Three perfect homemade holiday gifts from the kitchen

With the holidays right around the corner, food host Charmaine Broughton joined us this morning to share some recipes that are sure to brighten your spirit.

All of the recipes are from Broughton’s cookbook  Delicious & Doable: Recipes for Real and Everyday Life. There is a whole chapter in the book dedicated to homemade gifts from the kitchen. 

Whether it’s for the holidays or for a birthday, Broughton encourages people to get into the kitchen, roll-up the sleeves and give a gift from the kitchen and the heart. 

Double Decker Gingerbread Fudge

Broughton says her whole book focuses on using ingredients that are pantry stable. 

“If you have all the ingredients to make gingerbread cookies, you only need to purchase a couple of other items,” said Broughton.

She says to melt down bitter-sweet chocolate with sweetened condensed milk. Pour that into an 8 inch square baking pan and then put it in the fridge to chill.

For the gingerbread layer, melt white chocolate with sweetened condensed milk, a little bit of molasses and spices. Once you layer this on top of the chocolate fudge, let it chill until firm. 

Vanilla Sugar

Broughton says this is the easiest homemade gift you can imagine. She says to find old jam jars or mason jars and fill them with sugar. 

“You’re going to take a vanilla bean,” said Broughton. “Cut into four pieces and put each piece into each jar of sugar.”

She says to close the jars and decorate with a holiday napkin fastened around the lid with string. Within 48 hours, the sugar will take on the flavour of the vanilla.

Peanut, Dried Fruit & Rosemary Bark

Broughton says if you have never tried rosemary with dark chocolate, it is a great combination. 

“Again, take the pantry-stable items like peanuts, dried cranberries or cherries and a little bit of cayenne pepper believe it or not,” said Broughton. 

Once you stir these ingredients with chopped fresh rosemary, mix with melted dark chocolate and top the bark off with any leftovers.

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