8 Easy Homemade Treats to Give for Christmas

Photo: Victor Schrager

Dark Chocolate Bark

This chocolate bark studded with red cherries and green pistachios is vibrant, delicious, and takes less than an hour to make. We've put it in a red wooden box covered with a sheet of wrapping paper (glue down the edges), which you can cut open to reveal the treats inside.

Photo: Victor Schrager

Diane's Christmas Pecans

A small burlap bag lined with parchment paper makes a perfect gift pouch for these mouthwatering meringue-glazed pecans, one of chef Diane Morgan's favorite holiday traditions. They're terrific with a glass of bourbon for an indulgent late-night snack.

Photo: Victor Schrager

Cranberry Chutney

This gloriously sweet-and-tart chutney is easy to make and packed with cranberries and juicy bits of pear and apple—a combination so striking, you'll want to present it in a clear glass jar. We like using mason jars with festive green fabric wrapped around the lids.

Photo: Victor Schrager

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Balls

These crunchy, nutty, chocolatey confections make such an elegant present, only a beautiful sheet of paper will do as wrapping. One idea: Cut a strip of gift paper and a narrower strip of parchment paper. Layer the parchment on the wrapping paper, place the balls on top, roll, and tie the ends with ribbon.

Photo: Victor Schrager

Maple Caramel Sauce

Friends will love this exquisitely gooey sauce, which elevates everything from pancakes and waffles to ice cream. And it's especially pretty when you pour it into a glass jar (old jam jars in appealing shapes work nicely) and present it with a drizzle stick.

Photo: Victor Schrager

Blood Orange Vodka

When you give a bottle of this juice-infused vodka, you'll want to stick around for the toast. It's not only sophisticated but also incredibly simple to make. After mixing vodka with blood orange juice, you can pour it back into the same bottle it came in (just steam off the label). Or find a beautifully shaped bottle, remove the contents and label, and tie on a gift tag.

Photo: Victor Schrager

Apricot, Ginger, and Walnut Tea Bread

This moist tea bread is so deliciously addictive, you'd better write the recipe on the gift card. Wrap each loaf with decorative paper lined with parchment, and tie a ribbon around the package. (Suggest serving the bread sliced and toasted, with butter.)

Photo: Victor Schrager

Lemon-Pepper-Rosemary Salt

Amazingly easy to prepare, sea salt seasoned with lemon zest, fresh rosemary, and black pepper enhances just about any food it touches—so your loved ones can cook like chefs all year. The salt looks stunning in a covered ceramic jar like this one; suggest a few serving ideas on the gift tag.

8 Easy Homemade Gifts