Holiday Food Gifts

EUNA MAE’S BREAD SEASONING BLEND
Makes one gift of approximately 16 servings

¼ cup salt
½ cup dried italian seasoning
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Layer the seasoning blend in a small jar; you may choose to leave it layered or you may rather shake it up well to combine it. You can also put it all inside food-safe paper bags that seal closed. Ribbon the with a measuring spoons or thrifted teaspoons and include a tag that says “TIS THE ‘SEASON! Melt one stick of unsalted butter. Stir in 1 tablespoon of bread seasoning blend, and brush on bread before toasting in oven.”

CHOCOLATE SPICED PECANS
Makes 2 Cups

3 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons water
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
2 cups of halved pecans
¾ cup chocolate chips (milk, semi sweet, or mixture)
1 teaspoon coconut oil

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, water, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt.. Line a sheet pan with parchment; set aside.. In a saucepan over medium heat, toast the pecans for a few minutes, stirring often, until they smell nutty and aromatic. Reduce heat to low. Stirring as you pour, drizzle the sugar mixture over the pecans, and stir stir stir until they’re coated. Remove them from the heat, and spread them out on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Allow the coated pecans to cool for at least an hour.

In a small bowl, microwave chocolate chips and coconut oil on high for 1 minute. Stir, and microwave 30 seconds more. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over the sheet pan of cooled pecans or dip half of each pecan in chocolate and lay out on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes then refrigerate until chocolate firms. Store in an airtight container.

PEPPERMINT SUGAR SCRUB

1 cup white granulated sugar
½ cup liquid coconut oil
20 drops peppermint essential oil
10 drops Christmas Spirit essential oil

Combine ingredients together and package in glass jars with little wooden spoons. Perfect for tired hospitality hands and feet!

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT
Makes 8 ounces
4 vanilla beans, split lengthwise then cut into 8 halves
¾ cup bourbon or vodka
¼ cup distilled water

Put split and halved beans inside an 8 ounce bottle. Use a funnel to pour in the alcohol and water. Seal tightly with a lid or cork. Store in a cool, dark place for at least 4 weeks, shaking regularly to loosen the beans and develop the flavor. The vanilla is better the longer it cures.

FRESH SIMMERING POTPOURRI

1 cup fresh cranberries
1 small orange
3 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoon whole cloves
1 star anise
1 vanilla bean (optional)

Slice the orange into quarters. Place all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. Fill the pan with water and simmer on low heat on your stove's smallest burner. Stir hourly and refill the water as needed. Over time, it will start to look like mucky berry sludge. But that's okay. It'll smell so good by then that you won't care a bit! Refrigerate the mixture after each use, adding water and reheating it for up to a month. As you do your holiday cooking, you may freshen the mixture by tossing in your

leftover lemon and orange rinds or occasionally a handful of fresh cranberries. A few shakes or grinds of nutmeg are divine too!

SALTED DOUBLE CHOCOLATE TOFFEE
Makes one sheet pan of toffee

One sleeve of saltine crackers plus a few more
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups mixed chocolate chips (semi/milk)
½ cup pecan chips
½ cup toffee bits
Flaked sea salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baker’s half sheet with parchment paper. Lay out crackers, touching, in rows to cover the whole sheet pan. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, add brown sugar, and whisk until combined and sugar is dissolved. Allow to boil, stirring continually, for 3 minutes. Carefully pour over the crackers, using an offset spatula to gently spread the sauce over the crackers. Bake in 400F oven for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, work quickly to use an offset spatula to sprinkle the chips around the crackers in a single layer. Allow the chips to sit on the crackers for 3-4 minutes to soften, then use the offset spatula to gently spread over the toffee. Evenly scatter the top with pecan chips and toffee bits. Sprinkle generously with flaked sea salt. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set and brittle. Use a knife or an ice pick to break into bite-sized pieces.