Christmas Food Gifts

[Barnum]

My wife just finished the usual suspects for Christmas cookies with some new additions:  fig meringue cookies (very nicely light with a sweet chewy center), marshmallow's (topped with a little toasted coconut), and popcorn brittle.  All good to great but the surprising standout was the cooking light recipe for popcorn brittle.  Really easy to make (I was told) and a very nice change from peanut brittle.  She did add some almonds which certainly didn't hurt.  Truthfully, this one is tough to stop eating.

[Otto]

All good to great but the surprising standout was the cooking light recipe for popcorn brittle. 

Mmm.  Would she mind sharing her recipe?

[Beerbitch]

Next year, we should do a group swap....

[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

Next year, we should do a group swap....

I love that idea...

I also want us (those that wish to) to do some sortofa  charitable event or contribution in this coming year.

.

[KoPP]

Bah! Humbug!

[Barnum]

All good to great but the surprising standout was the cooking light recipe for popcorn brittle. 

Mmm.  Would she mind sharing her recipe?

Popcorn Brittle, modified from Cooking Light Recipe

Cooking Spray
5 1/2 cups popcorn, popped without salt or fat
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup whole almonds
6 Tbl light-colored corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3 Tbl molasses
1 Tbl butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt


- prepare cookie sheet w/ foil and cooking spray.
- Add popcorn to large plastic bag, crush using rolling pin.
- add sugar, syrup, and water over medium heat and cook for 1 minute (while stirring) until sugar dissolves.
- Once sugar is dissolved, stop stirring and watch until it reaches 270 degrees (probably 7-8 minutes).
- Stir in butter and molasses and cook until it reaches 290 degrees (probably 5 minutes).
- Stir in baking soda, vanilla and salt.
- Finally, stir in popcorn and almonds.
- spread 1/4 in thick across foil covered cookie sheet and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

Lasts for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

All good to great but the surprising standout was the cooking light recipe for popcorn brittle. 

Mmm.  Would she mind sharing her recipe?

Popcorn Brittle, modified from Cooking Light Recipe

Thanks, looks good.

[Roxro]

While my husband is outside shoveling snow (about a 8 inches worth), I have been making "hot chocolate on a stick" and homemade marshmallows for my son to bring to school tomorrow for teachers' gifts.  Bought cute little monogramed mugs on sale at Macy's yesterday before the snow started falling.

These will also go along with the boxes of homemade cookies I'm bringing to his family on Christmas day, along with bottles of Kaluha.  (yeah, I know this isn't spelled right but spell checker isn't helping).

[Otto]

[Melomom]

That shortbread looks great!  Last night I made coffee-walnut toffee with a dark and white chocolate swirled coating (Bon Appetit from years ago) and, from the Joy of Cooking, rolled butter cookies with sugar sprinkles and a variation of the fourteen-in-one master recipe with chopped dried cranberries and orange zest. 

I attempted fleur de sel caramels but failed miserably - the temperature went too high in a mere instant and instead of nicely chewy caramels they are as hard as a brick!  I could use it to knock some sense into someone but not for much else.  I'll give it another try today.  Last on the list - mini poundcakes, trying to decide between a sour cream poundcake and the mocha hazelnut recipe I tried a few weeks ago.

[AndyBoy]

Melomom can we have your toffee recipe? I had some homemade toffee yesterday with pecan and chocolate icing that was killer. Yours sounds good also.

[Melomom]

This is a link to the recipe as posted on the Orangette blog:

http://orangette.blogspot.com/2004/12/with-my-own-two-hands.html

It is really easy, looks great and tastes divine - a perfect combination.

[AndyBoy]

Thanks Melomom, now if I can just find time to make it.

[mikeamor]

This is always a must do.
We'll choose several "classic" Christmas goodies to make and then package some up as host gifts when we are invited to a holiday gathering.
This year, thanks to my company's generous decision to outsource my department to foreign companies, I've had extra time and had a great time with it.
The packages this year have had a mix of:
- Dark chocolate fudge with pecans.
- Stollen
- Spritz cookies
- Thumbprint cookies filled with peppermint frosting, chocolate frosting or apricot jam
- Santa's whiskers cookies
- Small loaves of artisan bread
- Home made limoncello
- Home made vanilla

[Melomom]

Photo gallery of NYT readers' holiday cookies:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/12/21/dining/20091221-reader-holiday-cookie-recipes.html?em