Homecooked Gifts for Coffee Lovers

Dipped Candy Canes are a delicious holiday treat to give to your favorite coffee connoisseur. To make dipped Candy Canes, simply purchase a box of quality canes for each gift you will be making. Then, purchase one large bag of white, one small of butterscotch, one of small dark chocolate, and one of milk chocolate chips. You will also need sprinkles, cellophane, wire twist ties, and ribbon.

Using a double boiler or melting carefully in the microwave, melt one variety of chip at a time and prepare a candy cane for dipping. Unwrap the candy cane about three inches from the bottom leaving the crook and part of the length still in factory packaging. Holding the crook, dip the cane in the melted chip candy almost up to the packaging, but leave about ¼ inch of exposed cane before the factory plastic. For the white chocolate, add sprinkles before the candy cools. Hang drying candy on a length of string between cabinets. You may want to dip the candy a few times to make the base thick. After the candy has dried, wrap the exposed newly-candied base in cellophane. The candy will make a unique coffee flavor stir if you did it properly. I like to put them in a mug for presentation.

Another great homecooked gift for coffee lovers is flavored candy spoons. To make these, you have to follow the instructions for making hard flavored candy. When the candy has begun to cool, take high-quality spoons and spoon up a serving of the beautiful clear candy leaving a slight drip on the bottom. Chill on waxed paper being careful not to spill the spoons. When hard, you can wrap in cellophane. These are BEAUTIFUL. I have even substituted the hard candy recipe light corn syrup for honey and made spoons for tea drinkers. You can find great spoons at a thrift store or dollar store, or you can use plastic if you allow the molten candy to set up really well first. You don't want to melt your spoons, and they will if you dip the candy into them when the candy is still too hot!

Rock candy is another wonderful gift for coffee lovers that you can make yourself. Use kitchen skewers and plan for a LONG process. Heat 4 cups of water to boiling and add 2 cups of sugar. Stir until dissolved. When it starts to look clear and rolling pour it into a tall jar. Cover the jar with a piece of wax paper. Affix a rubber band around the outside of the paper to keep it still. Poke several skewers into the jar with plenty of space between them for crystal growth. Watch over a period of a week as the crystals form all over the skewers. DO NOT MOVE THE JAR DURING THE PROCESS. After the crystals are as preferred, remove from solution and dry. Arrange skewers and wrap in cellophane. For a variety of flavors, have several jars going at a time and add flavoring and food coloring to the mixture a few minutes after you remove it from the heat but before it has finished cooling and you add the wax paper and skewers.

Have fun making homecooked gifts for your favorite coffee lovers. If properly cooked and presented, these gifts are a delicious way to say Happy Holidays!