Give a gift from heart - and kitchen

The Baltimore Sun

Christmas memories are tucked deep away in our consciousness for most of the year.

Then something happens.

The first snowfall, a favorite carol playing on the radio, a house lit up for Christmas ... and suddenly it hits. Those wonderful memories come flooding back. When it hits me, the first thing I want to do is dig out my favorite holiday CDs.

For starters, I like A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's light and fun and the perfect music for getting the storage boxes of Christmas stuff from the attic - decorations, strings of lights and ornaments.

In one of my crates, I came across a treasure of memories packed in a small white oblong box. It included a collection of the adorable little gifts my daughter made for me over the years: a reindeer made of clothespins. The little crooked clay heart ornament with a paper clip for a hanger. A ceramic handprint with her name scratched above it.

The box itself had its own memories. It once held my mother's homemade chocolate. She began making chocolates as a hobby, which quickly turned into a thriving business.

I remember one year trying to help her fill a big holiday order by packing boxes, shaped like Christmas trees, with chocolates.

Each chocolate had to be placed in a specific way for the box to close. My mother did it effortlessly. Me? I never got the knack of it.

We had so much fun that day. As I watched her zipping around the kitchen, I remember thinking how much I admired my mother - a beautiful homemaker, fearless in the kitchen and a successful chocolatier.

For most of us, cherished Christmas memories have nothing to do with shopping and all the hype associated with the season.

And yet too many people feel the need to spend money they cannot afford for things most folks will not remember or appreciate.

Just think of how many presents you have received that you have never used, worn or enjoyed.

But a memorable gift is often as close as your own kitchen.

Take a moment. What are the favorite foods of the people on your list? What could you create that they will appreciate and enjoy?

You'll get a special satisfaction knowing that you are giving a gift from your heart. You'll also be creating your own food tradition and you will save a lot of money.

I have chosen a variety of simple recipes that are bound to please just about everyone on your list.

Use your imagination when it comes to the packaging.

You can find all sorts of holiday tins, colorful cellophane wrapping paper and boxes especially designed for packing sweets at discount stores.

You can also choose containers that have multiple purposes like small ceramic planters, candy dishes or serving platters.

For the chocolate lovers on your list, I have a recipe for chocolate nut toffee. This one has the delicious crunch of toffee plus a layer of milk chocolate.

If you have never used a candy thermometer, don't be intimidated. Practice makes perfect. This is one delicious candy that you'll want to pack in small, airtight tins for an elegant gift.

Forget those too-sweet marshmallows you buy in the supermarket. Homemade marshmallows are simply amazing - with an almost creamy consistency. They are fun to make with kids and can keep for a month or longer if you keep them tightly covered.

You can add food coloring - pastel colors look best - and flavorings like peppermint or cherry. They taste great alone or in a cup of hot chocolate.

For fans of fruitcake, fruit-drop cookies are the perfect gift. They are fragrant, rich and colorful. Think of them as miniature fruitcakes. They make a beautiful presentation and look best gift-wrapped in cellophane so the colors show through.

A tin of cheese straws is another excellent gift. These are crunchy and spicy. Bake them in long strips or short ones. Just make sure you let them completely cool before storing in airtight tins.

For the folks on your list who like hot stuff, pickled peppers are easy. My grandfather would "put up" peppers from his garden every summer. This recipe reminds me of his. Find some interesting bottles and jars and fill them with red and green peppers, the colors of the season. They are wonderful with greens.

Christmas is the season of light, hope and peace. I hope these ideas inspire you to reclaim the holiday while creating food memories that will last a lifetime.

Sandra Pinckney is a former Baltimore TV journalist and host of "Food Finds" on the Food Network. We welcome your comments at unisun@balt sun.com.

Fruit-drop cookies

Makes 85 1 1/2 -inch cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine at room temperature

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons brandy or rum

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup red candied cherries

1/2 cup chopped green cherries

1/2 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease baking sheets.

Cream butter and sugar with electric mixture until light and fluffy. Mix in egg, salt and brandy. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg, mixing until well blended. Stir in nuts, dates and other fruits.

Drop by teaspoonfuls, 1 1/2 inches apart, on greased baking sheets.

Bake 14-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2-3 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to racks to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container to keep moist.

Per cookie: 58 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 7 grams carbohydrate, trace fiber

Homemade Marshmallows

Makes between 20 and 40

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold water (divided use)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or flavoring of your choice

confectioners' sugar for dusting

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in a small bowl of an electric mixer that has a whisk attachment and let it sit.

Put the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat to the soft-ball stage (240 degrees), stirring only until the sugar dissolves.

Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Then put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick and stands in soft peaks, between 10-15 minutes.

Mix in the vanilla and pour the candy into a 8-by-12-inch nonmetal baking dish that has been dusted with confectioners' sugar. Smooth the top and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Allow it to stand uncovered overnight to dry it out.

Then turn it out onto a board and cut into squares. Dust with more confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Per marshmallow (based on 40 marshmallows): 77 calories, 0 grams fat, 20 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber

Chocolate Nut Toffee

Makes about 5 dozen pieces (about 3 1/2 pounds)

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (divided use)

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (divided use)

1 1/2 cups chopped toasted pecans (divided use)

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

2 cups butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

Butter a 13-by-9-inch pan. Line with parchment or wax paper. Then butter the paper.

Sprinkle 3/4 cup of milk chocolate chips, 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of the pecans over the parchment paper. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, salt, water and butter in a heavy 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil (10-12 minutes). Don't rush the process.

Clip on a candy thermometer and continue boiling, stirring often, until the temperature reaches 305 degrees. Do not rush this process. One of the keys to good toffee is taking it slow. This can take up to 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and remaining nuts.

Pour the mixture into prepared pan. Immediately sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top, gently pressing them in with a knife.

Cool in refrigerator until the chocolate is firm.

Break the toffee into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Adapted from "The Gift of Southern Cooking"

Per toffee: 140 calories, 11 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber

Pickled Peppers

Makes about 2 cups

1 pound fresh hot peppers (jalapeno or fingerling)

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Wash and drain the peppers. Leave them whole and pack tightly into small mason jars or decorative bottles.

Heat the vinegar in a nonreactive saucepan until boiling. Stir in the salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour the hot vinegar over the peppers and seal tightly. Store in a cool area away from sunlight. Allow to sit for a week before using.

Per pepper: 3 calories, trace of fat, 1 gram carbohydrate, trace of fiber

Edna Lewis' Cheese Straws

Makes about 4 dozen pieces

1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste

1/2 cup (1 stick ) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

8 ounces extra-sharp grated cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 425.

Sift together the flour, salt, dry mustard and cayenne pepper. Put the butter and grated cheese in a mixing bowl and mix for several minutes, until thoroughly blended. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and cheese, and mix until completely incorporated. Add the water and mix for 1 minute longer.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead five or six times.

Roll the dough out 1/4 -inch thick and cut into strips 1/4 -inch wide and 4-6 inches in length. Place the strips on ungreased cookie sheets 1/2 inch apart and bake in the preheated oven for 12-16 minutes until brown and crisp. Cool completely and store in airtight containers.

Per straw: 50 calories, 3 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 3 grams carbohydrate, trace fiber

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