Don't drive yourself mad this holiday season buying impersonal gift cards, candles and lotions for the important people in your life. The best holiday gifts are homemade, and you don't need to spend days in the kitchen to make it happen. From classic holiday cut-outs to candied nuts, all of these treats are easy to make.
Buttery and tender-crisp with a thin layer of glaze that adds just the right amount of sweetness, these cookies are as delicious as they are pretty. They're also a pleasure to make: the dough is easy to work with and the cookies hold their shape perfectly when baked. GET THE RECIPE
Sweet, salty, spicy, and rosemary-infused, these nuts make the perfect hostess gift. Be sure to make a double batch so you can keep some for yourself. GET THE RECIPE
A homemade bundt cake makes a lovely holiday gift, especially when it is soaked in butter and rum. This recipe is a from-scratch version of the famous doctored-up Duncan Hines rum cake that my grandmother used to make. GET THE RECIPE
Don't waste your money on those stale popcorn tins this year: homemade flavored popcorn is so much better. This version, adapted from Crazy Good Italian by D.C. Chef and Top Chef All-Stars runner-up Mike Isabella, is tossed with garlic butter, Parmesan, oregano and red pepper flakes. It's insanely addictive (yes, crazy good). GET THE RECIPE
Mandel bread is a traditional Jewish cookie similar to biscotti. The difference is that it's made with more oil or butter, so the resulting cookie is a bit richer and softer. You don't need to dip it in coffee or tea to enjoy it -- it's delicious all on it's own! GET THE RECIPE
My husband calls these candied pecans "crack nuts" because they're madly addictive. They're perfect to keep around the house over the holidays or give as gifts. The best part? You only need four simple ingredients to make them -- and if you start right now, you'll be done in 15 minutes. GET THE RECIPE
Packed in a jar or pretty tin, homemade granola makes the perfect edible gift. This version, inspired by the granola served The Inn at Occidental in Sonoma County, CA, is packed with crispy clusters of old-fashioned oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, toasted coconut, honey and wheat germ. GET THE RECIPE
This gem of a cake comes from Marcy Goldman's much-loved cookbook, A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking. It's tender and moist with tremendous depth of flavor -- there's coffee, orange juice and booze in it -- and the taste of honey shines through. GET THE RECIPE
Caramel corn is easy to make at home -- and you don't need a giant copper kettle, or even a candy thermometer, to make it. There's only one problem: it's habit forming. Seriously, don't make this stuff unless you have the willpower of a saint or many friends to share it with! GET THE RECIPE
This recipe was inspired by Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of the American Academy in Rome by Mona Talbott and Mirealla Misenti. It's a wonderful holiday cookie for gifting because it keeps well for up to a month. GET THE RECIPE