3 Quick and Easy Holiday Food Gifts
Holiday Marshmallow Crispy Treats
This mint twist turns your typical crispy rice treats into a festive homemade holiday gifts. This is a great recipe for your kids if they are old enough to help out around the stove.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups of crispy rice cereal
- 3 T of butter (no margarine)
- One 10 oz. bag of marshmallows
- One cup of crushed candy canes
Turn your stove to low, and use a large saucepan to melt the butter and marshmallows, stirring constantly. Once melted, take off the heat, stir in the cereal, and pour into a greased 9 X 13 baking pan. Quickly add and evenly distribute the crushed candy cane bits and press the mixture into a pan covered in wax paper. Let cool, then cut into squares or shapes using a knife or cookie cutters. Wrap in plastic and tie with ribbon.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar
All you need for this quick gift is a one quart mason jar, a square of fabric or some pretty ribbon, and dry cookie ingredients. Add the following ingredients to the jar in the exact order listed, and pack them down with a wooden spoon so everything fits!
- 1 3/4 cups of flour (white or wheat)
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
- ¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup white sugar
Kids can help measure and layer the ingredients in the jar. Once the jar is filled, use a square of fabric to cover the entire jar and tie at the top with a ribbon. Otherwise, use a small square of fabric for the cover and tie with a ribbon. List the wet ingredients and have older kids hand write the following instructions on a piece of paper:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together 1 ½ sticks of room temperature butter, 1 large egg, and ¾ tsp. vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients from the jar, stir, and drop by spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet, baking until golden brown. Makes about 24 cookies.
Dilled Oyster Crackers
Edible holiday treats usually mean sweets, but why not try something savory and super easy instead? This is one of our family's favorite homemade holiday gifts and has been well received by teachers, clergy, neighbors, friends and family! All that's needed is an airtight container of your choice (a jar, pretty cookie tin, holiday plastic container, etc. ) Let the kids help measure and stir the following ingredients:
- 1 ½ boxes or two 10 oz. bags of oyster crackers (octagonal size)
- 1 oz. packet of powdered ranch dressing
- 1 cup of canola or vegetable oil
- 1 T of dried dill weed
Mix the oil and powdered ranch mix in a small bowl. Spread the crackers into a 9 X 13 baking dish. Pour oil mixture over crackers, stir, and cover with foil for 24 hours, stirring occasionally with a spatula so the oil mixture is evenly distributed. Spoon into gift containers and give with love!
