Gifts for Foodies

Time is running out and, as you may be realizing in a panic, this is your last weekend to gather up any -- or all -- Christmas gifts. At the risk of promoting stereotypes, I would venture a guess that perhaps some of the men reading this column may find themselves in this very predicament. But then some of us females are relatively last-minute, too. I'm (slowly) learning not to be. In either case -- whether you're done or you're scrambling, if you've got some time to be in the kitchen, homemade treats are always a lovely gesture.

Gifts from your own kitchen are perfect to give to co-workers, hosts, teachers -- all those people you'd like to give just a little something to. Cookies are always lovely but even better is to give something with more lasting power. People are usually overwhelmed by treats at this time of year. I think we have all watched someone joke, "Please don't tell me this is something sweet," while unwrapping a gift of homemade baking or a box of Turtles. Meanwhile, I'm not sure they're really joking. A treat that can be tucked away and enjoyed later is a good compromise.

In preparation for this piece, I polled several foodies in the region: what do they like to make and give away at this time of year?

Dana Shortt, of Dana Shortt Gourmet in Waterloo, said she likes to give away homemade hot chocolate mix and chocolate-dipped marshmallows. Easy enough -- there are lots of variations on hot chocolate mix, most of which are some combination of cocoa powder, powdered milk and sugar (sometimes chopped chocolate, too) but you can experiment by adding spices to make it more interesting. You could dip store-bought marshmallows in melted chocolate, or, if you're feeling really ambitious, make your own marshmallows relatively easily. A quick Google search will give you tons of recipes to choose from.

Granola came up as a gift idea from Nina Bailey-Dick, a resident of Waterloo and a champion of local eating. She recommends using locally grown grains (look for Oak Manor Farms brand from Listowel or ask for what's local at the farmer's market or health food store). Granola can be eaten now or popped into the freezer for the new year. It's great with yogurt or milk and it's healthy. The Moosewood Restaurant New Classics recipe for Maple Nut Granola is one of my favourites, passed onto me by a friend who always has a supply of it in her kitchen. But there are gazillions of recipes out there worth trying.

In years past, I've given away little jars of homemade chai tea -- also really easy to do. This year, my big project was salted caramels. I came across the recipe in A Year at Les Fougeres, a beautiful cookbook from the restaurant of the same name in Chelsea, Quebec. (If ever you are in the Ottawa area, do make the trip across the river to eat there).

The recipe below is halved from the original and I made a couple other minor adjustments, too. I always find making caramel somewhat terrifying on account of all that beyond-boiling sugar. (I also have the scars to back up the fear). Be sure to use a deep pot so there is no risk of boiling over, and if things start to get scary, turn the heat down and take your time bringing the mixture up to the right temperature. Finally, when adding the cool ingredients (like the cream) into the boiling caramel, pour slowly and carefully.

Fleur de Del Caramels

One 9x13 inch pan

2 cups sugar


1/2 cup water


1-1/2 cups glucose or white corn syrup


1 tsp salt


1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces


2 cups cream


1 cup sweetened condensed milk


1/2 tbsp vanilla extract


1 to 2 tbsp fleur de sel for sprinkling

Combine sugar, water, corn syrup and 1 tsp salt in a heavy-bottomed pot. Stir to combine then bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, washing down the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush. Place a candy thermometer in the mixture and let it cook without stirring until the thermometer reads 250F. Wash down the sides of the pot again.

Add butter, stirring gently to help it melt. Gradually stir in half of cream. Bring to a boil and let it cook to reduce to almost half. During this time, the mixture will begin caramelizing and changing to its distinct colour. Stir in the remaining cream. Continue to boil, stirring in a figure eight motion, until the temperature reaches 250F again. Remove from heat.

Stir in the condensed milk. Return to heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 244F. Remove from heat and continue to stir for two minutes; it will start to thicken. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into parchment-lined pan. When cooler but still tacky, sprinkle with fleur de sel. Leave uncovered at room temperature over night. Unmould and cut into squares with a cold knife.

-30-