Holiday Treats

[Caroline923]

Need ideas for business holiday treats that can be hand delivered and in a warm climate - I will be doing the baking/cooking myself so need things that can be mass produced.....

[nakji]

Homemade jams, sundae sauces, powdered hot chocolate mixes.

Spiced nuts, flavoured popcorn.

How hot a climate are we talking?

[Caroline923]

hot - Houston, Texas......

[zoe b]

homemade mustards, bbq sauce--easy and fun to make.

[highchef]

I taught my son's girlfriend how to make marshmallows from the now famous thread...showed her the combinations and invited her to have at it. She now makes marshmallows in what ever flavor suits her at the time and makes rice krispy treats with them for her babysitting clients! She's mixed cinnamon marshmallows with choc.chips, cinnamon chips with choc. marshmallows, done strawberry krispies, plain chocolate krispies (choc marshmallows). You get the picture. we're in s.w. LA right down I-10 from you and they keep great.

Who are you giving these to? Is it a corporate thing, clients etc, or are you giving it to the clients and their families? That dictates what I give, and whether I need to be kid friendly or not. (like no bourbon in the bbq sauce!) I second the spiced nuts too, you're in pecan country and if you need a very addicting recipe for spiced pecans let me know. They make GREAT gifts because you just can't stop eating the darn things!

Patty

[Caroline923]

It is for clients - corporate america - and recipe would be most appreciated...

[highchef]

Caroline: sorry it took so long to post back, I've been out of town away from my recipes.

Heres the Pecans:

2 egg whites from large eggs.

2 teaspoons of orange juice (fresh oranges, you need the peel)

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

2 teaspoons cinnamon (the good stuff)

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt

6 cups fat Texas/LA pecan halves!!

spray/grease 2 jellyroll pans, preheat oven to 275

beat whites and juice, then add the spices and salt to mix.

cover pecans, stirring well to coat.

spread out over greased pans, separating the halves as best you can (it's impossible to keep them all from touching each other, just do the best you can...it's a sticky situation!) and bake 50 minutes, give or take 5. With a flat spatula, turn the pecans while trying to keep them in a single layer, about every 15-20 minutes. This is the hardest part...just set the timer on them so you don't forget to do it.

cool and store airtight.

I'm going to make some tonight as I just quit smoking again and have put a very serious dent in my holiday chocolate. Nuts are good for you, yes??

tell me how you like them, and if anyone has another recipe I'd love to try it as well.

Patty

edit: I know this is singing to the choir, but it's imperative that in a spice laden mix like this that you use fresh, check the date fresh, spices. This time of year, I usually take out all ground spices and replace with new..that way they are in place for halloween thru Christmas. I don't throw out the old ones. I used to give them to a friend who was crafty and used them to make spiced oranges that hung on a metal tree with ribbon...used glue, the old ground spices, 1/4" ribbon and a thumnail at the bottom and top. she used cloves to stud the ribbon to the orange after she had rolled it in glue and then the spices. Since she's moved, I just X through the label to note that it the old stuff and throw it in a simmer pot with peels to scent the house during the holidays. It's not wasted.

Another gift item I highly endorse is making vanilla extract. I use fresh (3 or 4) vanilla beans per quart bottle of a good kentucky bourbon. I'm sure you can use vodka as well. Just hide the stuff, or mark it well cause the bourbon drinkers really don't check for vanilla beans...they just pour. When this happened after the hurricane last year and I questioned them (the beans had been in the Jack Daniels for over 6 months) they said they noticed but thought they had mixed it with vanilla coke. They drank half the damn bottle before I realized what they were doing!!

Cheers!

Edited September 7, 2006 by highchef (log)