintance gave unqualified approval. Cocoa snowflakes recipe also posted. Shortbread was straight Mark Bittman from How to Cook Everything, using Plugra instead of regular butter and a small handful of chopped crystallized ginger. Enjoy! Wed Jan 21 11:30:02 -0800 2004 1627171 0 GretchenS 4 1627308 Thank you! Hey, I can't find where you posted the cocoa snowflakes recipe--I see where you've answered some questions, but no recipe. Am I overlooking something? ~TDQ Wed Jan 21 13:33:43 -0800 2004 1627277 0 The Dairy Queen 5 1627352 Uh oh, guess I need that brain transplant sooner than I thought! You're right of course. Here it is. Adapted and paraphrased from the Penzeys catalog. Their cocoa really is much richer than supermarket stuff so I highly recommend using it. Penzeys Cocoa Snowflakes makes about 48 5 TB Butter 6 TB Penzeys natural cocoa powder (theirs is indeed better) 1 cup sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 extra large eggs 1 cup all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for rolling cookies in) Melt butter over low heat, stir in cocoa till smooth. Remove from heat, blend in sugar. Scrape into large mixing bowl, add vanilla, then eggs one at a time, using electric mixer or whisk. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Cover and chill 2 hours or more, till dough is pretty firm. Preheat oven to 400. Grease cookie sheets. Roll dough into 3/4 inch balls, then roll in powdered sugar to coat completely. Put on cookie sheet 2” apart. Bake for 8 minutes, cool 1 minute, then remove from cookie sheet. Wed Jan 21 17:03:42 -0800 2004 1627308 0 GretchenS 6 1627361 Yum! Thank you! I wonder if these would be good rolled in peppermint candy bits instead of powdered sugar. I love that combo, peppermint candy and chocolate. ~TDQ Wed Jan 21 17:34:14 -0800 2004 1627352 0 The Dairy Queen 7 1627371 I don't think you'd want to roll them in peppermint candy before baking...peppermint candy meltdown mess! Epicurious has a really good recipe for fudgy choc. cookies with peppermint candy (the candy's in the dough, but you still get that little crunch). Link: http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=107523&kw=chocolate+peppermint&action=filtersearch&filter=recipe-filter.hts&collection=Recipes&ResultTemplate=recipe-results.hts&queryType=and&keyword=chocolate+peppermint Wed Jan 21 18:04:19 -0800 2004 1627361 0 Caitlin McGrath 8 1627374 Eeek! You're right! Certainly not before baking. I was thinking after baking...but, I'm multi-tasking, so maybe I didn't read the recipe carefully enough. But, I like your epicurious link! I shall cut and paste that recipe (along with all of the others I've been gleaning off of this thread--you are all so brilliant!) into the recipe section of my Palm Pilot for future reference. Yum. And thank you. ~TDQ Wed Jan 21 18:12:22 -0800 2004 1627371 0 The Dairy Queen 8 1627462 Actually, my favorite Christmas cookie recipe (out of a Mr. Food cookie recipe book) involves rolling the dough balls in a mixture of crushed candy canes (or peppermint candies) and white sugar, then baking. If you use parchment, and take them off the baking pan as soon as they come out of the oven, they come off easily and the candy hardens to a nice shell as it cools... Yum. I've never had a problem with cleaning up. Thu Jan 22 10:38:59 -0800 2004 1627371 0 klumppilston 4 1627375 Extras (if any!) must be refrigerated, right? Wed Jan 21 18:17:09 -0800 2004 1627277 0 Sarah 5 1627476 The recipe says that they will keep up to 3 weeks in a covered container (not refrigerated). Since they come out hard and crunchy I guess the beef is sort of preserved -- kind of like jerky? No one who received them reported any left after a few days, anyway. One friend reported that his dog refused other biscuits for days, hoping to get more of the good ones. :) Thu Jan 22 11:41:36 -0800 2004 1627375 0 GretchenS 2 1627181 I would love to have he dog biscuit recipe, or at least the source -- to make for the family dogs, of course! Tue Jan 20 17:34:23 -0800 2004 1627127 0 Sarah 1 1627131 Congratulations to you for keeping the fruitcake tradition alive! I'm always so glad to hear about other folks who appreciate what I consider to be the ultimate handmade food gift for Christmas: homemade fruitcake. I sent out cookie boxes as usual -- it consisted of: butter caramels chocolate butter fudge cornflake/marshmallow wreaths (dyed green with redhots) shortbread eggnog cookies molasses cookies jam-filled butter cookies (Cook's Illustrated new recipe -- not a huge triumph taste-wise but okay, and pretty-looking) These went over well, but they always do, as my list demands favorites from my "greatest hits" list every year. I'm lucky if I get to add one new cookie (the Cook's Illustrated jam-filled) a year, since any cookie that arrives as new takes the place of an old favorite, according to my gift list! Other favorites in the past have included: finska kakor (not a huge favorite among non-Scandinavians, but one of my favorites) Pariswaffer spritz cutout sugar cookies decorated with royal icing (one of my least favorites, but kids like them) feenekya I'm glad your gift list was appreciative this year! Tue Jan 20 14:11:01 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Mrs. Smith 1 1627134 I made bourbon balls to ship to some friends -- I used Bookers bourbon, and one friend said they were the best bourbon balls he'd ever had. I also made some liqueurs this year. I made coffee liqueur (one of the best I made), cranberry liqueur (very tasty and a beautiful color) and pear liqueur (too sweet, I thought; some people liked it). Tue Jan 20 14:30:02 -0800 2004 1627120 0 AndieCat 2 1627141 Holy cow, Booker's for cookies! Well, they better be good! Care to share the recipe??? Tue Jan 20 15:10:00 -0800 2004 1627134 0 Sir Gawain 3 1627158 Here it is! I experimented quite a bit before settling on this version. My insights on some recipes are: often they call for too much sugar, confectioner's sugar works less well than regular, the problem with regular sugar is it may not dissolve properly (the trick is adding the sugar to the hot just-melted chocolate and adding well until all sugar is dissolved), any nuts work (just a matter of taste). Using good chocolate and liquor does matter:) My Bourbon Balls 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 1/3 to 1/2 c sugar (to taste) 3 tbs light corn syrup 1/2 c Booker's bourbon 3/4 c finely chopped pecans 10 oz crumbs of vanilla wafers 1 tsp vanilla extract Melt chocolate in the microwave, add sugar, mix well. Add corn syrup, bourbon, vanilla and mix. In another bowl mix crumbs and nuts, add the chocolate mix. Mix well. Form into balls; roll in coconut flakes or confectioner's sugar. Store in the fridge in a closed container. Best after 3 days of sitting. Tue Jan 20 15:58:57 -0800 2004 1627141 0 AndieCat 1 1627136 For once, I was able to actually get myself to plan ahead and began a beautiful batch of Limoncello (based upon a Lori Longbotham recipe)in October. In addition to unadulterated Absolut, I also threw in some Absolut mandarin that I had in the house. The little bit of orange gave the batch a welcome floral quality. Since the only part of the lemon utilized is the rind, I made certain to use only organic lemons. I filled and capped slender eau de vie-type bottles and ordered pretty labels in a deep green to compliment the vibrant yellow liquor for adornment. Also made cookie boxes - thanks to whoever steered me to the Wms-Sonoma ones. Into the boxes went florentines, a buttery shortbread diamonds topped with apricot jam and almonds, linzers, a Claudia Fleming rich chocolatey number, and a generous helping of incredible sweet-hot mixed nuts from the Jimtown cookbook.Recipients of one or both homemeade gifts were very pleased. Tue Jan 20 14:47:00 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Heidi Claire 1 1627140 During the year I make preserves from fruit as it comes in season and then give them away as gifts for Christmas. This year I picked up some very good strawberries, wild blueberries, native nectarines, and pomegranates, so I had plenty to give away and still keep one of each for myself. The strawberry was the best, probably because of how local the berries were. Tue Jan 20 15:01:19 -0800 2004 1627120 0 minsc 1 1627145 I too was largely inspired by this board to send cookie boxes to friends and family. Instead of the William Sonoma boxes, though, I used holiday tin boxes which worked quite well and realized that they don't have to be very big to hold a dozen or two cookies. Mainly I sent shortbread cookies (a basic recipe out of Fannie Farmer cookbook) which were delicious and molasses cookies which were also great. People said that they ate them as soon as they arrived in the mail. It also made me realize that many people don't bake and so they really appreciate baked goods at Christmas. I made a ton of spritz cookies (using the recipe from Betty Crocker's Cooky book) and these disappeared almost immediately from the goodie plate I took for Christmas Eve. But I think that what made me the happiest was my 7 year old nephew's enthusiasm and appreciation for a fudgey type confection called Fudge Meltaways. They have a graham cracker/coconut/chocolate bottom, topped with butter icing and then spread with unsweetened chocolate. I too loved them as a child and started making them several years ago. To me they're the essence of Christmas; if my Christmas consisted of nothing but these treats, they alone would transport me back to the Christmases of my childhood. I'm just thrilled that I'm now passing that tradition down to the next generation. Tue Jan 20 15:19:42 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Ann Vuletich 2 1627149 Fudge meltaways completely rock! I take it you're using the Betty Crocker recipe. Ah, you are reminding me of my childhood, too. Why didn't I make those this Christmas -- Yum! Tue Jan 20 15:31:10 -0800 2004 1627145 0 Mrs. Smith 3 1627152 Any chance of getting that fudge meltaway recipe? Tue Jan 20 15:44:48 -0800 2004 1627149 0 micki 4 1627168 I'll try to remember to bring it in and post it. Tue Jan 20 16:36:58 -0800 2004 1627152 0 Ann Vuletich 3 1627167 Mrs. Smith, you slay me! I don't think I've ever run into anyone else who has heard of fudge meltaways! Yes, it is from the Betty Crocker Cooky book although I've always used my mother's recipe transcribed for my own use until this year when I discovered the recipe in a vintage copy of that book. I loved finding that book because, among other things, it gave the recipe for Russian teacakes which, again, I had never heard referred to by that name (they're usually called Mexican wedding cakes.) My mother was the only one who used the other name. But when I found both recipes in the B.C. book, I realized that that was the book that she had used way back when. How nostalgic!! The one thing about these treats, as I'm sure you know, is that the crust has a raw egg in it. These days, that would likely turn a lot of people off. But I always store them in the refrigerator, and it is only one little egg, so I don't worry about it. Also, to my knowledge, no one who has eaten them (including myself who has eaten much more than my fair share) has gotten sick. Tue Jan 20 16:36:08 -0800 2004 1627149 0 Ann Vuletich 4 1627208 We've got a party then. A lovely, older neighbor of ours when I was a kid gave me this book and this is the one receipe I made over and over and over. This poor paperback cookbook is seriously beat up with many years of use. I thought about making them this year while I was home for Christmas but we've always got way too much food and I went with Almond Rocca instead. I was amazed to find, when I moved to the Pacific Northwest, that there was something called a Nanimo Bar that's very similar. Tue Jan 20 18:56:28 -0800 2004 1627167 0 SandraV 5 1631005 I am looking for a receipe for Nanimo Bars. Can you help? AFM Sat Jul 09 12:42:41 -0700 2005 1627208 0 Antoinette MacDonald 6 1631006 Nanaimo Bar recipe. Link: http://www.tourism.nanaimo.bc.ca/hungry.php?page=48&article=97 Sat Jul 09 14:57:38 -0700 2005 1631005 0 wally 1 1627146 Being that I was financially challenged this year, homemade food gifts were the rule. They were so well received that no one felt slighted. These are the things I made, but not everyone got everything (I happily mixed and matched): Classic Fruitcake (makes converts every year) Dulce de Leche Strawberry Conserve (made over the summer) Mango Butter (ditto) Macadamia Toffee Java Almond Cookies Deep Chocolate Sablées Hazelnut Cardamom Cookies Classic Spritz Cookies (piped in long, elegant fingers) I had on hand a lot of packaging material from richer times – clear cellophane bags tied with chiffon ribbon for the cookies and candy, the preserves were put up in 10-oz. hex jars with silver-tone lids, the brandy-soafed fruitcakes carefully wrapped in cling-wrap and pretty tissue paper. Since I'm a graphic designer, I took the time to design and print color labels for everything. I have to say, the whole exercise (and it took a LOT of time) was much more rewarding than hours spent pissing away money in stores. Tue Jan 20 15:20:44 -0800 2004 1627120 0 GG Mora 2 1627148 I agree -- I so dread those trips to stores to buy things for people that I'm generally not sure that they will like. My husband has ceased feeling sorry for me slaving for hours baking and wrapping in the kitchen singing away with the Christmas-music station because he knows how much I love it now. It's definitely one of my favorite things at Christmastime. I do have a question for you GG -- I've always wondered: what is a conserve? How does it differ from a jam, a preserve, or fruit confit/confiture? How do you define the difference, and how do you make your conserve? Preserve-making is a new field for me (I grew up in a household that abhorred canning) and the only preserving I've ever done is the Sure-Jell "freezer jam" that we made from wild strawberries. It was very good because it wasn't cooked, and the pristine wild and totally fresh state of the fruit could make any jam good, but it wasn't ever the "real thing" because my mother hated "canning" so much. I still love that strawberry "freezer jam" but would love to know a more sophisticated way to preserving. I've yet to buy a preserving book, and would also love any recommendations for one. Also, must I have a big unlined copper pot for it, or can I wing it? I won't ever have access here in California to the wild strawberries and blueberries that my mother can get (hardwon with bugbites and scratches) in Minnesota, but maybe if I learn the techniques out here on some good local organic berries, some summer I can go home and truly preserve that amazing fruit with my mom. (As I dream of summer fruits here in January....) Tue Jan 20 15:29:35 -0800 2004 1627146 0 Mrs. Smith 3 1627166 Two wonderful books that include information on canning as well as tried and true recipes are FANCY PANTRY by Helen Witty and PUTTING FOOD BY by Hertzberg, Vaughan & Greene. The former is out of print but still available at Amazon. The latter is in it's umpteenth revised edition (mine is the third, published in 1983). Both are classics. The Witty book has a recipe for ginger marmalade that sends me off to Chinatown at the beginning of every summer in a search for stem ginger. PUTTING FOOD BY, at least the version I have, is a bit more old fashioned in terms of the recipes than FANCY PANTRY, but somewhat stronger in explanations and technique. Tue Jan 20 16:27:02 -0800 2004 1627148 0 JoanN 4 1627340 I can add my enthusiastic vote for Fancy Pantry. I've made at least twenty recipes from that book, and almost every one has been a winner. The only problem is that each time I try a new recipe, it becomes someone else's must-have favorite, so now I spend half the summer in a hot kitchen. Strongest recommendations for the Peach Jam with Rum and Brown Sugar, the Apricot Preserves (I add a little Wild Turkey), the Wild Blueberry Jam and the Hot and Spicy Banana Ketchup. I also have Putting Food By. It makes a better reference text, but the recipes are less inspiring. The canning funnel, rack, and jar-lifter are cheap essentials. I yearn for a big copper preserving pan, but have yet to afford one. I think that there is a new version of Fancy Pantry in print under a different title, but can't remember what the title is. You could look under Helen Witty on Amazon. Wed Jan 21 16:08:59 -0800 2004 1627166 0 curiousbaker 5 1627353 On this board's recommendation, I just ordered a used copy from Amazon for around $7.00. I just did a search for Fancy Pantry, and up popped the title. It is out of print, but there are used copies available. I am looking forward to this. Can you recommend any other recipes you have made from this book? Thanks! Wed Jan 21 17:06:23 -0800 2004 1627340 0 dawnie2u 3 1627176 You know, there are probably sticklers who could give you a precise definition of the difference between jam, preserve, conserve and confiture, but I think of them as interchangeable terms. I call my strawberry stuff Conserve because that's what the recipe called it! I toss the cleaned whole berries in a big bowl with sugar (I do them a flat at a time) and let them sit for three days. Then I bring everything to a boil with a bit of lemon juice and pour it back into the bowl and let it sit for another day. Then I bring it to a boil and can it. At least that's how I recall the recipe. I could look it up if you're interested. The result is lovely big whole berries in a brightly flavored syrup. In fact, there's usually a lot of excess syrup that I put up separately for use on ice cream and pancakes. Mmmm. The two books I prize for preserving are Simply Sensational Preserves by Hillaire Walden (great recipes and great instruction for learners) and Preserving the Taste by Edon Waycott (excellent recipes). How grows the baby, Mrs. Smith? Tue Jan 20 17:20:56 -0800 2004 1627148 0 GG Mora 4 1627184 Thank you! This "conserve" or whatever it's called sounds FABULOUS. That's my idea of heaven -- whole strawberries swimming in their own sauce. What a treat. Did it hard-set (like it would keep it's shape on a spoon) or was it soupy? Either way it sounds divine. I'll check out those books, too. Baby Smith grows well and kicks a lot, thanks! He also eats a lot -- I eat as much as my stomach can hold every day and still can't gain a pound. It's pretty much a chowhounder's dream. I'm enjoying this while it lasts :) Tue Jan 20 17:41:21 -0800 2004 1627176 0 Mrs. Smith 5 1627250 The conserve is not at all hard-set. That's part of its luxury. I scoop whole berries out of the jar and mash them on toast or biscuits and then drizzle on some of the syrup. FWIW, I bought a big jar of Smucker's strawberry jam for my step-daughter's PBJ sandwiches – she was tearing through my conserve supply at an alarming rate. The Smucker's was used once and sits in confinement at the bottom of the fridge. I introduced Isabel (step-D) to my apple butter and it seems to be an acceptable substitute. I have quite a bit more of it, and it's much easier to make... Wed Jan 21 08:19:33 -0800 2004 1627184 0 GG Mora 4 1627201 Have you ever tried the Meyer Lemon Marmalade from Waycott's book? I have twice now and each time it comes out exceedingly bitter -- which I assume comes from the fact that she has you leave some of the pith on as the lemons tasted fine. Very disappointing, though. Tue Jan 20 18:44:41 -0800 2004 1627176 0 zoe 5 1627244 I've made Meyer lemon marmalade using the whole fruit and it wasn't bitter. However, my recipe calls for soaking the thinly sliced lemons over night. Perhaps that leaches out the bitterness. Wed Jan 21 02:00:37 -0800 2004 1627201 0 Ruth Lafler 5 1627251 Yes, I did make it once. I don't recall that it was terribly bitter, though. Wed Jan 21 08:20:55 -0800 2004 1627201 0 GG Mora 3 1627180 Mrs. Smith, I'm thinking of venturing into the world of jam as well, but I think a good first step is chutney (there's less fear that it won't jell). I made a pear and cranberry chutney last year for Christmas, and a spiced pumpkin chutney this year all for myself. And I canned it in the dishwasher, which is probably a bad thing but did seal the jars. Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/amuses Tue Jan 20 17:33:09 -0800 2004 1627148 0 Caitlin Wheeler 4 1627223 This was my logic as well, so I started out with chutney. In addition to other resources, I got a copy of the Ball Blue Book, which gives a lot of basic canning instruction; I simply extrapolated from the water bath times in similar recipes in that book to figure out how long to process my conserve (basically a fancified cranberry sauce) and chutney. I did do it traditionally, using my largest/deepest pot and a round baking rack in lieu of special equipment (I did buy a pair of jar tongs, though, which definitely made life easier). Tue Jan 20 21:29:30 -0800 2004 1627180 0 Caitlin McGrath 5 1627253 Thanks for reminding me. About halfway thru my canning forays, I pictured those special canning tongs my mom had. There I was wrestling with jars of pickles with my skinny tongs...the quarts were especially hazardous. I didn't get burned, nor did I lose a jar, but I had a lot of "touch and go" moments in the process. I am beginning to collect canning information and found the lack of it quite surprising. My mom used to can a lot, and I remember it quite fondly, from goingto the farmer's market for produce, the boiling cauldrons, the "pings" of the jars on the counter as they sealed themselves, and the jewel-like jars on the shelf in the cellar, waitingto be consumed during a long, cold winter. I'm going to do more canning next summer, so this winter, I'm going to gather more information (I found pre 1975 cookbooks had the most info, as well as county and university extension agencies) as well as buy those tongs! Wed Jan 21 08:57:00 -0800 2004 1627223 0 sudiepav 6 1627262 The tongs and the wide-mouth canning funnel, which probably cost $5 combined, make a huge difference in the ease of canning. Wed Jan 21 10:37:53 -0800 2004 1627253 0 Caitlin McGrath 4 1627236 Another easy one is crabapple jelly. Find a neighbour with a crabapple tree and make friends with them before next September. Make sure it's a proper crabapple tree, and not an ornamental one. Come September, the owner of the tree will be happy to give you bags of crabapples, just to get rid of them. Crabapples have tons of natural pectin, and if you can't get jelly from them, you're just not trying. My mother used to mix dripped crabapple juice or quince juice with that of other fruits, as they contain so much natural pectin that they help other fruit preserves gel. Transparents (small, yellow apples) also make beautiful jelly and applesauce. My best batch of both, ever, was made from transparents. I sweeten my applesauce with brown sugar, as I like the flavour better. Wed Jan 21 00:14:50 -0800 2004 1627180 0 Colleen 2 1627164 GG -- I couldn't agree with you more. I too found the whole thing, including packaging things beautifully, to be infinitely more satisfying than the shopping I've done in the past. Tue Jan 20 16:18:26 -0800 2004 1627146 0 GretchenS 2 1627281 I'd love to know more about the Mango butter. Wed Jan 21 11:46:52 -0800 2004 1627146 0 Abbylovi 3 1627372 You're in luck -- or maybe I'm the one who's in luck. I took the time to post the recipe back in May: No, I don't mean the stuff from Body Shop that you slather on after a bath. This is pure nectar of the Gods.   Faced with a box of mangoes that were about to go around the bend, I went a-hunting for jelly/jam/preserve/chutney recipes. I found many excellent candidates, but the one that blew my skirt up was a recipe from Hilaire Walden for Mango Butter. The end product is the epitome of what one hopes for on opening a jar of jam.   I did not follow the recipe exactly, so I post my own version here without fear of recrimination from the Paraphrase Police.   MANGO BUTTER (makes about 8 cups) NOTE: Because this recipe is not terribly pectin-dependent, it can be halved or doubled without endangering the outcome.   5 lbs. very ripe mango pulp, roughly chopped 1 1/4 c. tangerine juice 1 1/4 c. lemon juice 5 c. sugar (I use the less-processed evaporated cane juice) 2 tsp. cardamom pods   Put the mango pulp and the juices in a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot (I use an 8-qt. All-Clad stockpot) and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Lower heat and simmer, stirring often, until you have something that resembles a thin, chunky apple sauce. The pieces of mango should be very soft, and there shouldn't be any liquid pooling on top.   While the mango pulp is cooking, toast the cardamom pods in a small skillet until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Grind to a fine powder in a mortar & pestle or spice mill. Strain out any long fibers that remain.   Work the cooked pulp through a fine seive (I took the time and effort to do this, though on reflection I think a food mill with a very fine screen would work just as well and tire you out less).   Return the pulp to the pan (which you will have cleaned, yes?) and add the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often, then lower the heat and cook until the mixture is the consistency of soft whipped cream. Between stirrings, a "skin" will begin to form on top. This is good -- this is what the mango butter will look like once it cools.   Ladle the mixture into hot, sterilized jars, seal and process for 10 minutes in a water bath canner. Alternatively, pack it into any clean containers you have on hand (none metallic, though) and give it to friends and family right away so that it's their responsibility to use it up before it has a chance to go bad. Keep plenty for yourself, though.   The flavor of this stuff is bright and fruity and not overly sweet. Cardamom is the perfect complement to the spicy bouquet of mangoes. I've so far spread it on buttered white sourdough toast (and eaten plenty right off a spoon), but I believe it would be exquisite on fresh biscuits or croissants. Wed Jan 21 18:05:12 -0800 2004 1627281 0 GG Mora 1 1627153 I spent November making bourbon balls, shortbread, fruitcake, fudge, and Pfeffernusse. I got stuck on a huge project in December, and didn't get to mail any of it except the fruitcake to my grandmother. She was very appreciative, and my secretary liked the fudge. I still have a few observations: 1) Chocolatey things tend to go over better (at least to the people I served them to) than fruity/spicy things. I, however, love the fruity/spicy things. 2) I used Saveur's recipe for classic fruitcake. It was good, but the ratio of fruits to cake was too high, and it fell apart. Last year I used Delia Smith's recipe, and it held together much better and was better at developing the fruitcake texture. I also prefer brandy to rum or Scotch (although I did use inferior scotch that tasted like bourbon) to cure the fruitcake. 3) You really can get everything done ahead of time. My mother gave me a jar of homemade jam made from the fruits left over from our wedding. I love it, and don't want to eat it, but it's calling to me. Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/amuses Tue Jan 20 15:45:55 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Caitlin Wheeler 2 1627173 You know, I used the Saveur Classic Fruitcake recipe last year and had the same problem. When I made it this year, I chopped the fruits finer and I chopped the nuts (not called for in the recipe); I also added an extra half-cup of flour, as last year's seemed a little damp. The cakes held together nicely, and sliced cleanly with a very sharp serrated knife (with a slow and careful but firm sawing motion). Other changes I made to the recipe were substituting dried cranberries for the candied cherries and dried pineapple for candied (I couldn't find HQ of either & didn't want to "cheapen" the cakes). I also added 3 TBSP of finely ground espresso roast beans instead of the powdered espresso. The cakes were excellent. Tue Jan 20 17:08:07 -0800 2004 1627153 0 GG Mora 3 1627179 Thanks for the tips on texture. I actually made a few fruit substitutions -- I don't like glaceed cherries, so I added some other chopped dried fruit and some glaceed pears. I also added finely ground beans instead of the powdered espresso, but I wasn't a huge fan of the coffee flavor, even though it was slight. I might go out on a limb again next year and try a recipe from the NYT cookbook. I also think fruitcake is better if topped with marzipan in the tradition of the English Christmas Cake, but then I love marzipan. Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/amuses Tue Jan 20 17:30:09 -0800 2004 1627173 0 Caitlin Wheeler 1 1627157 I canned for the first time this year (didn't intimidate me much, though, because a) my mother canned applesauce/jam/chutney/pickles through my childhood, and b) I wasn't making jam or preserves that might be vexing to a first-timer). I made a warm spice-infused cranberry/peach conserve and a spicy persimmon chutney, both of which were well received. I also made a really good dried apricot liqueur and a vin d'orange (fortified red wine flavored with roasted dried orange peels), both of which I think are great and which were also well received. I did some Christmas cookies and treats, too, but they weren't so much for gift giving as for sharing with visitors. Tue Jan 20 15:58:51 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Caitlin McGrath 2 1627188 What proportion of wine to orange peel? I'm curious about what you use the orange wine for, sounds good for duck. Tue Jan 20 17:59:15 -0800 2004 1627157 0 bryan 3 1627222 My main use of the vin d'orange has been as an aperitif (chilled). I hadn't thought about using it in savory cooking, but for pouring over freshing fruit or poaching fruit in. It certainly could work with duck. It's slightly sweet and has an aroma that's fruity and floral, and a flavor with a hint of caramel. Here's the recipe (paraphrased from "The Glass Pantry," by Georgeanne Brennan; she says it's based on an old provencal beverage). 1 bottle (750 ml) fruity, dry red wine, pref. California Zinfandel. 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup vodka peels of 4 large or 6 small oranges (pref. organic), scrubbed and air dried Combine wine, sugar, and vodka in a large sterilized jar. Stir vigorously or shake occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Roast orange peels on a baking sheet at 300 degrees until they are just golden inside and deep orange outside, 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool. Add to wine in jar; cover and store in a cool, dark place for at least a month, but preferably 2 or 3 months. Strain and pour into sterilized wine bottle or other bottles. Use within a year. Tue Jan 20 21:23:37 -0800 2004 1627188 0 Caitlin McGrath 4 1627230 Thanks for the recipe Caitlin. Sounds like a red Lillet. Am going to try and make this soon and use some for a sauce for duck breast. Will report back. Tue Jan 20 23:02:44 -0800 2004 1627222 0 bryan 5 1627231 Please do! You've inspired me to try the same sometime. Tue Jan 20 23:14:02 -0800 2004 1627230 0 Caitlin McGrath 4 1627264 Oops - that should be 3/4 cup sugar, not 1 cup! Wed Jan 21 10:39:55 -0800 2004 1627222 0 Caitlin McGrath 1 1627163 I made the apricot, cranberry and walnut bread recipe from "The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking" for my daughter's preschool and Sunday School teachers, as well as a few neighbors. Somehow I lucked out and fresh apricots were on sale the week I made it. It is a fabulous and moist quickbread, and somewhat unusual (in a good way)in its combination of flavors. The hardest part was not eating an entire mini-loaf in one sitting. According to the notes in the book, the priest's aunt persuaded a cook on the Queen Mary (Queen Elizabeth?) to give her the recipe. Tue Jan 20 16:12:33 -0800 2004 1627120 0 MkeLaurie 1 1627165 I forgot (or repressed) the other homemade food gift I made. My father has decreed that he only wants consumable presents from now on -- has too many things, he says. Problem is, he's very picky. So once I bought a bottle of insanely expensive single malt Scotch, all I could come up with was to make him the Duck Terrine from the James Peterson Glorious French Food cookbook. I believe I have posted about this recipe before. It is heaven but the most labor-intensive thing I have ever made, by a long shot. Anyway, I labored through it, and darned if he didn't think it was the best thing I ever gave him. Rats -- I think I'm stuck making it every year from now on! Hopefully the pain will have faded by next December, leaving only the glow of accomplishment.... Tue Jan 20 16:25:55 -0800 2004 1627120 0 GretchenS 2 1627185 Nah, next time forget the labor and just give him the Scotch. I have the same problem with my father, but he complains that what we bring or make, no matter how tasty, is too calorie laden. So now we just buy him a bottle of good and pricey Scotch (which he will not buy for himself, but is happy to drink once it's in the house). Tue Jan 20 17:45:26 -0800 2004 1627165 0 mm 1 1627169 I'll play! I bought pounds of almonds from Bazzini and toasted them in batches in a skillet with cumin, sugar, and red pepper flakes. The fun part was packaging them. We had a nice assortment of glass jars that we presented them in. I included the recipe handwritten on brown kraft paper that I had laminated and hole-punched and tied to the jar with a festive ribbon. Tue Jan 20 16:39:08 -0800 2004 1627120 0 hellkatte 1 1627213 My tried-and-true food gifts are curried almonds and orange walnuts (walnuts coated in orange fondant). Both recipes are super easy and make good hostess gifts -- who can't use more nuts during the party season? The curried almonds make a nice change of pace from the overload of sweets, and are good for people on low-carb diets. I used to make a lot more candy, but people seem to like the nuts just as well, they take a fraction of the time and are easier to package in a nice box, jar or tin. I also helped my Mom make Meyer lemon thyme marmalade (a prize-winning recipe from the SF chowhound picnic -- thanks for both the recipe and the marmalade making lesson, Shellfood!), but I don't know how it went over. Tue Jan 20 19:15:10 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Ruth Lafler 1 1627215 I made spaghetti sauce, bought a bag of noodles and a loaf of garlic bread; then got two movie passes. Put it all in a basket: Dinner and a movie! They loved it. And not at all expensive. Tue Jan 20 19:33:08 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Momma 2 1627315 clever! Wed Jan 21 14:20:09 -0800 2004 1627215 0 GretchenS 1 1627216 I loved reading everyone's responses and will draw upon them for next year's packages. This year, for the first time, I made gift boxes for my husband's clients and they absolutely flipped over them. People are just not wowed by corporate logo pen sets (or really any purchased gift) anymore. It just blew people away that I baked and packaged goodies for them. I used great burgundy topped, green and burgundy striped video storage boxes for the packages, tied with gorgeous green wired satin ribbons. Each box had a canister of Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix and two packages of homemade marshmallows - one vanilla and one pink peppermint. I made both maple walnut and chocolate fudge. The cookies were chocolate crackle cookies, coconut sesame cookies (from Martha's web site), Hello Dollies, cranberry rugelach, and chocolate chip pistachio biscotti. Each kind of cookie was tied in a bag with burgundy raffia (I used corsage bags). I have already scooped up round, gilded boxes in graduated sizes on clearance at IKEA for next year. I am picturing towers of three of four boxes stacked high and tied with a big bow. Maybe gourmet s'more fixings (back to those ymmy marshmallows) or a Christmas pudding in one box and hard sauce in a smaller one topped with a Christmas cracker. So many posibilities! Tue Jan 20 19:41:26 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Junoesq 2 1627252 That sounds fabulous. How can I become one of your husband's clients? :-) How did you flavor/color your peppermint marshmellows? I think I need to make some of those for myself before the hot chocolate season is over. My cookie selections this year were: Apricot butter cookies (Gourmet) Date balls Wedding cookies Cranberry turtle bars (Gourmet) Chocolate dipped cranberry & pistachio biscotti Wed Jan 21 08:39:52 -0800 2004 1627216 0 danna 1 1627228 As always, I enjoyed making and sending out my mom's fruit drop cakes--they are like little individual fruit cake cookies, and even my fruit cake haters love them. (Especially with our home grown pecans included!) Also as always, DH made a big batch of his granddad's chocolate cream candies, which never last long. I like to make the cranapple-walnut cake (substitute pecans) from the Moosewood Cookbook and cut it into small squares, and that disappeared quickly, too. The new addition this year was that cocoa and creamcheese bar recipe from the Penzeys catalog. Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed by them, and probably won't make them again. But DH took the whole batch to work, and only two came home! Tue Jan 20 22:50:30 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Zorra 1 1627248 I never really understood how my food gifts were appreciated until I couldn't go home last year for Christmas and my siblings offered to pay the postage to get their cookie boxes. My boxes contained both cookies and candies. The cookies were apricot foldovers, champagnebrod (a spritz cookie filled with apricot preserves), lemon stars, thumbprint cookies, macademia lime cookies and chocolate espresso biscotti. The candies were almond buttercrunch, white chocolate craisin pistachio bark, candied grapefruit, lemon and orange rinds and chocolate macademia caramels. I also gave Union Square bar nuts and caramel corn. I make vast quantities of caramel corn which we give to all the teachers at my husband's school. I am a canner and in addition to the cookies and candies I send out my list of products to my family. They pick what they want or need and they pick it up at Thanksgiving. Wed Jan 21 05:53:01 -0800 2004 1627120 0 AGM/Cape Cod 1 1627283 Wow!! I just want to say a huge thanks for starting this thread. I have loved reading about the wonderful and delicious sounding food gifts that you all made. There is so much talent 'out there' I was wondering if anyone had given thought to turning their talents into a full-time business? Wed Jan 21 11:54:18 -0800 2004 1627120 0 Charlieboy