By: Angelo Biondo
Holiday shopping season this year should prove challenging to the thousands of unemployed this year however, Christmas is a time of joy and giving as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, and having little money to spend on gifts doesn’t have to crimp our style. So with that in mind, this issue is dedicated to easing the stress of the Holiday Shopping season for the many who are pinching pennies and worried about providing a joyous Christmas for their families.
First of all, Christmas, Chanukah, or whatever the Holliday is for you, is a time of giving, a show of love and appreciation for those close to us. Commercially made gifts are nice, but don’t always show the true feeling and compassion we have for those close to us. This is the easy way out, simply buy, wrap, (or have wrapped), sign a card and give it to the recipient. You need to ask yourself, how much love went into that? Any parent will tell you the most precious gifts they have are those their children made for them in school.</br>
My daughter-in-law Kirsten makes her own cards. Each card is cut, stamped or imprinted, hand printed in her own hand calligraphy and totally designed by her from scratch. The words and verses are hers and impossible not to notice the love and affection that goes into each card. She could use a computer to make it easy, but she does not, each card is completely created with her own hands with the words coming from her heart. If you are fortunate enough to get one, you are truly blessed,
In another example, my brother Paul makes all the women, nieces and nephews hand crafted Christmas ornaments and gifts. They aren’t just hand crafted, but are made from the wood of the previous year’s Christmas tree. He works on this project from the time the tree comes down right up to the time he distributes his tiny treasures to those lucky truly loved recipients.
The time and love put into these precious hand crafted gifts automatically become family keepsakes to their recipients to be passed from generation to generation. There isn’t a family member who receives one of these gifts whose eyes don’t water up from the joy of receiving these priceless treasures.
We all have this ability in one form or another. And, since this site is dedicated to family and favorite recipe’s I hope some of the suggestions contained herein will make your Holliday season a bright one for you and your favorite people.
A most favorite of gifts one can get is a tin of assorted homemade cookies. Most all of us have a number of favorite holiday cookie recipes we make each year for the holidays. We can’t wait to bring out a tray to serve to company as soon as they walk in the door and wait for the ooh’s and ayah’s as they savor the tasty tidbits. This year simply make more, then package them in decorative tins or aluminum cake pans and pass them out as gifts. The tins or aluminum cake pans are readily available in most supermarkets.
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Cucidati |
Chocolate Balls |
Pizzelles |
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Ingredients: (cookier crust) 2 ½ C all-purpose flour 2 tbsp butter Instructions: In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in butter and mix until pieces are the size of small peas. |
Ingredients: 8 C All purpose flour 3 ½ tsp baking powder 2 C sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 C shortening 1 tbsp grated orange zest 1 tbsp grated lemon zest 1 tsp lemon flavor (extract) 1 tsp orange flavor (extract) ¼ lb butter (1 stick) 5 eggs 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 C cocoa ¼ C Grand marnier or brandy or bourbon (optionally) ¾ C water
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Ingredients: 3 eggs
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FILLING: 1½ cup dried figs (8 0z pkg) ¾ C light raisins 1 C candied mixed fruits ¼ C sugar
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Instructions: Blend sugar shortening and butter in a bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Combine the flour and baking powder-cinnamon, cocoa Last add Grand Marnier and water. |
Instructions: |
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Directions: (For the filling): Using a coarse blade in a food processor, or meat grinder, grind figs, raisins, and nuts. In a medium mixing bowl combine the ¼ C sugar, bourbon, and cinnamon. Stir in the fruit mixture. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hr. |
This cookie dough is naturally soft, but firm enough to roll into balls about 1½” diameter If it’s too soft add more flour. . Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet leaving at least 1” all around. Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 350o F. |
iron. Store unused batter in a tightly covered container and refrigerated to be used another day. Recipe makes 30 pizzelles
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Finishing Up: Roll out each of the dough balls into a 12 inch squares. Then cut into 12, 4 inch strips. Spread a generous amount of filling down the side of each strip of dough,(about the diameter of a hotdog) Roll up from that side forming a long thin roll and seal the edge. With roll seam side down, cut the rolls into 2 inch sections using a diagonal cut forming the cookies. Place cookies seam side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with egg wash & sprinkle with decorative Bake in a 350o F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or untill a golden brown. Remove and cool.
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This Italian cookie is everyone’s favorite. They always seem to be the first to disappear from the cookie tray. |
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For those with a creative side you might want to try creating ‘Gourmet Gift Baskets’. Creating a gourmet gift basket can be as creative and expensive or inexpensive as its creator desires depending on the size and content. The nice thing about gift baskets is that you can determine its cost and content. A gourmet gift basket need not be expensive but should reflect the character of the recipient. That is you should have a good idea of the recipients likes and dislikes. Normally we think of a ‘Gift Basket’ as a basket of fresh fruit. If you want your Gourmet Gift Basket to be impressive, it must be created, not thrown together. To do this you need to deviate from the norm and think in the abstract. If you do, your Gift Basket will undoubtedly be looked upon as a work of art. To start with try abandoning the use of the traditional wicker basket to create your master-piece.
For instance, a quick query on the internet supplied me with numerous excellent substitutes for the traditional wicker basket. Pinata’s for example are easy to make and cheap to buy. They come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes and can be adapted easily for our use. We think of Pinata’s in the traditional sense as something hung from the ceiling and filled with goodies to be beaten open with sticks by children to retrieve the treasures within, but thinking in the abstract, they become perfect replacements for the traditional wicker basket in our creations.
Some sample receptacles and pinata’s are shown and naturally — would depend on the theme:
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Chinese – A Wok French – A Champaign cooler Hawaiian – A roasted pig (pinata) Japanese – Puffer fish (pinata) Mexican – Sombrero (pinata) Spanish – Treasure Chest (pinata)
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For instance with a ‘WESTERN THEME’: You might want to use a Cowboy hat or bonnet turned upside-down and filled with one or two bottles of gourmet barbeque sauce, a moderately priced bottle of red wine, and an assortment of nuts and fresh fruits. Wrap in the traditional colored see through plastic wrap, tie it with a giant bow, attach a card or tag and your basket is ready to give. Or:
To create an ‘ITALIAN THEME’, might use a 10 qt sauce pan. Fill it with a bottle of gourmet spaghetti sauce, one or two pounds of imported pasta, some imported Parmesan and/or Romano cheese, a moderately priced bottle of red wine (imported optional), etc. If you’re the type who cans, a bottle of your homemade canned sauce would be the ultimate finishing touch. You can also add fresh fruits and assorted nuts if you like.
There are a number of sites on line that will either sell you pinata’s or instruct you how to make your own. A simple search with your favorite search using the key word ‘pinata’ will come up with what you are looking for.
Gift baskets especially those created by the giver are a thoughtful gift that over flowing with love and compassion. Those created with an ethnic base portray the essence of the country of origin and emit that odor of walking into the kitchen of a fine restaurant.
Another great gift is a ‘Recipe in A Jar’. If you have a family recipe you would like to share, but keep the ingredients somewhat secret, a recipe in a jar is the perfect way to go. I have recipes that I had to promise my right arm not to divulge. Yet they are so good it is a sin to keep them to myself. What to do?:
Using a 4 oz. canning jar (available in most supermarkets), or baby food jars measure out the dry ingredients of your favorite recipe. If your recipe calls for fresh onions substitute onion flakes or dry soup mix. If you use the mix, eliminate the salt from your recipe as the mix will usually suffice. Substitute any herbs you can such as, garlic, basil, bay leaf, marjoram, etc., with the powdered or ground variety (see chart below). Any ingredients that cannot be substituted with a dried or preserved variety simply include on a card or list with instructions on how to complete the recipe. Although the recipe may not come out exactly like your original, it will be extremely close in aroma and taste, and the recipient is sure to be pleased.
You can also place the dried herbs and spices in a small plastic zip-lock bag and include it in a one qt. canning jar filled with pasta, rice, or beans, etc. (If it is an ingredient used in the recipe.)
next you will need to make a label, an easy task if you are using a computer. Printer labels are readily available in any size variety of sizes at any office supply store. Some labels come with complimentary labeling software on a CD or an option allowing you to download one from their web site. Depending on your artistic talents you can make it as fancy or as plain as you like.
This chart is based on a consensus from various web sites and are approximate:
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Onion powder equivalent of fresh onion |
Garlic powder equivalent of one clove |
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½ Tbsp = 1 small onion 1 Tbsp = 1 medium onion |
1/8 tsp garlic powder = 1 clove |
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Dried onion flakes |
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1/3 C dried onion flakes = 1 small onion |
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And we’ll finish with a couple of great homemade sweet tooth gift ideas that are easy to make and make great gifts for young and old. Marshmallow Fluff Treats and Gourmet Chocolate Fudge’, always a treat for all ages. I obtained these recipes from the ‘Marshmallow Fluff’ (click here) Web site. If you have a favorite fudge recipe of your own which you would rather use, by all means use yours. If not these are excellent recipes. Don’t forget you are making them as gifts, so you will have to personalize the quantity by using smaller pans than called for in the recipes. See note following the recipes.
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Marshmallow Fluff Treats
¼ C margarine or butter 1 Jar (7½ oz) Marshmallow Fluff 5 C Crispy rice cereal
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Directions:
Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add Marshmallow Fluff and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add crispy rice cereal. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly into buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Cut into squares when cool. Yield: 24 squares, 2 x 2 inches
Microwave Marshmallow Fluff Treats
Place Fluff and margarine in 2 1/2 qt. microwave safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 3 minute, stirring each minute. (Based on 700-watt microwave oven.) Stir in cereal until coated. Using a buttered spatula or waxpaper, press mixture evenly into buttered 13 X 9 inch pan. Cut into 2 X 2 squares. Yield: 24 squares.
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Never-Fail-Fudge
Ingredients: 2 ½ C sugar ¾ tsp salt ½ stick butter or margarine 1 5 oz can evaporated milk (¾ C) 1 Jar (7½ oz) Marshmallow Fluff ¾ tsp vanilla 1 12-oz package semisweet-chocolate pieces ½ C chopped walnuts (optional)
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Directions:
Grease a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside. In large saucepan combine the first 5 ingredients. Stir over low heat until blended. Increase heat to Medium and bring to a full-rolling boil being careful not to mistake escaping air bubbles for boiling. Boil slowly, stirring constantly for 5 minutes (use Soft-Ball test). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and chocolate until chocolate is melted. Add nuts. Turn into greased pan and cool. Makes 2 1/2 pounds.
Hint: As with all fudge recipes, cooking time will vary depending on factors such as humidity and altitude. For best results, use the softball test to make sure the fudge has been cooked enough. The softball test can be found in any cookbook and on our website under frequently asked question (FAQ’s).
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Note:
Some basic helpful tools you should have when making candy products:
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For those who would like visual instructions to see fudge making in action just click on the ‘YouTube’ video below:
Fudge making video
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