Delicacies that warm not only our bodies, but also our souls, are intimately linked to the days of Christmas. Have you ever thought of giving such delicacies as gifts? Gourmet gifts are ingenious, inexpensive and come with the care of being handmade. To give you an idea, we’ve brought you three ideas.
“Canned” oatmeal biscuits
A very simple, yet eye-catching and imaginative, gourmet gift is the oatmeal biscuit in a jar. Grab a small jar and prepare the ingredients as below:
- 1 mug of flour (1 mug = approx. 2.5 dl)
- 0,5 mug of white sugar
- 0,5 mug of brown sugar
- 0,5 mug of oatmeal
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 0,5 mug of dry fruits
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
Mix the flour with the cinnamon and the baking powder; then spread the mixture at the bottom of the jar. Then add the next layers carefully and evenly so that it looks nice in the clear jar. When all the ingredients are in, seal the jar and decorate the top with a fabric, ribbon, small pine branches and/ or small pinecones. Finally, make a nice card to accompany it, on which you may write down the missing wet ingredients and the recipe, like follows:
“Oatmeal biscuits to which you add 50 g. of melted butter, 1 egg and 1 dcl. of milk! Mix the ingredients together, shape them into biscuits and bake at 180 degree C in an oven for about 15 minutes.”
Candied orange zest dipped in chocolate
Candying is a time-consuming but not too complicated kitchen operation. Take a few organic oranges; peel them by removing as much of the white part of the zest as you can, then slice them into narrow strips. Measure the weight of the orange peels, mix them with the same amount of sugar, pour the squeezed juice of the oranges over them and cook this mixture on a medium heat for about 30 minutes! Once caramelized, let it rest for a day; then repeat the boiling process on the second and third day. If necessary, you can add a little water to prevent it from burning. After the third boiling, let it cool a little and then roll it in a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon. Then leave the slices on a baking grid to dry until shiny. Finally, dip the little orange sticks in melted chocolate and once they’re dry, you can wrap them up in a gift jar or tissue paper.
Salted caramel sauce in a jar with a clasp
Just a few ingredients, 15 minutes, and your fantastic Christmas present is ready.
Ingredients:
- 200 g. crystal sugar
- 2.5 dl. full-fat cream
- 60 g. butter
- half a teaspoon of salt
Pour the sugar into a deep pan and let it melt over a low heat. Meanwhile, heat the cream and melt the butter! Once the sugar has caramelized a bit, add the butter and stir until it’s all absorbed. Turn off the heat underneath, add the warm cream and salt, stir well and you’re ready to go into clasped jars, which you can decorate if you like.