Pressed for time and working with a low budget for your Christmas gifts? You can always whip up homemade treats and other delicious goodies at home to be gifted to your loved ones. Below, we’ve curated 10 delicious yet easy recipes for nommies that are sure to impress. Do try them out and let us know if the recipes worked out for you! 🙂
You’ll need:
50g of unsalted butter
2 tbsp of honey
2 tsp of sweet smoked paprika
1kg mixed unsalted nuts
2 tsps sea salt
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Place a pan on medium heat, then add the butter and honey. Cook till the butter has melted and place the nuts on a roasting tray. Toss with the butter and honey mix, and sprinkle over the paprika. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes until the nuts have a nice golden colour. Store in tight containers or glass jars.
2. Brownie mix
You’ll need:
1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar
8 oz white chocolate chips
1 cup of all purpose flour
¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp of instant coffee granules
½ tsp of salt
Instructions: Simply mix the dry ingredients together and store it in a glass jar or tight container to be gifted to someone else.
PS: To make the brownie, the receiver will need 1 cup of dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 2 eggs. Add the butter and chocolate to a saucepan until melted, then allow to cool slightly while stirring. Pour into a bowl, then add the dry mixture and eggs. Mix until combined and bake in a 175°C for 40 minutes.
You’ll need:
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and grated
2 cups cold plain Greek yoghurt
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 cup chopped dill
1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Generous pinch of salt
Generous pinch of pepper
Instructions: Wrap the grated cucumber in a cheesecloth and squeeze out all the liquid as this would ruin the creaminess of the sauce. Combine the cucumber with the yoghurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt and pepper. Mix everything and store in a glass jar.
PS: Write a little note to say that the tzatziki sauce should be stored in the refrigerator.
You’ll need:
3 cups almonds
Pinch of salt
Instructions: Make sure you have a good food processor for this. First, toast the almonds until they are warm to the touch. Then, place them in the food processor, together with a pinch of salt, and let it blend away. Keep it running for about 10 to 15 minutes and you’ll begin to see a creamy consistency. Stop when the almond butter is smooth. Store in a glass jar.
You’ll need:
4 and a half vanilla beans
8 oz of vodka, must be 70 proof or 35%
Instructions: Split the vanilla pods down the center to expose the beans, then place them in a tall glass bottle. Add the vodka until the liquid covers the top of the beans.
PS: Do leave a note instructing the receiver to leave it in a cool, dry place, and to shake it every couple of days. The longer this steeps, the better the taste will become.
You’ll need:
½ cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cups of nuts
Instructions: Make a basic caramel by placing the sugar and water in a pot over medium heat. Once it reaches a amber colour, pour in the nuts and mix well. Pour the coated nuts onto a tray lined with parchment paper and flatten out the chunks. Leave it to set and once it does, you can break the brittle up into smaller pieces to be kept in a tight container.
You’ll need:
3 tablespoons powdered creamer
3 tablespoons powdered milk
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1½ tablespoons cocoa powder
Marshmallows and crushed candy cane
Instructions: Place all of the ingredients in a jar one by one so that they are separated into layers.
PS: To make the drink, use 1/2 cup of the mix to 1 cup of boiling water, then mix until combined. Make sure to leave a note together with the gift!
You’ll need:
1 cup double/heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp water
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp sea salt
Instructions: Add the vanilla extract to the cream and set aside. Pour the water and sugar into a pot and stir gently. Over a medium heat, leave the pot for about 6 to 8 minutes and DO NOT stir it. Once the mixture turns into a deep amber colour, take it off the heat and pour in the cream while stirring. Continue stirring until it stops bubbling and add the sea salt. Stir until well combined and store in glass jar.
You’ll need:
125g butter, softened
40g icing sugar, sifted
125g potato starch/flour, sifted
80g plain flour, sifted
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 170°C and line baking trays with greaseproof paper. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and icing sugar for 5 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add the potato starch and plain flour to form a dough. Roll into small balls and arrange on baking tray. Press lightly with a fork to flatten, then bake for 15 minutes.
10. Everyday granola
You’ll need:
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds (can be mixed with other nuts or seeds)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tbs brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 150°C and line baking tray with parchment paper. Mix in the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a saucepan, stir the honey and oil over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour the honey and oil over the dry ingredients, then toss well. Spread it on the baking tray and bake about 40 minutes until golden, while stirring every 10 minutes.
