Comments on: Homemade Gift Series #10: Homemade Cookies and Gift Bundle

By: Matthew

Matthew — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:22:26 +0000

Well last Christmas I decided to bake christmas cookies as my gifts. I found large tins and ended up exhausting myself with assembly line baking. Each tin contained about six to eight dozen cookies of 8 differenat varities. It was too much. And frankly was worn out from the effort and I am not sure my weight conscious friends enjoyed being handed a 2 kilo container of sugar and butter laoded treats!

Ok so this year, I found out that I got $300 in free coupons as a give back from my credit cards for the Home center, a cookware store. So I got for free 20 clear plastic containers with colorful tops. They hold about 18 cookies…So I was able within two days to bake 5 differant varieties that filled all the canisters. I added a few hershey kisses and candy canes and they look very festive. Reducing the nbr, aside from being practical from the production point of view, also makes it a more welcome gift to the weight watcher.

By: SwingCheese

SwingCheese — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 15:46:30 +0000

@Lisa (#14): I do, and it’s super easy. 2 parts sugar to 1 part oil, a few drops of your desired scent. And the best part is that you can alter the recipe as you like.

1 c brown sugar + 1/2 c olive oil + vanilla is great for the fall.

1 c granulated sugar + 1/2 c vegetable oil + lavender is great for spring.

1 c granulated sugar + 1/2 c vegetable oil + a few drops of mint (either essential oil or extract) + a few drops of red food coloring would be a nice candy cane themed scrub. There is a lot of room for creativity.

By: Carole

Carole — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 03:17:54 +0000

This recipe also happens to be gluten free. Oats are not considered to contain gluten but they do bother me. I am a Celiac. However most celiacs would be able to eat these.

By: Ashby

Ashby — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 19:55:08 +0000

I found some great cellophane bags at the dollar store – 10 in a pack – for $1.00. Printed with holiday designs. They worked great in baskets, filled with cookies, homemade hard candy and trail mix/snack mix. Combined with homemade strawberry jam, and bread, these are my primary gifts this year. Thanks for the great suggetions!We’ve been trying to rein in the Christmas spending successfully for several years now. Most friends agreed to give to charity instead, and we get together for a pot luck dinner and discuss which charity we chose. Our kids love this, and it teaches them about giving back. Some friends still want to exchange gifts, and they receive the gift baskets described above. One year I got a very expensive sweater from a friend, who got a gift basket in return, and was furious! I reminded her that we agreed not to exchange expensive gifts and she said “I didn’t know you really meant it.” Needless to say, next year we didn’t exchange at all. :-)

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 18:05:35 +0000

@SwingCheese (#12)
Would you happen to have a recipe for that?

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 17:24:44 +0000

As someone who has read several vegan* cookbooks/baking books, I’m surprised just subbing tofu works.

I’m also surprised it works with margarine, too.

*I’m fully aware this finished product is not vegan.

By: SwingCheese

SwingCheese — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:45:13 +0000

@Michelle (#5): I love making homemade sugar scrub. If you don’t have rose petals and don’t want to go the essential oil route, you can also use a combination of olive oil (or any kind of vegetable oil), brown sugar, and vanilla. It smells delicious! The only down side was that each time I used it, I had such a craving for homemade chocolate chip cookies… :)

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:33:43 +0000

I’m loving the series, too.

But if you are adding in “odd” ingredients, please warn folks.

Many folks think Splenda is natural “because it is made from sugar.” Nothing is further from the truth. The last time i had Splenda (accidentally at a pot luck) it put me in the ER.

There is a lot of evidence that “low fat” diets/foods are not healthy, soy has very mixed results in the health arena, and canola oil is highly processed and unnatural. Lots of people have peanut or nut allergies. So many people are gluten intolerant.

Not to complain, but just to encourage folks to think thru choices. Holidays are a wonderful time and homemade gifts are so thoughtful. But you might want to put an ingredient label on some things so folks know what they are getting.

By: littlepitcher

littlepitcher — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 13:45:02 +0000

Any tries on using applesauce, banana, or prune puree in the cookies to replace part of the fat?

My ancient copy of Joan Ranson Shortney’s How to Live On Nothing stated that soy flour can be used as an egg replacer.

By: deRuiter

deRuiter — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:52:39 +0000

Great Post Trent. After the holidays I buy packs of leftovoer Christmas themed napkins and some different sized Christmas paper plates. I’d use the napkins to line the basket to make it more Christmas looking.

By: April411

April411 — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 07:19:27 +0000

I say you have a contest and send one of these baskets out to one of your readers! I love all the homemade gift ideas.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 04:32:37 +0000

I too am enjoying this series and anyone that gives me cookies as a gift is a friend indeed.

By: kristine

kristine — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 04:29:55 +0000

I have truly enjoyed this series. When I make cookies, or banana bread, I use canola oil instead of butter, whole wheat flour (always), an Splenda instead of sugar. This way even my diet conscious and diabetic friends will use and appreciate! Banana bread is an awesome holiday gift- and so easy! You can get overripe bananas for next to nothing, and use small loaf pans. They freeze well, so you can make them ahead of time too!
Next year I will be making that lavender soap- and sending a big basket of that and home baked goodies home for my daughter to take back to college!

By: Michele

Michele — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:54:22 +0000

I would love to receive one of these baskets! What a lovely, thoughtful, unique gift!
Trent- I have another suggestion for you for a wonderful easy Christmas gift….homemade sugar scrub.
I make sure I save all the rose leaves from my fragrant roses and dry them. When they are completely dry, I save them (by color) in gallon size plastic bags. COMPLETELY DRY.
Around Christmas gift giving time, I take 4 cups of while sugar, 1 cup of kosher salt, 1 gallon bag of dried rose leaves of one color and put them into a food processor. I blend them on high and add canola oil through the feed slot until it’s bound together but not runny.
I buy $1 tins at the dollar store and pack it into the tins to give as gifts. If you don’t have fragrant roses, you can add a drop- ONE DROP- of essential rose oil to each batch- but I have not had to do so yet! All of my friends love the wonderful bath scrub for knees, elbows, feet and hands! It’s great on skin in the winter and leaves a very light sheen in those dry months! The only caution is make sure to clean out the tub or shower with soap after using the scrub- the oil can make the tub or show a bit slippery.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:11:15 +0000

I also really like the homemade gift series as well. I hope that you can continue this in the future.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:00:20 +0000

I absolutely LOVE that these are eggless, using a tofu substitute! (Much of my family is vegetarian, including some who don’t eat eggs, or would prefer not to). Have you or your wife tried substituting this tofu for eggs in any other cookie recipes? Also, can you give a quick description of what “whipped tofu” is? In the picture it looks like soft tofu, so can I safely assume you just whip it up? Thanks!

By: Courtney

Courtney — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:17:15 +0000

I wanted to thank you for this awesome series! I’ve really enjoyed reading it.

How many cookies does this recipe make?

By: Julia

Julia — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:09:36 +0000

I really like reading your home-made gift ideas. But I have to admit, it makes me very happy that I’m not doing any gift exchanges this year :)
When I consider all of these ideas combined, that’s a lot of work and a lot of planning.

Cheers to you and your wife for actually doing it!