Chocolate-Orange Biscotti

Every year, the list seems to get longer: Friends, family, neighbors. Teachers, co-workers, party hosts. And the lines at the mall get longer, too. So how do you give everyone something special while minimizing your holiday stress?

The answer: sweet treats you've created yourself! Nothing says thoughtfulness, sharing, and joy like gifts that come from your own oven. And the satisfaction you'll derive from creating them is like a gift to yourself. You can even make holiday gift baking a family affair by encouraging spouse and kids to help cut out cookies, decorate, or wrap the packages.

And don't worry—with C&H at your side, it's easy! Here are some recipes for sweet gifts that always win praise, along with tips for making your gifts extra special.

What Makes It a Gift?

Your mother was right: it's the thought that counts. Even the simplest baked gift can be impressive when its presentation is visually appealing. Giving a cake? Put it in a colorful hatbox from a department or discount store. Mix up a cookie assortment—a few bar cookies, a few cutouts, some tea cakes—and arrange them on a pretty, old-fashioned plate from a thrift store, which becomes part of the gift. Place a half-dozen biscotti in a coffee mug that you've wrapped in colorful cellophane and add a half-pound of espresso beans—festive, inexpensive, and welcome.

Finally, personalize your gift with a handwritten card or note. Even nicer, print out the recipe — or write it if you're proud of your handwriting — and include it with your baked gift. (You could even frame it!) That way, it's truly a gift that keeps on giving.

It's Easy - with a System

Experienced bakers know the importance of pacing. Take a tip from them and space out your holiday gift baking to make it easy and convenient. "Break it down into simple tasks," is professional baker Flo Braker's advice.

Start with a list of recipes and recipients. Then inventory your cupboard and shop for ingredients, equipment, and packing materials. Make cookie dough when you have a free evening or two; you can freeze dough discs, tightly sealed in plastic wrap and foil, until you're ready to bake. You can also freeze most baked goods; to make sure you haven't forgotten anyone, mark each wrapped batch with its recipient's name.

Cleanup becomes less of a chore if you line your cookie sheets with cooking parchment (available in rolls in most supermarkets and specialty food stores). You can reuse each parchment sheet several times in a day, and then discard it.

Planning to mail your baked presents? Allow plenty of time for shipping, and choose recipes that don't fall apart (one reason fruit cakes are such perennials!). Pack your "treasures" as you would fine china: in sturdy, thick-walled boxes with bubble wrap, tissue paper, foam pellets, even edible popcorn.

What to Give?

Raspberry Lemon Tartlets

Almost anything you make yourself will be a very special gift. But here are some suggestions for holiday gift treats that will really impress your family and friends.

Miniature baked goods are charming to look at, irresistible to sample, and small enough not to be too filling. Flo Braker's Sweet Miniatures (see Baker's Profile) collects some of the best classic and innovative recipes. Among the easiest are Drei Augen (German for "three eyes"—a reference to the circular cutouts on the top layer of each jelly-filled shortbread cookie); Dutch Chocolate Minicakes, baked in miniature muffin cups and given extra crunch with toasted hazelnuts; and Raspberry Lemon Tartlets, filled with a simple lemon custard and garnished with fresh mint leaves.

Biscotti are the classic dipping cookie. They get their firm structure from being twice baked (the literal meaning of "biscotti"), and are sturdy enough to be shipped. Vary our Chocolate-Orange Biscotti by substituting any chopped, toasted nuts, from pecans to pine nuts to macadamias, or by changing the flavoring — orange or lemon extract instead of vanilla, for example. Biscotti are especially attractive when dipped into melted chocolate, then cooled in the refrigerator. For a quicker route to tasty biscotti, try our Biscotti Marone or Jam-Filled Biscotti Cookies — they're baked only once, and are moist and chewy instead of crisp.

Candies are easy and fun to make, and everyone enjoys the results! Invest in a candy thermometer to ensure consistent results; make double or triple batches and have plenty on hand for last-minute gifts. Almond Butter Toffee, topped with chocolate, is delicious for nibbling; Crystallized Nuts, Spicy Sugared Pecans, and Sugared Walnuts are the perfect hostess gifts. Kids will love helping make (and eat!) Popcorn Balls and our super-easy Never-Fail Fudge (no baking required!). And Hazelnut Amaretto Balls—a cross between candy and cookie-are simple yet beautiful and yummy.

Quick breads are easy to bake and delicious all year round, but they also make a festive holiday presentation. Simply bake them in mini loaf pans and place them in a paper-lined basket along with a selection of flavored teas. Cranberry-Nut Bread and Pumpkin Bread are wonderfully spicy and seasonal, and our Banana Nut Bread has an especially rich flavor because it uses C&H Dark Brown Cane Sugar.

Dutch Chocolate Minicakes

Finally, it wouldn't be the holiday season without fruit cake, but traditional fruit cakes are notoriously heavy and famous for being passed along as "re-gifts." Our Festive Loaf Cake is a different breed of cake altogether-light in color, fragrant with orange zest, and slightly spicy from the addition of crystallized ginger. We especially like it served with Winter Fruit Compote, which makes a lovely gift on its own-simply spoon it into pretty glass jars and decorate with a ribbon bow.