Tips for Homemade Holiday Gifts

Holiday baking can be a great way to create personal homemade gifts for people you care about, without getting intimidated or exhausted by holiday shopping. Plus, it will leave your kitchen smelling delectable, and you can avoid long lines and parking-lot panic by spending an afternoon at home instead of at the mall.

Homemade biscotti can be a unique variation on the classic cookie package this holiday season. Try sending a variety: double chocolate, white chocolate-cashew coffee, and dark chocolate-dipped anise biscotti can come together to create a delicious holiday biscotti bouquet.

Packaging tip: Wrap it up with a seasonal mug and a packet of hot cocoa or coffee.

Who says you can't play with your food? Gingerbread people transform a holiday snack into a party. Start with our classic sugar cookies, then use creative cookie cutting to spell out children's names, shape their favorite cartoon characters, or make classic holiday shapes.

Too much candy in their stocking this year? Try our sugared cranberries (pictured). At 118 calories per serving, they're a great light alternative to packaged sweets.

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to say "I love you" with our Raspberry Linzer Windowpane Cookies (pictured). You can use this easy romantic trick for an assortment of other treats, including our Christmas sugar wafers.

For easy, delicious treats that only look like you spent hours in the kitchen, try our five-star rated Raspberry Strippers or Mocha Double-Fudge Brownies.

For college students far away from home, December brings an extra hurdle: final exams. Cheer them on with a personalized care package. Place notes of encouragement, fortunes auguring good grades, and well wishes in our Send-A-Message Fortune Cookies (pictured).

Our top-rated Caramel popcorn, blondies, and homemade bars can fuel any student through finals week.

Homemade jams and spreads like our five-star Cranberry-Orange Marmalade (pictured) can be a sweet, affordable gift for your neighbors.

If you love cookies (who doesn't?) bake several batches and send an assortment – like spiced vanilla cookies, chocolate or brown sugar shortbreads, cinnamon-sugar, and molasses cookies.

For an interactive approach, host a holiday cookie swap for neighbors and other local friends.

It doesn't take much more effort or expense to send your gifts in style. Use cute tins from a dollar store and line them with parchment paper to add some flair to your packages.

Paper bags are another affordable and unique way to wrap your holiday packages. Just fold over the top of the bag, punch a hole in it, and loop some ribbon through. Remember to pack your treats tightly if you'll be sending them through the mail.