Well Fed Network

Posted by Candace Grahl on Just Baking.

If you’re like me, you love making food gifts to give. They’re easy, inexpensive, and mean so much more than a store-bought treat. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy receiving a box full of homemade yummies? With Christmas right around the corner, forgo store-bought goodies for homemade treats by dipping all kinds of things in melted chocolate.

My mom makes chocolate covered peanut butter crackers every year and everyone loves them. They’re so easy and the perfect mix of salty and sweet. Just make your PB crackers, dip in melted chocolate (I use a double boiler so it won’t burn or scorch the chocolate), place on wax paper on a cookie sheet, and place in freezer or refrigerator until the chocolate cools.

You can do the same with graham crackers and marshmallow fluff, making smores.

Pretzels are also great covered in chocolate, and you can sprinkle nuts or white chocolate overtop for extra taste.

Melting white chocolate and letting it cool slightly, and placing in a ziplock bag with a hole cut in the tip is a great way to add graphics and visual appeal to your chocolate treats.

Using milk chocolate can be expensive, so I go a little cheaper and use chocolate and vanilla flavored almond bark. It taste just like chocolate, gives a smooth finish, and is much less expensive. Plus I have a slight allergy to cocoa and I can eat this and not have any problems. You can find this in the baking aisle of your grocery store with the bar chocolates and chocolate chips.

Whatever you decide to do, put it in a basket, or a clear bag with some festive ties and you’ve got a great and incredibly thoughtful holiday gift.