edible xmas gift ideas?

CANDY! I swear it is the easiest thing to make! Look up recipes for peppermint bark and almond bark. Bark is probably the easiest holiday candy to make or brittle and you can put whatever you want in it it doesn't have to be almonds. Go to www.allrecipes.com they have lots and lots of ideas. I get so burnt out on making cookies every year that I like to mix it up. Also you can put your cookies and candy in some of that clear decorated wrap or lay some tissue paper in a holiday tin or basket and give it as a gift.

Ps: making brittles and barks is a whole lot

cheaper and less time consuming than making

cookies...

"White Trash"

My aunt used to make it every christmas, its delicious!!

4 cups Rice Chex

4 cups Wheat Chex

4 cups Corn Chex

4 cups Cheerios

1 can peanuts

1 can mixed nuts

1 can raisins

1 can pretzels

1 1/2 lbs. almond bark

Melt almond bark over double boiler (or 2 minutes in microwave). DO NOT OVERCOOK. Stir frequently while melting. Immediately pour over mix, mixing thoroughly. Spread out on wax paper. When cool break into smaller pieces. Store in covered containers lined with wax paper.

Simple as that =] i promise you its a delight.

bake up 5 or 6 different types of cookies.. and then seperate them all in their varieties so you can give out little plates of combo cookies..

chocolate chip

peanut butter

ginger bread cookies

soft sugar cookies

walnut bars

snickerdoodles

brownies

oatmeal raisin

etc etc

Almond Snow Cookies

Makes about 132

1-1/4 cup soft butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

3/8 teaspoon LorAnn almond oil (www.Lorannoils.com) or 2 to 3 tsp. almond extract

1 cup finely ground blanched almonds

3-1/2 cups sifted flour

Confectioners' sugar

Cream shortening, butter and granulated sugar; add eggs and beat until light. Mix in almond oil and ground almonds. Add flour to creamed mixture and mix thoroughly. Chill dough or not.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 F. Scoop dough into small balls (I use a 1-1/4" ice cream type scoop) and place on ungreased baking sheets about 2" apart. Slightly flatten top with a dampened cloth-covered glass. Bake until set but not brown, about 14-16 minutes. Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies as soon as you take them out of the oven. Cool on cookie sheet. When thoroughly cool, but not cold enough to stick to cookie sheet, remove cookies from cookie sheet and roll in additional confectioners' sugar.

Cranberry Decadent Cookies

Makes about 26

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (this is not a typo)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups white chocolate chips, divided

1 cup dried cranberries

1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease large cookie sheets. Melt semi-sweet chocolate over low heat in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave (at 50% power) and cool. Combine dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in 1 cup white chocolate chips and the dried cranberries. If dough feels very soft or wet, chill for 10 minutes. Drop by teaspoons on to greased cookie sheets. Bake until cookies look dry and cracked but still feel soft when pressed lightly, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand on sheets 3 minutes. Remove to rack and let cool completely. Place 1 cup white chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on medium (50%) power for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue microwaving for 10 seconds and stir again. Repeat just until white chocolate is melted. Scrape melted white chocolate into a ziplock baggie. With a sharp scissors, snip off a very small corner of the baggie. Drizzle top of cookies with zig-zags of melted white chocolate. Cool until chocolate is set.

chocolate turtles

mini fruit cakes

marshmallow snowman or bunnies

chocolate covered orange / lemon peel or ginger pieces