Chanukah is the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen by making your own tasty treats to give to friends and family. Here are a few tips and hacks to get you started:
PLANNING ISSUES:
Choose recipes you can prepare ahead, but maximise their “shelf life” for the recipient by cooking or baking them close to the time you plan to give your gift.
Have your packaging ready to go before you start.
BAKE INSPIRATION:
Jars or boxes of biscuits — savoury (see: facing page) or sweet — biscotti are simple to make and last ages.
Jars of roasted dukkah (a mix of spiced, toasted nuts and seeds) or granola — pack in a clip top spice jar or Mason jar. Pair the dukkah with a mini bottle of good quality extra virgin olive oil for a more substantial gift.
Go retro with marzipan citrus fruits — form bite-sized slices of firm white marzipan into lemon, lime and orange shapes, roll them gently over a grater to create the peel, then paint with diluted food colouring. Once dry, add a clove “stalk.”
Chocolate gifts are always a hit: home-made truffles are simple to make (but need to be stored in the fridge or freezer); brownies are always a hit — cut them into petit four-sized squares; or for something a bit different try chocolate chip macadamia blondies or shimmering chocolate shards.
PACKAGING MAKES PERFECT:
Attractive containers makes even the humblest foods look enticing:
For an edgy/rustic look: Use mason jars, upcycled greeting card boxes or clip top glass spice jars, and finish with hand-written luggage labels tied on with string.
For a more polished finish: recycle boxes with a gold or silver insert that you have received filled with boxed truffles or marzipan fruits. Pop your treats inside tiny paper petit fours cases — black or deep brown looks stylish and hides finger or grease marks. Tip: if you’re using a deep box, try laying a piece of unbleached baking paper with scrunched up bubble wrap (or even kitchen towel concealed beneath it to add height before arranging the food on top.
For an earth-friendly angle: use eco-friendly palm leaf party plates or small bowls. Fill with scrunched up colourful tissue paper as a base for sweet or savoury cookies. Pop into a compostable cellophane bag tied up with green jute string or raffia — all easily available online.
For the less craft-minded: the baking section in craft shops and supermarkets often stock slender cellophane gift bags with a cardboard insert at the base. The rigid base keeps the contents from crumbling into an unruly pile and getting broken, squashed or smashed to smithereens en route.
DESIGNER LABELS:
Creative writing: try black chalkboard-style, sticky labels on jars with the contents (and serving ideas) in gold or silver writing or handwritten craft labels, or luggage tags tied on with ribbon or string. Or make your own tags by cutting small squares or triangles from old birthday cars. Self-adhesive address labels with a simple border drawn in coloured pencil are great for sealing up boxes.
Best before: don’t forget to write any storage instructions on the label, and a note of how long your edible gift will keep. If you’re not giving your gift in person, it’s worth adding “from the kitchen of…” with your name so they’re sure to know it’s home-made.
FINAL TOUCHES:
Style up your finished gift with sprigs of fresh rosemary or cinnamon sticks, even a mini bamboo or wooden salt spoons (available on Amazon or at kitchen shops ). Tie them on with garden string or thick parcel twine.
SAFETY FIRST:
Before filling jars and bottles with home-made pickles or jams, flavoured vinegar or chutneys, it’s important to sterilise them. Wash the jars well in hot soapy water, then fill with boiling water, rinse and let them dry in a low oven, directly on the rack.
However simple your cake, bake pickle or preserve, it will be enormously appreciated for the time, thought and love that went into it.
judirose.com
