Christmas Candy Gift Ideas

As Christmas is fast approaching, you might be wondering what are some good holiday candy treats you can make this year. Making homemade Christmas candy can be a wonderful treat and a great gift idea if you are looking for something simple yet personal. If you want to make some Christmas candy gifts for this Christmas, here are some great Christmas candy gift ideas that you can make without much trouble. You can get all the ingredients you will need for these ideas as well as appliances and kitchen tools at your local retail or grocery store for about 10 dollars for each recipe.

Orange Cranberry Bread although it is not really a candy, is still a great homemade Christmas gift idea for that special loved one this Christmas. Oranges and cranberries are in season during the fall and is associated commonly with the Christmas season. To make the orange cranberry bread you will need to get 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 large egg, 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, and 1/4 cup dried cranberries. You need to preheat your oven to 375 degrees and put some grease on a 9 by 5 pan. Then, whisk your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add your orange juice, orange zest, egg, and oil into the mixing bowl so it is lightly combined together. Next you want to stir in the whole and dried cranberries. Spread the whole and dried cranberries evenly in the pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a fork or toothpick is inserted and it comes out with nothing on it. Let the orange cranberry bread cool on a rack for about 20 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool for a good hour before cutting. This would be a good Christmas gift idea for someone who likes oranges or cranberries and for someone who enjoys great bread with their warm Christmas drinks. The orange cranberry bread will make 1 loaf of bread that you can divide into gift baskets for several people.

Buckeyes are a common Christmas candy treat and they are very easy to make. Christmas candy buckeyes will be a great homemade candy for anyone who loves peanut butter or chocolate this Christmas season. To make buckeyes you will need 2 teaspoons of vanilla, 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter, 1 can coconut, 1 pound of confectioners sugar, 2 sticks of butter, 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs. You should mix all of the ingredients together and let it sit in the refrigerator for several hours in order to combine. Melt your chocolate chips either on the broiler or in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Roll your mixture into one-inch balls and dip the balls into the heated chocolate and then set onto wax paper to dry. You should only dip the ball mixture into the chocolate far enough to cover all but the top part of the ball. Let dry on the wax paper for about 12 hours, and this should make about 36 buckeyes. This recipe is a favorite of mine because it is similar to a peanut butter cup and is a great Christmas candy.

Scotcheroos are another great homemade Christmas candy you can make this holiday season, and is a simple yet fun candy that everyone will love. You will need 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup syrup, and 6 cups of Rice Krispies. All you need to do is bring the peanut butter, syrup, and sugar to a boil and then stir it a couple times. Once you have the ingredients to a boil, you then will add that to the Rice Krispies as a topping. If you want to you can put the Rice Krispies in a pan to make pouring the mixture easier and less messy. This makes a great Christmas candy treat for people who like Rice Krispies and chocolate and makes a great treat for the children.

Peppermints are a fun decorative candy and make a great homemade candy idea for Christmas. Peppermints are something most people like and find soothing as well as delicious. If you want to make some peppermints for a homemade Christmas candy this season, the recipe is very simple and you can even get your children involved. All you will need to make peppermints is 11 1/2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of boiling water, and about six drops of peppermint extract. Boil your water and add the sugar into the pan, stirring until all of the sugar is dissolved into the water. Let the sugar and water boil together for ten minutes then remove it from the heat and add your six drops of peppermint oil, you should beat the mixture together until it is semi-thick. Take a spoon and get a small amount and drop it onto a waxed pan. This peppermint candy is great for people who like peppermint and enjoy a small treat for snacking and after meals.

Chocolate marshmallows are another great idea if you want to make homemade Christmas candy this year. Chocolate marshmallows are great candy gift ideas for people who like chocolate or marshmallow and like a sweet treat that is not very messy. For the chocolate marshmallows you will need 1/4 pound of milk chocolate, 32 marshmallows, and fresh grated coconut. Put the chocolate into a saucepan and heat very slowly until all of the chocolate is melted. You then want to quickly dip the marshmallows into the melted chocolate and roll it one time into the coconut. Once you have the chocolate marshmallows done, you simply place them on a plate with wax paper underneath and let it chill for a few hours.