Easy Homemade Gifts

From our kitchen to yours, simple recipes for fabulous gifts, from sleek lollipops to spicy jarred sauces.

Candies
The holidays bring out the kid in all of us, and what kid doesn't love sweets? Shiny lollipops and chewy chocolate turtledoves (a variation on the traditional turtles) are irresistible.

Sauces and Chutney
Bottle the sauces here, then mix and match them, giving two, three, six! Their flavors, inspired by farflung places, are as bright as their colors. Best of all, they can be the basis for any number of quick meals—and who doesn't appreciate the gift of time?

Herbal Tea
Sure, you can always buy tea, but nothing matches the pleasure of combining beautiful, scented ingredients like orange peel, rose hips, lemongrass and mint for simple blends to give to friends.

Published December 2001