Food Gifts

This article appears in the Make It From Scratch Carnival over at A Bit of Flour.

I’m thinking about Christmas so, for this Sunday recipe edition, I’m publishing some food gift recipes. Food gifts are great for teachers, co-workers, the mail man, the UPS guy, all the people in your life who you want to honor. I keep baked goods by the front door throughout the month of December and hand them out to all the people who’s hard work allows me to do my work from home.



This first recipe is from Michael Chiarello. Put a scoop of these into a cello bag and tie it with a ribbon for a nice presentation.

Spiced Candied Almonds

Peanut or canola oil
4 cups almonds
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, sifted and divided
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Pinch salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat about 1-inch of oil to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add almonds and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain and transfer nuts to a medium bowl. While nuts are still hot and slightly wet, add 1 cup sugar and toss to coat nuts. Stir and toss until all the sugar has melted into the nuts; if bits of un-melted sugar remain on the nuts, they will not fry properly.

Stir the nuts again before frying. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer a few nuts to the hot oil, allowing the foam to subside before adding another spoonful. (Otherwise, the oil could foam over and burn you.) Fry in small batches until the nuts are medium brown, about 45 seconds; be careful not to overcook. Scatter on an unlined baking sheet to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, stir together cayenne, cinnamon, cocoa, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, a pinch of salt, and pepper.

While the nuts are still warm, transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle evenly with about half of the spice mix. Toss well to distribute the spices and then taste a nut. Add more spice mix, to taste, and toss well after each addition. When cool, pack in an airtight jar. They will keep at room temperature for at least 2 weeks.



This next recipe is from Emeril Lagasse. All the chocolate makes it a little pricey to put together but it actually makes 4 pounds of candy! Once you divide it up for individual gifts, the cost per gift is pretty reasonable. I have made this bark for Christmas buffets before and it always gets inhaled!

Three Chocolate Bark with Spiced Pecans and Dried Cherries

7 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups pecan pieces
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 pound semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
1 pound milk chocolate, cut into pieces
1 pound white chocolate, cut into pieces
2 cups dried cherries, rehydrated and chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


In a large saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and is bubbly. Add the pecans. Season the pecans with salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar starts to caramelize and coat the pecans evenly. Cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and spread the pecans over a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and roast the pecans for about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely. Break the pecans into small pieces.


Fill 3 small saucepans halfway up the pan with water. Place the pans over medium heat and bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. In three separate mixing bowls, add each type of chocolate into the individual bowls. Place the bowls over the saucepans. After about 2 minutes over the heat, the chocolate will start to melt. Stir each chocolate until totally melted. Remove the chocolate from the heat and stir 1 tablespoon of butter into each bowl of chocolate. Pour each type of chocolate over the marble or a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the pecans and cherries over the chocolates. Using a metal spatula, spread the mixture out evenly back and forth to about 1/4-inch thick. Either place the marble in the refrigerator or allow to sit out until set, about a couple of hours. Break the bark into medium pieces and serve.

Do you have a favorite food gift recipe you'd be willing to share? I'd love to see it!