Best Foodie or Boozy Homemade Gifts

[GingerOClock]

Every year I think I have visions of presents neighbours and loved one with lovingly made, delicious homemade gifts. Every year I fail - and they all end up with a bottle of something from the supermarket. Hence me starting this thread in September, hoping that I will be organised enough to achieve my goal this year!

I've found a few good ideas online, but I'm always a bit sceptical and like to know something will work before spending time and money on it!

Anyone have any winning recipes that they would be willing to share? Pretty please?

gingerbread is always a hit, or homemade chutney. i have received both as gifts over the years and have been very happy. here are a few recipes i have found online:

www.netmums.com/recipes/gingerbread-recipe

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/dec/17/apple-chutney-recipe-rhubarb-and-ginger-shrub-homemade-preserves-jarring-kylee-newton-cook-residency

hope this helps and your gifts are a success, let us know if they work as i will be keen to give them a try if they do x

Dishwasher Vodka

I don't even drink alcohol myself but I made Skittles Vodka last year for NYE.
Skittles dissolve even without a dishwasher . I did half bottle+red and half bottle+purple (I ate the rest)

Let them dissolve over a couple of days , strain through coffee filter paper , and bottle.

I' m thinking about Werthers Vodka ( add cream to make something like a Baileys maybe? )

And Chocolate Brownies (I'll find a recipe , it's one where you whisk the eggs and sugar first , that gives you the sugar crust) they last pretty well too.

Nougat www.taste.com.au/recipes/basic-almond-nougat/f537ac56-0082-4d2c-80e2-155a5cd65bca
Turkish delight goodfood.uktv.co.uk/recipe/turkish-delight-1/
Florentines www.bbc.com/food/recipes/marys_florentines_49833
Biscotti www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/chocolate-hazelnut-biscotti-recipe

Just make sure it's something the recipients will welcome. Every time this comes up on MN a vociferous minority say they would throw homemade food away either because they never eat 'that sort of thing' or because they don't trust other people's hygiene. Sad.

Good chutney is divine and needs months to mature so is a good thing to make now. You'd want nice jars, sterilised, and attractive labels and maybe caps.

Just make sure it's something the recipients will welcome. Every time this comes up on MN a vociferous minority say they would throw homemade food away either because they never eat 'that sort of thing' or because they don't trust other people's hygiene. Sad.

Got to agree with this. I'd never bin a homemade gift just because it was homemade, but I have to say that I hate chutney!

Jam is good, like pp suggestion of biscotti. Jar of homemade mincemeat would be festive?
Sloe gin and cranberry vodka are both good boozy gifts.

Good time of year to get busy, but get busy now!

Elderberry, BlackBerry, Plums and Pears can all be used to make amazing jams, liqueurs and poached puddings.

I have a huge bowl of blackberries on to soak at the moment, dh is rounding up all the green tomatoes that won’t ripen for chutney and I’m off to raid my neighbours plum tree for jam making purposes this afternoon.

After years of forking out ££ on people who buy me novelty napkins in return, I’m sticking with homemade and keeping the left overs for our own Christmas pantry.

Hairy bikers Christmas pudding vodka, DH made it with rum which he prefers, after eight vodka. Coffee rum, loads of recipes online. My grandparents used to love dried apricots in a brandy syrup

Apple and blackberry infused gin is lovely (and needs a couple of months to infuse before you strain out the fruit). Top tip: if you use cheap gin as your base, put it through a water filter first. It will make it taste smoother.

Nearer the time, sugar or cinnamom cookies are always a winner.

I made these quick pickled onions last year and had several requests for the recipe :)

i have blackberry vodka and pink grapefruit gin on the go. I plan to give my brother and his wife a small bottle of each, with an Alice in wonderland type "drink me" label on.
I have heard you can male fudge in a slow cooker and if that works, they will get some of that for the "eat me" element