Let’s face it, the last few months have been rough financially. We’ve seen our 401-Ks plummet, our IRAs slashed, and for too many, the loss of jobs and benefits. It has left us all crying a collective “Uncle!” With the holidays lurking around the corner hissing “spend, spend, spend!” it just makes me want to curl up in the fetal position until it all goes away.

Then I suddenly stopped my negative thought train and said to myself, “Whoa, slow down there, Turbo! There’s no need to give Le Creuset pots and Nintendo Wii for Christmas this year. Just give something from the heart.”

Isn’t that what the spirit of Christmas is all about anyway? Sure, it’s easy to go online and click! click! our way through our holiday shopping lists, but spending a few hours (or even just a couple) crafting something lovingly with your own hands…now that is a gift.

So I’ve taken a few of our Foodista reader favorites, plus a few more, and wrapped them up in a tidy little gift idea list. All of them are easy. Some so easy you will squeal giddily, others requiring a bit more time, but most importantly, all are sure to please.

Top Ten Homemade Gift Ideas
*See below for packaging resources

1. Kathy’s Biscotti – this is about the best darn biscotti recipe ever. I give them every year for Christmas.
2. Red Pepper Jelly – always a beautiful gift and just the thing to have on hand for entertaining.
3. Dukkah – an Egyptian treat, this delicious and fragrant blend of ground nuts, seeds, and spices is all the rage.
4. Harissa – just the thing for those who like it hot!
5. Gourmet Salts – for three outstanding varieties get out a big bowl and simply mix Kosher salt with the following: dried lemon peel and rosemary; rosemary and lavendar; smoked paprika. Or be creative with your own blends.
6. Cheddar Dill Scones – these won’t last long under the tree and are just the thing to nosh on on Christmas morn.
7. Lemon Curd – if you’re lucky your gift recipient will crack the jar right open and share a little with you.
8. Limoncello – the all-time Foodista favorite, this delicious drink is well worth making. Beautiful poured into swing top glass bottles.
9. Cranberry Orange Shortbread – beautiful and yummy!
10. Seasoned Vinegar -  The easiest thing on the list to make and you can use your recycled wine bottles! We discovered this at a barbeque in Argentina. It’s simply this: pour a bunch of Kosher salt into a wine bottle. By a bunch I mean a bunch, like a cup. Add a few cloves of garlic, don’t be shy now. And finally, fill with white distilled vinegar and shake up that salt. Like wine, it just gets better with time. In fact, make it at least a couple of weeks in advance or tell the lucky recipient to let it age a bit to let the salt fully dissolve and the garlic to penetrate the vinegar. Feel free to add a big ole fat sprig of fresh rosemary too. This is so easy and staggeringly good on grilled meats, chicken, vegetable or sprinkled over fresh sliced tomatoes.

Packaging Ideas:

Jars: For any gifts being packaged in jars (i.e. Red Pepper Jelly, Harissa, Lemon Curd, Dukkah) I recommend half-pint (or pint) Ball jars, I love the wide mouth Platinum series too. Most supermarkets are well-stocked this time of year and they’re relatively inexpensive, or check out Amazon.com for a good selection. . Tie on your own little hand-written labels with a bit of ribbon or raffia.

Bottles: the limoncello is best in clear bottles because the color is gorgeous. I love these swingtop bottles on Specialtybottle.com or simply go for a less expensive corked or screw top bottle.

Tin containers: also from Specialtybottle.com, these tin containers with clear tops are food-grade. Perfect for the salts and dukkah. I get the 4 oz. round ones.

Cellophane baggies: check Amazon.com for a variety of sizes and colors, or your local craft store.

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We are having near-hurricane weather here in the Bay Area so I’ve decided to stay indoors and break in the beautiful new shiny red Kitchen Aid mixer that Barnaby got me for Christmas. Let’s hope the power can stay on long enough.

We’re visiting a friend in Napa this weekend so I thought I’d whip up a batch of my mom’s famous biscotti to take up. Years ago I lived in Siena, Italy and since then I’ve, admittedly, become a bit of a biscotti snob. The ones you find here in the States, I feel, are just too soft and cakey. My mom’s are the only ones I’ve found that remind me of the teeth-cracking ones in Italy.

The key to the hardness is the second baking (biscotto, singular, actually means “twice baked”). If you wish them to be less hard, then reduce the second bake time. But, if you like to dip yours in cappuccino, or a nice vin santo as they do in Tuscany, then you want them hard.

Kathy’s Biscotti

2 c. flour
1 ¼ c. sugar
2 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
¾ t. salt
2 whole eggs, plus 1 egg, separated
1 t. almond extract
1 ½ c. whole almonds, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, almond extract, and almonds. Mix thoroughly until dough holds together. Add half of reserved egg white, if necessary, to make a cohesive dough.
3. With wet hands, shape dough into 4 logs, each 6” long and 1 ¾“ in diameter. Place 3-4” apart on baking sheets. Bake on middle rack of oven until logs are light golden brown and spring back when touched (about 24 minutes). Cool 15 minutes.
4. Lower oven to 275. Slice logs with a serrated knife diagonally into 1/2” slices. Return to oven and bake until completely dry and crisp throughout (about 40 minutes). Cool.

Makes about 5 dozen.
Variations: 1 t. orange extract, zest of 1 orange with 1-½ c. pistachio nuts.
Can also use pine nuts in place of almonds.

I’ve not tried these recipes yet, but all three look very good:

Saveur’s Prato-Style Cookies (Prato di Biscotti) which includes saffron threads

Babbo pastry chef, Gina DePalma’s, Polenta and Sesame Biscotti

Sloane Berrent’s Pistachio-Orange Biscotti.

Happy Dipping!

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