Choosing holiday gifts for family is hard enough, never mind finding personal and affordable ways to wish co-workers, teachers and neighbors the best of the season.

But with a little planning and time in the kitchen, holiday gift-giving need not be a nuisance. And it can be delicious.

For example, a pretty jar of homemade spiced nuts or hot fudge sundae topping come together quickly and for less money than a basket of scented candles or another bottle of wine. There are other benefits, too.

"If you can spend a day at home with your kids cooking in the kitchen, that is a little more meaningful - for the kids and the person who is receiving the gift," says Deanna Cook, director of creative development for FamilyFun magazine.

Making edible gifts work means devising a strategy now, not a week before Christmas.

Experts advise breaking this into two parts: Decide what you're making; then decide how you'll package it. And do both early. You don't want to leave finding hard-to-get ingredients to the last minute. Ditto for packaging.

WHAT TO MAKE

Jennifer Aaronson, food editor for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., suggests making just one or two items, especially if you are new to giving edible gifts. "Don't try to give 52 different things," she says.

Choose something easily made in large quantities, such as candied bark, dessert toppings or gingerbread cookies.

Aaronson says her husband's specialty is homemade cocktail onions. "He makes a really large batch and divvies it up."

Also, consider foods that will last at least a few weeks, preferably without refrigeration. This is easier for you (no need to rush the gift out or make it at the last minute), and the recipient, who may not want to eat it immediately.

Aaronson loved a simple cinnamon sugar mix she received from a co-worker. The gift tag read, "Have a sweet holiday."

"It was so simple and so cute," she says. Another option would be to present the same gift with a cookie recipe (perhaps even a cookie cutter) that stars the cinnamon sugar mix.

Cook and her daughters, ages 7 and 10, start choosing recipes and making a shopping list of ingredients and packaging options right after Thanksgiving. That allows time to test the recipe and their container choice to make sure both work.

HOW TO PACKAGE IT

When it comes to packaging edible gifts, think beyond the obvious cookie tin or plastic wrap.

"There are so many container options and so many more stationery stores now, you can really go crazy," says Tracey Seaman, test kitchen director for Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.

Search online or at craft stores, she says, and you'll find loads of paper choices, such as Chinese food containers or seasonal card stock. Cellophane (clear, colored or decorated with holiday images) is another great choice.

When Seaman's crew at the magazine made caramel pretzel turtles for the December/January issue, they presented them in cones made out of heavy card stock. And they would look equally nice bagged in festive cellophane and tied with ribbon.

Another option is the plain white boxes (some have windows in the tops) sold in varying sizes at candy and baking supply stores. Cook likes those because her kids can decorate them with drawings or messages.

Alternatively, Aaronson likes presenting those pastry boxes tied with a combination of ribbon, wide and thin, in complementing colors. "It looks quite modern," she says. "And it's simple and inexpensive."

For heavier-duty containers, there is any number of glass and plastic options. Spiced nuts look lovely in an old-fashioned canning jar tied with a ribbon.

Seaman has presented homemade nut butter and a loaf of bread together by placing the jarred nut butter inside a hollowed out section of the bread. To serve, the butter can be emptied into the bread hollow and enjoyed together.

"So much of (the gift) is the container," says Cook, who has given pancake and biscuit mixes in fun jars. "Start early and make sure you are able to buy 20 of them."

Bake up a batch

Need some inspiration for easy edible gifts? Spread some holiday cheer with these goodies:

* Spiced nuts

Nuts are nice because they have staying power. Spiced nuts stay fresh for a few weeks, so they can be made well before the holidays. Some recipes emphasize sweeter flavorings; others tend to the spicier side. Allow a few hours for the nuts to dry and set before packaging (think Asian food boxes or glass jars), but active time in the kitchen is under an hour.

* Gingerbread family kit

This is a twist on a holiday favorite. You do the hard work of baking the gingerbread people and leave the fun of decorating them to those on your gift list. Bake a variety of gingerbread people (don't forget pets) and box them along with goodies for decorating. Tubes of icing, small candies and string licorice are good options.

* Candied citrus peel

This is a classy and unusual gift for anyone on your list. There are many recipes online, all of which require removing the peel from the fruit, cutting it into strips and boiling it first in water, then in sugar syrup before rolling the pieces in sugar. For a decorative touch, dip the ends of the finished pieces in melted chocolate.

r Homemade marshmallows

These are easy, inexpensive and impressive. The ingredient list is simple - unflavored gelatin, corn syrup, vanilla extract, salt and sugar. You can even swap out the vanilla extract for peppermint. Use cookie cutters to cut them in holiday shapes, such as stars. There are plenty of recipes online, including one at Martha Stewart's Web site, http://www.marthastewart.com.

* Caramel pretzel turtles

These involve almost no cooking. Tracey Seaman, test kitchen director for Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, rolls out candy caramels into ovals, pinches them around short pretzel nuggets, then dips them in melted chocolate. Finish by rolling each pretzel in crushed toasted almonds or walnuts.

* Hot fudge sundae topping

This will last several weeks in the refrigerator, and, if packaged in a small jar, won't take up much room. FamilyFun magazine's recipe (available at http://www.familyfun.go.com) mixes unsweetened chocolate, butter, water, sugar and corn syrup into a heavenly topping. Butterscotch topping is a good alternative. Package in a nicely decorated jar. For a more elaborate gift, accompany the sauce with sundae dishes and long-handled spoons.

* Peanut brittle or chocolate bark

Both are easy to make in large batches, keep well, and call for affordable and common ingredients. You don't even need a steady hand for cutting because they look best when broken into uneven pieces. White pastry boxes are a great choice for packaging, and allow you to vary the size according to your recipient list.

* Granola

Granola requires almost no effort, keeps for weeks and most ingredients are cheap. Recipes are easily adapted (add the dried fruit and nuts of your choice), and many make large batches for easy gifting. Cellophane bags or clear glass jars (such as the wide-mouth versions used in canning) make great packaging. The Internet offers numerous simple recipes.

- Associated Press

Caramel Pretzel Turtles

This four-ingredient, no-cook recipe is simple to assemble (perfect for getting children involved) and produces attractive, delicious treats for doling out at the holidays. For gift packaging, consider wrapping each turtle individually in cellophane, hard-candy style, then heaping them in cones fashioned from festive card stock.

14-ounce bag soft caramels (about 48)

10-ounce bag pretzel nuggets

12 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups toasted almonds, finely chopped

Start to finish: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels. One at a time, place a caramel between two sheets of parchment paper (not the paper from the baking sheet), then use a rolling pin to roll it into an oval about 1/8-inch thick.

Wrap the flattened caramel around a pretzel nugget, pinching the ends to seal. Set aside on another sheet of parchment paper. Repeat with remaining caramels and pretzel nuggets.

In a double boiler over simmering water or in the microwave, melt half the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. If using a double boiler, remove the pan from the heat. Add the remaining chocolate and stir until smooth.

Place the almonds in a shallow bowl. One at a time, use a fork to dip each pretzel nugget in the chocolate to coat, tapping off any excess, then dip it in the almonds to coat. Set on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining pretzels.

Let stand until set, about three hours, before packaging.

Makes 48 turtles.

- From the December 2007/January 2008 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine

Crunchy Granola

This granola is simple to make and can be packaged for gifts in large canning jars or decorated cellophane bags. For a more elaborate gift, consider including a set of breakfast bowls and spoons, or an attractive glass milk pitcher.

7 cups (11/2 pounds) rolled oats, uncooked

1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut (optional)

1 cup wheat germ

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup diced pecans or walnuts

1 cup sunflower seeds, raw or toasted

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 cups mixed dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, cherries, diced pineapple, diced apricots, chopped dates)

Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes (15 minutes active)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly coat two rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.

In a very large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, wheat germ, almonds, pecans and sunflower seeds. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, salt, maple syrup and vanilla. Pour over the dry mixture, stirring and tossing until everything is well combined.

Spread the granola on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 90 minutes, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes or so with a heat-proof spatula or spoon. You want to bring the granola at the edge in toward the middle, so it all browns evenly. Reverse the baking sheets in the oven (top to bottom, bottom to top) each time you stir.

When the granola is a light-to-medium golden brown, remove it from the oven and cool completely on the pans.

Transfer the granola to a large bowl and mix in the dried fruit. Package as desired. The granola will keep for several weeks when stored in sealed containers at room temperature.

Makes 18 cups.

- From The King Arthur Flour Company

Gingerbread Family Kit

Give the gift of hassle-free fun with these gingerbread family kits. You do the least exciting part (baking the cookies), and let your recipients do the decorating. Package the cookies (one for each member of the family, and don't forget pets) with small candies and decorating gels.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

2/3 cup molasses

Candies and tubes of frosting, to decorate

Start to finish: 3 hours (1 hour active)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.

In another large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until incorporated.

Divide dough into four pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

One at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using cookie cutters of people and pets, cut out gingerbread cookies. Combine scraps and cut additional cookies.

Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, placing them about an inch apart. Bake eight to 12 minutes, or until just lightly brown at the edges.

 

Cool cookies on baking sheet for one minute, then remove to wire racks to cook completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

To assemble the kit, line a 9-inch-square plastic container with tissue paper. Add enough undecorated cookies for each family member receiving the gift. Add candies and string licorice for decorating the cookies and a tube or two of frosting.

Makes about 20, 5-inch cookies.

- From the editors of FamilyFun magazine