Luscious Homemade Food Gifts

A savory bacon-and-egg casserole goes mobile in a baking dish the hosts will love to add to their stash. Wrap the dish with a festive holiday towel and ribbon, and tie on wooden letters.

Light baklava provides a break from Christmas cookies and stores beautifully in a holiday tin topped with a magnetic clip and a note from you.

Light-as-air homemade marshmallows are a treat to give -- recipients can add them to hot cocoa on a chilly night. Wrap the marshmallows in a cellophane bag topped with a small chalkboard gift tag (found at a crafts or hobby store).

Mom's classic recipe makes a great gift and looks tasty in a quart jar wrapped with a flour-sack towel and seasonal ribbon.

A crunchy streusel topping adds a festive twist to this brunch favorite. For simple packaging, try an inexpensive basket with a satin ribbon.

Cinnamon and orange zest add pizzazz to this delicious relish, which can be made up to a week in advance. Decorative jars, topped with a cute wooden spoon and personalized note, make ideal packaging.

Simple metal tins look cheerful when decked with leftover wrapping paper or bold grosgrain ribbon. A handwritten tag under the ribbon lets recipients know what delightful treat is nestled inside -- pumpkin pie-spiced nuts.

Give your friends and family a ready-to-devour appetizer -- cheese cubes, Kalamata olives, green olives, roasted peppers, and onion wedges marinated in herb vinaigrette. Fabric dresses up screw-top jars, which are personalized with a homemade label.

This luscious four-ingredient fudge sauce takes basic ice cream up a notch. Make the holiday even sweeter by giving a few jars to family and friends.

For a make-ahead gift your friends and family will love, combine vodka, sugar, and vanilla beans, and then store for a month in a cool, dark place. Copy your favorite drink recipe onto a cute card and attach it to this luscious liqueur for a personal touch.

What's more festive than coffee and chocolate? For stylish packaging, spoon this hot chocolate mix into a bag, tie with thread, and tuck it into a cozy mug with directions.

Individually wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a bit of string, these decadent bars make small but perfect last-minute gifts.

Gingersnap cookies engraved with hearts make an elegant present. For easy gift wrapping, staple heavy paper into a cone shape, decorate it with festive patterns, and add a pretty ribbon for the handle.

A chocolate cookie crust and peppermint-laced filling makes this exquisite dessert a holiday sensation. Package it in an inexpensive beribboned vegetable steamer, available at most Asian markets.

This two-in-one brownie gift looks lovely in a pretty confection box (available at crafts stores). Alternate brownie squares for a fun checkerboard effect.

These crisp, flaky snacks make a delightful gift when wrapped in a starched cotton napkin lined that is wax paper. Personalize it with a vintage card and raffia.

Chocolate-dipped doughnut holes get a holiday makeover with coconut, sprinkles, and edible glitter. For a lovely gift, place them in a pretty tin lined with a colorful napkin.

With the tempting flavors of pumpkin pie spice, espresso powder, and maple syrup, these flaky rolls are anything but ordinary. For stylish packaging, place them in a baking dish and wrap with colorful ribbons.

The crunch of malted milk balls and toasted walnuts adds a fun twist to classic chocolate brownies. Affix decorative paper around a container or tin for a delightful gift.

With melted dark chocolate and creamy coffee-flavored mousse, these tasty tartlets make a great gift. Purchase phyllo pastry shells to save time. Package them in small gift boxes topped with pretty bows.

Honey and chopped macadamia nuts add a surprise to classic holiday fudge. Package pieces in pretty gold or silver boxes.

Cook chocolate pieces and chocolate-hazelnut spread with evaporated milk and sugar for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour it in a glass jar and refrigerate it until serving or giving as a gift.

These rich candies are too good to resist. Wrap several pieces in clear cellophane; tie with red or green ribbon.

These bags of this herbed dry mix make the ideal hostess gift for Christmas open houses and cookie exchange parties.

These festive little candies are great stocking stuffers. You can also gift them in a pretty box.

This merry brownie wreath makes an indulgent gift your friends and family will love.

This gift of prepared cookie mix is endlessly convenient for your friends. They can make the cookies for a holiday party or enjoy them at home with their families.

A gingersnap-cookie crust is topped with a creamy layer of cheesecake filling and tart orange marmalade. Package the tiny tartlets in a cheery box with tissue paper (uncovered).

These salty-sweet bars feature mixed nuts, dried cranberries, white chocolate, and pretzel bits. To give them as gifts, put a few on a pretty plate and tie a bow around them.

With a zesty lemon flavor and lots of crunchy almonds, these cookies make delicious gifts. Give them out in festive jars.

To make this simple candy, dip peppermint sticks in dark chocolate, then roll the chocolate portion in crushed nuts, cinnamon sugar, or sweetened coconut. Wrap in clear cellophane and tie with pretty ribbon for giving.

Toss nuts with honey to coat and place in a decorative container; the sweet topping is delicious on pound cake, ice cream, or even oatmeal. You can store it at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Dip plastic spoons into chocolate, and refrigerate them for 30 minutes to allow chocolate to set up. Drizzle designs in melted white chocolate. Give them in a pretty coffee mug.