If you are still trying to get your act together about what homemade edible presents to give out this holiday season, I'm here to tell you that you are not alone. I myself have done precisely zilch about it, but that's okay: today is Tuesday, Christmas eve is this Sunday, and that still gives me plenty of time to pick a recipe, buy the ingredients, and get started, right? Right? Thank you.
I would hate to spoil the surprise for the usual recipients of my food gifts, who happen to read this blog every once in a while -- especially just before they see me so they can pretend they read it more faithfully than they probably do --, so I can't tell you exactly what I'll make, but I will gladly point you to a few recipes I'm considering (but haven't tested yet):
~ Jenjen's Maple Brandy Snaps,~ Monica Hayden's Havreflarn, as recommended by Marie,~ Nolwenn's Dried fruit biscotti (in French),~ Pascale's Chocolate caramels (in French),~ Bulle's Guimauves, the French marshmallows (in French).
Add to those twelve gift-worthy favorites from the C&Z archives (a selection you would have received in your mailbox three weeks ago if you were a happy subscriber of my monthly newsletter):
~ Very Ginger Cookies,~ Shortbread, ~ Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies,~ Green Tea Cat's Tongues,~ Chocolate-dipped Apricots,~ Dried Pears (which you can chocolate-dip, too),~ Mendiants,~ Florentins,~ Spiced Chocolate Peanut Butter,~ Wine Jelly,~ Almond Lemon Curd,~ Pear and Cacao Nib Jam.
And a bonus recipe, that of the cornmeal macarons* I've come up with a few months ago: I was hoping to create delicate two-bite numbers that would make good teatime companions, preferably with a lightly crunchy crust that would yield into a soft, nubby heart. I tinkered and stirred and trusted my instincts, and I was quite pleased with what I got -- pleased enough to make a few more batches since then (it is such an easy one-bowl, scoop-drop-'n-bake recipe), in different flavor incarnations: violet, citrus zest and pepper, or simply vanilla.
* See here for more on the use of the word "macaron".
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Just as a reminder, you have until Friday to make a donation in our Menu for Hope fundraiser and get a chance to win some of the cool prizes; my sincere thanks to all of you who have already donated with such generosity.
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