Two Chocolate Christmas Gifts You Can Make Yourself

Chocolate is a classic favorite for most people. If you decide to give chocolate for gifts this holiday season, you can be almost certain that your gifts will be appreciated. Now, you could go out and spent $30 to $40, or more, for gourmet chocolate gift baskets. Here is a site where you can find such baskets. Here is another site with pre-made chocolate gifts.

Or, for a fraction of the cost, you can create your own yummy chocolate gifts that are sure to be a hit with everyone on your gift list. This article will show you how.

Chocolate Fudge

Creating gifts of fudge is a holiday tradition for our family. We get the kids involved and make a batch big enough for family, friends, and sometimes teachers and other acquaintances. We actually have people who, having received a gift of our fudge in the past, ask when the fudge is coming.

As a family, we haven't created our own fudge recipe so I don't have a family secret recipe to share. Generally, we make the fudge recipe that can usually be found on the back of a jar of marshmallow crème-you know the recipe with tons of sugar, evaporated milk, and tons of chocolate. It's very similar to this recipe .

Once you've chosen a basic fudge recipe, you can customize it by adding things to it and by using different types of chocolate. What can be added to the fudge? Just about anything that won't melt. The most common add-in to fudge is nuts, usually walnuts or pecans. For variety, add a type of nut that you know the recipient loves. Have a cashew lover on your list? Try cashews in fudge made with milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate. Another fun fudge add-in is hard pretzels. Chop hard pretzels into bite-size pieces and simply add as you would nuts. Smashed candy canes are delicious in white chocolate fudge.

Dip it in Chocolate

Dipping a variety of tasty items in melted chocolate is another fun way to get the kids involved with creating the chocolate gifts. Once the chocolate hardens, you can package your gifts.

Almost any type of hard cookie or cracker can be dipped in melted chocolate to create a unique delicacy (beware of crumbling). Try dipping shortbread cookies in dark chocolate for a tasty treat. Vanilla wafers and sugar cookies are other fun items to dip. Chocolate-dipped rice krispy treats are also yummy.

Make your own chocolate-covered pretzels by dipping any type of pretzel in melted chocolate. This creates a salty-sweet chocolate gift. Nuts can also be individually dipped in chocolate for a similar salty-sweet flavor.

Fresh and dried fruit can also be dipped in chocolate. Try dipping fresh strawberries or cherries in milk chocolate or white chocolate. (Note: when creating chocolate gifts made of fresh fruit you will want to make certain that the treat will be eaten right away.) Many types of dried fruit can also be dipped in chocolate. Try dried apricots or raisins.

You can dip plastic spoons in chocolate to make your recipient feel really pampered. The spoons can be used to stir hot chocolate or coffee. To make a special impact, get fancy one-of-a-kind silver spoons at flea markets and garage sales. There is no need for the spoons to match, so get the fanciest and most ornate spoons you can find. After cleaning the spoons thoroughly, dip them in chocolate to create a special stirring spoon gift that will last after the chocolate is gone.

Gift Presentation

Gift presentation is important. Each chocolate gift item should be individually wrapped or placed in an attractive sealed container. You can make your own gourmet gift baskets by filling a pretty basket with a variety of individually wrapped chocolate gifts and topping it with a bow. A single item or two may be wrapped in placed in a Christmas gift bag for an acquaintance. A chocolate spoon can be wrapped in plastic, and tied with a fancy bow for a unique teacher's gift. We clean and save decorative cookie tins, which can be refilled with chocolate gift items. If you cannot give your chocolate gift right away, you will need to store it in a cool, dry place. (Do not store for more than a few days.)