Woo, it’s the first Friday in December! How did this happen? I feel like it was the 4th of July just yesterday…
With Christmas just around the corner, here are some Friday Finds: DIY Foodie Gifts, perfect for your culinary crew.
(All pictures and post links will direct you to the original item or blog post. Picture credit belongs to the original authors.)
Sriracha Salt
In case you didn’t know, Sriracha is a thing. A HUGE thing. And I love it.
In a plethora of spicy sauces, Sriracha is my go to sauce for eggs, toast, savory oats, noodle dishes, and rice.
I’ve not ventured so far as to try it with sweet things, but this recipe for homemade Sriracha salt from Bashful Bao is definitely a must for hot heads like myself. I can see it on veggies, fish, and especially popcorn!
Hokey Pokey
I used to be obsessed with the candy bar Violet Crumble. I couldn’t figure it out.
It was described as honeycomb coated in chocolate, but it was definitely not the type of honeycomb I’m used to thinking of (i.e. the one from bee hives).
So imagine my surprise while watching an episode of Nigella Express when she went on about Hokey Pokey honeycomb candy. Cha-ching!
Nigella’s recipe is one I’ll be using a lot this holiday season. I’ve had a hard time finding true golden syrup without paying an arm and a leg, but substituting dark corn syrups yields almost the same result.
Beurres Composés (Compound Butters)
Giving away logs of unsalted butter = bad idea. Giving away logs of uniquely formulated compound butter = GENIUS!
This is another infinitely easy DIY gift and the combinations are endless. Start with softened unsalted butter and blend with fresh herbs, zest, fruit, honey, or citrus juice. Shape by molding or rolling in parchment and chill till needed.
Mobile Cuisine has some great combinations to inspire you. Definitely great for a dinner party, where the recipient can immediately put this gem right into a fridge.
Biscotti
During the holidays, baked goods reign supreme. But while the brownies, cakes, bars, tartes, and bundts saturate the air, I turn to my old friend biscotti. (unlinked image courtesy of Wikipedia)
The ultimate biscotti recipe is from one of my favorite foodie bloggers of all time: David Lebovitz.
His life-changing Chocolate Biscotti recipe can be found here.
With respect to his picture privacy policies, I will not be embedding an image of his biscotti, but that’s all the more reason for you to click the link and discover it for yourself.
Vanilla Extract
This gift takes about 6-10 weeks to come to fruition, so it’s a little late to get started in time for Christmas.
However, if you put a cute little tag with “Use After ___” , I really don’t think people would mind waiting for this stuff. I wouldn’t.
Michelle, from Brown Eyed Baker, has one of the best recipes for homemade vanilla extract I’ve seen. Once you realize how simple it is, you’ll be making your own for years to come.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to homemade gifts, let me know if you plan on making something special in your kitchen!
