Freshly baked biscotti, candied nuts and chilli oil: Alice Taylor's easy, delicious treats will bring your friends and family more joy than (almost) anything money could buy.
This year my partner and I are giving homemade gifts for Christmas. We are actually putting them together as I write this and honestly it is the most fun I have ever had preparing a gift.
People sometimes worry that a homemade gift will seem too simple or not quite enough. I couldn’t disagree more!
Yes, depending on what you make, you can absolutely save a bit of money. But for me it has been more than that; there is something so rewarding about creating gifts from scratch, and something meaningful in receiving one.
Today I'm sharing the recipes for three treats that we packed into giftboxes (with some other goodies such as marmalade and a bottle of wine). I tend to combine storebought gifts with homemade, but you might want to cook all your gifts from scratch. You could even branch into handmade soaps or small sewing projects. But we are chefs, food is our language, and so our Christmas gifts are 100% edible!
1. Chilli oil
You would be hard pressed to find someone who does not love chilli oil or at least live with someone who does. It is perfect for gifting because it's cheap to make in bulk, especially if you buy chilli flakes from an ethnic supermarket.
I prefer mine simple with no aromatics so the flavour stays clean. But you can absolutely add star anise, cinnamon or peppercorns if that's your style.
Chilli oil ratios
- Mild to medium: 4 parts oil to 1 part chilli
- Medium: 2 parts oil to 1 part chilli
- Hot: 1 part oil to 1 part chilli
You can find the full instructions in my earlier column.
2. Biscotti
This recipe comes from my partner’s mother whose biscotti is legendary. Once, on a drive from Florence to Rome, I ate an entire container of them!
Biscotti is brilliantly versatile. Use whatever nuts, seeds, dried fruit or chocolate you have. If someone has a nut allergy, omit the nuts and use more chocolate or even a touch more flour.
I have adjusted the original recipe to use oil instead of butter to keep the cost down, but if you prefer butter, use around 200g.
INGREDIENTS
150 g oil
300 g sugar (I like to use a mixture of brown and white sugar)
3 eggs
500 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
Around 100 g nuts, seeds, dried fruit or chocolate
Pinch of salt
METHOD
Combine the oil and sugar.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add flour, baking powder, salt and your chosen nuts, seeds or fruit. Mix until combined. I find mixing with my hands is easiest.
Shape the dough into 4 logs and place on a lined baking tray.
Bake at 170°C for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Cool slightly (around 10 minutes), and then slice to your preferred thickness.
Reduce the oven to 150°C and bake the slices for another 10 to 20 minutes until crisp.
Pack these into a clear bag or jar and they look instantly festive!
3. Candied nuts
Candied nuts are a Christmas classic and one of the easiest things you can make. You only need sugar and nuts, though we often add a spoonful of cocoa powder because it gives the coating a richer look, especially on nuts with skins. Today we used almonds because they were a great price!
INGREDIENTS
500 g toasted nuts
500 g sugar
250 ml water
1 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)
METHOD
Combine the sugar, water and cocoa powder in a pot and bring to a simmer.
Add the nuts and cook over high heat, stirring constantly.
The syrup will reduce, then crystallise. Keep stirring continuously through this stage.
Continue cooking for another five minutes while the sugar melts and recrystallises around the almonds.
Tip onto a lined tray, spread out and allow to cool completely before packing into jars.
The finishing touches
We also added a few bits we had made earlier in the year, including a homemade grapefruit marmalade and a rosemary salt that could not be easier. Simply mash together rosemary, salt and a little garlic until fragrant.
To assemble everything, we filled each box with wood shavings, tucked in the jars and packets, added a handwritten Christmas card and closed the lid. Christmas, sorted!
Chef Alice Taylor posts cooking videos as @alicetayloreats on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
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