if u dont have the money to buy xmas gifts for friends n fam. is it ok to bake gifts?

Question

if so any ideas or inexpensive recipes would be greatly appreciated ..........no nuts most of bf fam is allergic.................. thx and god bless

Answer 1

Perfectly OK.... make homemade breads, pies, lasagnas, other casseroles. People do love homemade stuff.

Zucchini Bread

3 cups flour 2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
1 ½ cup sugar 1 cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ tsp cinnamon 3 eggs
1 tsp salt 1 tablespoon oil
½ tsp baking powder 1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple
½ tsp baking soda


In large bowl mix all but the eggs & oil. In small bowl mix eggs and oil, pour over mixture and mix really well. Turn/scrape into a sprayed full size loaf pan, bake @ 350 for 45 minutes. Check for done with toothpick, bake up to 15 minutes more until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan at least 10 minutes, turn out of pan to rack to cool completely.

(this recipe doubled makes 5 mini loaves)


Banana Nut Bread

1 box yellow cake mix
1 package Jell-O Instant Banana Cream Pudding & Pie Filling
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix all the ingredients well. Pour into 2 large or 3 small greased loaf pans. Bake at 350° F for 40 to 45 minutes. (For those allergic to nuts, this recipe can be made without the pecans.)

Yield: Makes 2 large or 3 small loaves



Apple Cake

4 cups diced apples
2 cups sugar
1 cup raisins
1 tsp salt
1 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup walnuts
2 cups flour
2 ½ cups apple juice
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon

Mix apples, sugar, raisins, salt. Let stand 1 hour

Add oil, eggs and walnuts.

Sift in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Pour into greased cake pan, 350 degrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes.

Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Answer 2

I may have the money to buy the xmas gifts but I still prefer to bake for them instead and the family members look forward to my baked goods.

LEMON POPPYSEED CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant lemon pudding mix
4 T poppyseeds
1 c water
1/2 c oil
4 eggs

Mix together the dry yellow cake mix, the dry instant lemon pudding mix and the poppyseeds. Add the water, oil, and the eggs - one at a time, beating well after each. Pour into a sprayed cake pan (you can use a bundt pan, a loaf pan, or those mini loaf pans). If you use the mini loaf pans, you can make 8 separate cakes with this recipe to give to 8 different people. Bake 375º for 40 minutes (if you use the mini loaf pans, check it after 25 minutes - look through the window and see if it is domed and looks firm. If not, cook longer. It will get golden.)

Glaze with a combination of butter, powdered sugar (sifted) and lemon juice. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the lemon juice and then add the sifted powdered sugar. I would use about 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 T of butter and 1 T of lemon juice. Pour the glaze over the cooled cakes. Wrap in foil or saran, and, if you have enough money, put a ribbon around it.

I make so many different kinds of mini cakes and put them all in foil. I put the name of what is in the package on the bottom of the foil, held on with a piece of tape. I used to use different colors of ribbons to identify which was which but writing the name and taping it to the bottom is better.

Every Christmas I make Banana Bread, Peanut Butter Fudge, Applesauce Cake, Gingerbread, Lemon Poppyseed Cake, Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
Chocolate Chip cake, Pumpkin Bread, and Rice Crispie Treats.

So you can see there are lots of baked items you can make. The Pumpkin Bread is especially nice but the favorite of all my friends and relatives is the Lemon Poppyseed cake.

Answer 3

Certainly OK; in fact most people would be appreciative.
You could make batches of cookies for the holidays.
Too bad about the nuts;-{ all my best recipes have nuts.
Just wrap them up in fancy boxes or Christmas paper.
CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD:
Cream 1/2 cup butter & 2/3 cup sugar, in large bowl.
Add 2 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
Add 1 cup mashed bananas (3), & 1 tsp vanilla.
Beat well.
Combine in medium bowl:
2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup chocolate chips,
2 tbsp sifted cocoa, 1 tsp baking powder,
1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt.
Add to banana mixture, stir until just moistened.
Spread evenly in greased loaf pan.
Bake in 350F oven for about 1 hour.
Test until wooden pick in centre comes out clean.
Let stand in pan 10 minutes, before removing to rack.

Answer 4

I do this all the time. I swear, I am the only stay at home mom I know and most of the people I know don't have the time to make these. and they just buy them store bought. It's a welcome package. make em pretty. They have lovely packaging for baked goods and not that expensive too.

sugar cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons white sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar with butter until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; mix into the batter until well blended. Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough in half and roll 3/16 inch thick on floured surface. Cut dough with cookie cutters and sprinkle with white sugar. Place cookies onto greased baking sheets.
Bake for 7 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until delicately golden.

fudge
INGREDIENTS
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Set aside.
Combine sugar, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Stir to blend, then bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer. Do not stir again.
Place candy thermometer in pan and cook until temperature reaches 238 degrees F(114 degrees C). If you are not using a thermometer, then cook until a drop of this mixture in a cup of cold water forms a soft ball. Feel the ball with your fingers to make sure it is the right consistency. It should flatten when pressed between your fingers.
Remove from heat. Add butter or margarine and vanilla extract. Beat with a wooden spoon until the fudge loses its sheen. Do not under beat.
Pour into prepared pan and let cool. Cut into about 60 squares.

not to mention its fun. create something good!!!

Answer 5

absolutely!

When my wife and I were newly married we had nothing. We used to make things for people just like that. Go out and get the Big Mason Jars, I think they are the full quart jars). Make a boat load of the hot chcolate mix below and fill them. Put a beautiful ribbon around them and a nice hand written card.

You'll be amazed at how people respond :)

25 oz non-fat milk powder
16 oz non-dairy creamer powder
16 oz presweetened cocoa mix
13 oz chocolate malted milk powder
1 cup powdered sugar

Use 2 - 3 tablespoons per cup.

Answer 6

Yes it is acceptable and greatly appreciated. Like moms tell their kids homemade it the best gift. My favorite sites are Martha Stewart and the food network. Martha has the best in packing and boxing, some of her recipes and the ones from the food network are great. I make these every year my family waits for them. They don't freeze well due to the candy.
Stained Glass Cookies
Ingredients
Makes about 3 dozen
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
7 ounces assorted clear colored hard candies, such as Jolly Rancher, colors separated and finely chopped (about 30)
Directions
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl; set aside.
Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until smooth, 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix until combined. Stir in vanilla.Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out chilled dough on a well-floured surface to a little more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a 5-inch tree-shape cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a triangular cutout in center of each cookie for candy filling. Reroll scraps, and cut.
Sprinkle candy in a single layer in hole of each cookie, avoiding edges of triangle. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
Bake cookies until candy has melted and completely filled cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centers may become bubbly. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from parchment. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

Answer 7

some of my absolute favorite gifts from the holidays are baked goods, we bake every year for family, through out the year we usually buy christmas tins from thrift stores and stuff(they can be as cheap as ten cents, just be sure to wash them), they still have a ton at christmas time too, then we bake a variety of cookies, candy etc, we've made chocolate covered marshmellows with holiday sprinkes, truffles, decorate sugar cookie, chocolate dipped pretzels, all sorts of stuff they're really great fantastic gifts, they seam more personal too, because a lot of love when into baking it =D

Answer 8

yah. Why not make some fudge. Just buy a shep cute xmas tin contaner, and put it in there, and stick a bow on the top. It is what my gramma does every year for us. It is so fun on xmas morning to open up a box of fudge or cookies or whatever you made, and share it with your family. Esspecialy if it tastes good.

Answer 9

I have done this for years and my family loves it...I bake cookies (from scratch or ready to bake) and make different candies, arrange in a plastic Santa tray ( you can get them at the Dollar Trees) add some festive wrapping and you are set to go....Good Luck and I hope you have a Merry Christmas

Answer 10

To make it even easier on yourself, you can get containers and add dry pasta and put some garlic or peppers in some olive oil and put in decorative bottles. Wrap with some hemp string or other material. You can get these bottles at a dollar store in all sorts of shapes. If you want you can attach a package of seed for an herb also.