Are you at the Christmas crunch with too little time and money and too many people you would still like to give a gift to? Here are a few suggestions. The kids can help you and, in a couple of hours of fun, the Christmas gift making can be done.
Snowman soup
1 package hot chocolate mix (regular or special flavour)
3 Hershey’s Kisses
10 miniature
marshmallows
1 peppermint candy cane
Place all of the ingredients in a plastic bag along with the following poem.
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The ingredients could also be placed in a snowman or Christmas theme mug for a larger gift.
Was told you’ve been real good
this year
Always glad to hear it.
With freezing weather drawing near
You’ll need to warm the spirit.
So here’s a little snowman soup
Complete with stirring stick.
Add hot water, sip it slow
It’s sure to do the trick.
Sand art brownies
This gift is a cake in a jar. Not only is it pretty and decorative, it can become a quick dessert for the recipient. Use a clean quart (litre) sealer or a decorative jar that size. Add ingredients to the jar slowly to give a layered effect. Start with the flour and alternate a light coloured ingredient and then a darker coloured ingredient. Place the nuts and chocolate chips on the top, otherwise the finer textured ingredients will mix with them and spoil the decorative effect.
Brownies
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 175 mL
1/2 cup cocoa 125 mL
1/2 cup white sugar 125 mL
1/2 cup firmly packed 125 mL
brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 mL
1/2 cup chocolate chips 125 mL
1/2 cup chopped nuts 125 mL
1/2 cup white chocolate 125 mL
chips
Put the lid on the jar and then cover the top of the jar with a circle of Christmas fabric or wrapping paper. Tie with string or ribbon. To expand this gift, add a microwave cake dish.
Add the following instruction note to the ribbon.
- Pour contents of the jar into a large bowl and mix well.
- Add two eggs, one teaspoon vanilla (5 mL) and 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine (125 mL).
- Spread evenly in a greased 20 cm square microwave dish.
- Microwave at high for six to seven minutes, rotating dish quarter turn every two minutes.
- When done, top looks dry and will spring back when lightly touched.
- Cut when cold. Makes about 20 brownies.
Recipe adapted from the General Electric Microwave Guide and Cookbook 1977.
Gingerbread mix
This gingerbread mix could also be put into a decorative jar in sand art layers, or all of the ingredients could be thoroughly combined and then packed into a plastic bag and decorated with ribbon. Add a wooden spoon, jar of applesauce and baking pan to expand the gift.
11/2 cups white flour 375 mL
1/2 cup whole wheat 125 mL
flour
1/2 cup firmly packed 125 mL
brown sugar
11/2 teaspoons baking 7 mL
powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 mL
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 mL
11/2 teaspoons ginger 7 mL
1 teaspoon cinnamon 5 mL
1 teaspoon coriander, 5 mL
optional
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 2 mL
1/4 teaspoon cloves 1 mL
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 1 mL
Gift tag baking instructions
Combine:
1 cup boiling water 250 mL
3/4 cup molasses 175 mL
1/2 cup butter 125 mL
Stir until butter is melted. Place dry ingredient contents of jar/bag in a bowl and thoroughly mix.Stir in molasses mixture and one lightly beaten egg. Pour batter into a greased and floured 20 cm square baking pan.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 30 to 40 minutes or until gingerbread tests done. Cool in pan on a rack. Cut into squares. Serve with whipped cream or applesauce.
Recipe adapted from ATCO Gas Blue Flame Kitchen Holiday Cookbook 2000.
Making turtles
L.S. of Shell Lake, Sask., requested this recipe. Homemade turtles add the handcrafted touch for those with a sweet tooth.
Homemade turtles
1 pound pecans, 500 g
chopped
11/2 cups corn syrup 375 mL
1 cup butter 250 mL
1 cup brown sugar, 250 mL
firmly packed
1 cup sweetened 250 mL
condensed milk
1/4 cup butter or 50 mL
margarine
2 cups semisweet 500 mL
chocolate chips
1/2 bar parowax
Spread pecans over the bottom of a greased 22 x 33 cm pan and a 20 cm square pan.
Combine corn syrup, one cup (250 mL) of butter, sugar and condensed milk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring. Continue boiling slowly over low heat, stirring often for about 25 minutes to medium hard stage, when a small amount dropped in ice water will hold its shape but can easily be flattened. Pour over pecans. Cool. Cover a large cookie sheet or tray with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Spoon out small clumps of toffee/pecan mixture and place on tray. Freeze until firm for easy dipping.
Melt chocolate chips, 1/4 cup (50 mL) butter and wax in a small saucepan over low heat. Dip frozen pecan clumps. Place on waxed paper to set.
From the Saskatchewan 4-H 80th Anniversary Cookbook, 1917-1997.
Contest winners
Our TEAM recipe/craft contest winners have been drawn. Their entries will be printed in the Dec. 20 TEAM column and they will each receive an ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen Holiday Cookbook 2001.
Recipe winner is May Elliott of Morris, Man. The craft winner is Margery Crozon of Naicam, Sask.
Looking for cookbook
Ferne Porter from Regina is looking for the Canadian Living Cookbook written by Carol Ferguson, 1987, ISBN number 0-394-22017-x. She would like a copy to give to her daughter for Christmas.
If you have a copy to sell, please call her at 306-779-1282.
