So, as various gift-giving occasions approach, I’ve been trying to think of things to cook/bake/make as foist off on my relatives. The problem is, holiday baking is such a staple, that giving out pastries and such seems underwhelming, like giving someone latkes for Hanukkah. Instead, I was thinking it’d be nice if I could make something non-perishable that could actually be wrapped up and handed out for later consumption - my dad, for instance, used to can plums, but I don’t have a pressure cooker, so that’s out. I was thinking candy (peanut brittle was mentioned in another thread), and that would be totally cool, except I’ve never made candy before.
Ideally, I’m looking for something that’s a little out of the ordinary, just to make it specialer. So, for instance, I was thinking I might try almond brittle, or hazelnut brittle, instead of peanut brittle. Something that sort of emphasizes the homemade aspect. So, anyone have any cool, unique candy recipes? I’m totally down for other long-lasting foods too, I just can’t think of any that don’t require special equipment to make.
Give up. We live in a society of special needs babies. That peanut brittle is going to send someone’s special little angel into anaphylactic shock.
Gift certificates are the way to go. You’ll be resented for not putting enough thought into it, but no one has enough time to put enough thought into today’s special needs babies.
I don’t think you need a pressure cooker for canning. I’ve canned pickles, pasta sauce and salsa quite successfully with an ordinary kettle (um, not all in the same jar, natch).
A couple of times, I’ve given gifts of pasta sauce made from home-grown produce and homemade dried pasta. Seemed to go over pretty well.
Nah, I’m pretty sure if my any of my relatives had deathly allergies, Thanksgiving would have been a whole lot more morbid. Fortunately, I don’t have anyone to give gifts to that I don’t talk to fairly regularly, so I’m not really worried about this.
Eek, this fills me botulism-terror. I was under the impression that you really do need a pressure cooker to eliminate the chance of death-by-pasta-sauce.
Apple butter. That’s just a generic recipe, but it has the basics down–I personally prefer to use a mix of white and brown sugar in mine, and usually skip the cloves because I don’t like them. Apples are dirt cheap and really good right now, apple butter is probably the easiest form of jam you can make and you don’t need a canning rig to preserve it in jars, either.
My favorite way is to put the jars (I use the decorative “quilted” half pints) in an otherwise empty dishwasher, run it through a full cycle and leave it closed–try to time your need to fill the jars with the end of the dry cycle so you can fill the jars while they’re hot. Another good method is to wash the jars in hot soapy water, rinse well then put them in a 200[sup]o[/sup] F oven to stay hot until you need them. Bands and lids should be put in a pot of water that completely covers them, brought to a boil then turn off the heat, use tongs to remove the lids and put them on the hot filled jars while the lids/bands are also hot. Believe me, people go apeshit for this stuff, it’s wonderful on toast and if you heat it in the microwave it’s the best topping for French vanilla ice cream EVAR. Couple jars of this stuff wrapped up with a little bow on top and you’ll be the talk of the town…
Hmmm… well, not to hijack my own OP or anything, but on further review, it looks like high-acid (like, say, pasta sauce) foods can be safely canned in boiling water. Although the government-approved apple-butter recipe calls for equal amounts cider and vinegar, so maybe their definition of high-acid is… unusual.
I’ve made excellent peanut brittle on my first try, without any advanced equipment like a candy thermometer. Basically, grease a rimmed baking sheet and set it aside. Take equal volumes of sugar and the nut of your choice; for about a pound, use two cups of each. Put the sugar in a heavy skillet/saucepan on low heat; shake it occasionally until it turns to liquid. Then stir until the sugar turns golden; if it gets to brown, it’s closer to burnt than you want for this. Stir in nuts, plus a bit of salt if you’re using unsalted nuts, then immediately pour everything onto the greased baking sheet. Let it cool, then break it into pieces. If you want neater pieces, score a square pattern in the brittle with a knife when it’s sort of solid, but not yet totally hard. The whole thing, aside from the cooling, should take you fifteen or twenty minutes.
Really. It’s incredibly easy. There’s a nice video of the caramelizing here, although she uses a higher flame than I would for this, and ends up with a darker color than you want for a brittle.
I was just coming in to suggest apple butter. Or for something a bit more festive, caramel apple jelly. It’s quite nommy.
If you have a mixer, you could make marshmallows. If those are sealed up, they keep for ages, and you can make them any flavor you can imagine.
Flavored oils or vinegars or syrups are a great gift too. With proper storage, they’ll keep for months. Just like the marshmallows, the flavor possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
I don’t have any specific recipes handy, but how about some Brownie Mix or Cookies in a Jar–sandart style, just add eggs and oil. Or Bean Soup–add a hambone and maybe some onion and tomato.
