Cook Fast, Live Young: Tasty Treats that Make Great Holiday Gifts

Looking for a gift for someone who has everything or an inexpensive way to let someone know you care? Make a special holiday snack! Everyone enjoys homemade goodies, and they're fun to whip up. Invest in some cute holiday tins, colored cellophane or themed paper plates to create a simple package, and then get to work in the kitchen. If you want to go all out, you can even buy a basket from your local crafts store. It's cheaper than purchasing a pre-made holiday gift basket, and you'll be able to give it your personal touch.

There are hundreds of ideas for holiday snacks that you can make, but here are a few of my favorites:

Caramels
Rich and buttery, these are sure to be a hit!

1 cup butter or margarine
1 pound light brown sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients except the vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil while stirring constantly. Once the mixture reaches between 235 and 240 degrees F, cook it for an additional two minutes.

Don't have a cooking thermometer handy? You can test if the caramel is ready by dropping a small amount of the syrup into cold water. It should form into a soft ball that easy flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.

Once you've removed the caramel from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan, and pour the caramel in. Let it cool at room temperature. And voila! You have caramel. Simply cut them into squares and wrap them in waxed paper.

Chocolate Popcorn
Change it up by adding marshmallows, peanuts, cashews, or dried fruit to the mix!

2 quarts popped popcorn
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Grease a 10 x 15 baking sheet. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Then mix in the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and cocoa powder, and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Then remove it from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour this chocolate-y mixture over your popcorn (and any other goodies you want to add to the mix!) Once it's well-coated, spread the popcorn over the prepared baking sheet and pop it in the oven for 30 minutes. Every ten minutes or so, take it out of the oven to stir it, so that it cooks evenly.

Once you've removed it from the oven, let it cool at room temperature. Then break it into smaller clumps and wrap it for your friends and family!

Next week, I'll be posting some ideas for Holiday Cookies which also make excellent gifts!

Juliana Weiss-Roessler has ten years of professional writing and editing experience. For four years, she managed the web content for the star of an Emmy-nominated reality series. Currently, she is an editor for the geek girl e-zine PinkRaygun.com, a contributor to the career blog at Resumark.com, and owner of the food blog CookFastLiveYoung.blogspot.com. Follow her @cookfast on Twitter and learn more about her work at WeissRoessler.com.