Recipe of the Week: Food gifts are great to give during the holiday season

The calendar says there are three days left until Hanukkah and 10 days left until Christmas, so unless you are one of those people who like to wait until the last minute to shop, it’s time to get cracking on your holiday list.

I am an unapologetic fan of food gifts, whether you make them yourself or buy them. If you choose to buy your gifts and can find them locally, that’s even better.

I make a lot of holiday cookies, but food gifts can be so much more than that. I also buy local hard cider in my favorite flavor and ship gift baskets of locally made jams and candy. Local farms that offer gift baskets include Manoff Market Gardens & Cidery in Solebury, Terhune Orchards & Vineyard outside Princeton, N.J., and Tabora Farm in Chalfont.

Food gifts can be sweet or savory; they can be as simple as a gift card for a restaurant you want someone to try or as complicated as preparing an oven-ready dish such as lasagna in disposable containers.

We like to make applesauce with the kids in our family, can it and let them give it as teacher and family gifts. Another family I know makes apple butter to give the same way. Kids can also help make cookies, dip mixes and some of the easier candies such as fudge and truffles.

If you are feeling ambitious you can bake cutout cookies and put together a cookie-decorating kit, or assemble everything needed for a special Christmas breakfast.

In addition to locally made hard cider, Pennsylvania wines and hard liquors are available. Local liquor stores have displays of Pennsylvania-made alcoholic beverages.

I am not a big fan of mixes in jars as gifts because I don’t like gifts that put me to work, but this one just requires adding hot water to 1/3 cup of the mix. This recipe from tasteofhome.com reminds me of the cocoa bombs that are so popular these days. You can make those at home, but you will need a sphere-shaped mold to make the chocolate shell the “bombs” come in. This recipe is much simpler.

Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Mix

1 1/3 cups instant chocolate drink mix

1 1/3 cups chocolate malted milk powder

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

6 tablespoons powdered nondairy creamer

3 cups nonfat dry milk powder

1 ½ cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup crushed candy canes (about 40 mini candy canes)

Per serving: ¾ cup hot water

1. In a large bowl, mix chocolate drink mix, malted milk powder and baking cocoa. In another bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar and creamer.

2. In each of four 1-pint canning jars, layer ¾ cup nonfat dry milk powder, ¾ cup chocolate mixture, 3 tablespoons chocolate chips, 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar mixture, 3 tablespoons chocolate chips and ¼ cup candy canes, pouring ingredients through a large funnel or a waxed-paper cone. Press candy canes down to fit if needed.

3. Cover and store in a cool, dry place up to 2 months (mixture will settle). To use, transfer contents of jar to a covered container; mix well.

4. To prepare hot cocoa: Place 1/3 cup combined mix in a mug; stir in ¾ cup hot water until blended.

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