October 17, 2010 - 2:38pm
Need some holiday suggestions
I have some lovely cannisters/jars that I want to give away at Christmas and I want to fill them with goodies that are NOT cookies. I will start baking Dec 1 and will be giving them away Dec 26th. I want to avoid butter/solid fat and high amounts of sugar/sweetener in the recipes but I don't mind using oil,some sugar/sweetener. I am looking for both mildly sweet and also savory ideas.
So, biscotti is one idea,both sweet and savory.
Crackers?
Italian torelli and such?
Bread sticks?
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Dried pasta... using colorful juices for colorful pasta
How about "Rumtopf"... assorted fresh whole or cut fruit covered in rum. Google>Images
Vinegar flavored with fruit/berries and/or sprigs of garden herbs.
My favorite: microwave vacuum dried whole or halved fruit. Very light in weight. (black cherries, free stone peach wedges, apples rings, pineapple, etc.) Any of these can be layered for interesting effects.
Nuts with or without the shells.
silk flowers... arrangements or blossoms without stems
dried beans/peas/lentils or whole grains that all require about the same soaking and boiling times. Include cooking or rice cooker instructions in a 3x5 card stuck into the middle of the seeds or wedged in under the lid.
jerky
Tree ornaments/ pine cones, twigs with green, holly
cinnamon, whole
tea mix, cocoa mix, with a nice scooper spoon
... :)
I make sugar plums. They are dried peaches,dates, raisens, and I think apricots and almonds all ground together. they are held together with thawed frozen juice concentrate. Rolled into balls and rolled in toasted coconut or ground almonds. I can look up the recipe if you are interested.