The holidays are nearing and you are scrambling to get your Christmas list done but homemade gifts have been a fad lately and what more to make your recipient happy than homemade treats they are sure to love.
Food gifts are not that popular but if you make it extra special by making it personal, as in you making the food and doing all the baking, makes the recipient of the gift more appreciative. It's best to give these kinds of gifts when you have been invited to a friend's house for a dinner or a party.
What you need for the first of the three treats we have for you today are mason jars, goat cheese logs, olive oil, rosemary springs, chili flakes, red bell peppers and black pepper. These will make marinated goat cheese.
Make four small balls from the goat cheese log and stack them into one of the mason jars. Fill it will all the herbs we have earlier mentioned and fill it with olive oil until the balls of cheese are covered. Let it marinate for an hour at room temperature then place the jars in the refrigerator and keep them chilled for a couple of hours. This treat can be stocked for up to two weeks provided that it is refrigerated.
Another is the chocolate balsamic blaze. Just by reading the name, we are sure your friends or loved ones would go ga-ga over them.
You would need balsamic vinegar, water, cocoa powder, brown sugar, kosher salt and vanilla extract. What you have to do is make a chocolate sauce on the stove then combining it with the balsamic glaze. In making the glaze, you have to pour the balsamic vinegar into the saucepan and it has to boil over medium heat.
As for the chocolate sauce, water, cocoa powder, brown sugar and kosher salt should be combined in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil then continue to whisk it until it is smooth. Let it cool as well before mixing it with the glaze you earlier prepared.
Lastly, a homemade Dijon honey mustard would also be a great gift because it's mustard and everyone loves it! You would need whole mustard seeds, white wine vinegar, dry white wine, kosher salt, red chili flakes, garlic powder, honey, and ground allspice.
Place the mustard seeds, the vinegar, and the white wine in a bowl then cover it and let it sit in the counter for a whole day. Place the mixture in a blender then add all other ingredients and blend it until it becomes smooth. The mustard can be kept for a whole month provided it is refrigerated.
