If you've ever felt the pinch of buying expensive presents or yearned to give a gift more heartfelt than something store-bought, you might want to consider cheap homemade gift ideas, starting with food gifts. Food gifts are perfect for welcoming or getting to know a neighbor, celebrating the arrival of a new baby, or adding a touch of warmth to any gift-giving occasion.
Start Simple
If you've never baked before--or the last time you picked up a spatula was in 8th Grade Home Economics--start with something simple that you can successfully finish. "Cookie" jars are ideal simple food gifts: find a cookie recipe like chocolate chip where the wet ingredients, like butter and eggs, can be combined with all the dry ingredients at once. Layer the dry ingredients in a mason jar so that each ingredient is clearly separated from the next, and then create a colorful or festive tag instructing the recipient to add whatever wet ingredients are needed.
Pick a Pretty Package
The key to making food a special gift is the presentation. Baskets are perfect for displaying muffins, breads and oversized cookies; food gift baskets should be lined with colored tissue paper or festive foil. Try decorative boxes or tins to keep cupcakes intact; smaller cookies and candy look cute in candy bags tied with ribbon. For ideas outside the tin, bake large muffins in an oven-safe mug, or stack decorative boxes of different flavored cupcakes from biggest to smallest, tying the tower with ribbon.
Leave Time For Do-Overs
To make sure your food gift turns out just right, it's essential to leave yourself enough time to redo the recipe if it doesn't work the first time. Baking the day before allows you the time to complete your recipe successfully and then do it over or change your mind if it doesn't turn out.
Be Alert to Allergies
Nobody wants their recipe to cause a call for a doctor, so be sure to find out if the intended recipient and anyone in their household has a severe food intolerance. If allergies do rear their ugly heads, there's a host of cookbooks and online recipe sites where you can find gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and all kinds of allergy-friendly recipes.
Whether it's a rustic basket of biscuits or a ribbon-wrapped box of chocolate chip cookies, homemade food gifts done well are sure to save your budget and be appreciated by the lucky recipient.
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