‘Tis the season of giving and what better way to show your thanks for others than with a home-made gift.

There is nothing more rewarding than giving something that you have made yourself and most people appreciate the extra time and effort put into a thoughtful, handmade gift.

These days people have so many material items so an edible gift is perfect – it can be enjoyed and then when it is gone, there is no waste or unwanted items that remain.

These festive food gifts can be made quickly and easily, and they also allow for plenty of cook’s license (aka: the ability to add or extract ingredients depending on what you have on hand).

Choose from toasted muesli, entertainers’ dukkah or the travellers’ trail mix and impress your friends and family with a delicious food gift this year. Happy holidays!

Hunter’s toasted breakfast muesli

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 ½ cups of almonds (raw and unsalted)

1 cup pepitas

½ cup sunflower seeds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup of coconut oil, melted

Zest of one orange

1 cup of cranberries or diced dried apricots

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line two baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients excluding the cranberries or apricots. Mix well.

Then add the wet ingredients and ensure all the dry ingredients are coated well.

Spread the mix evenly on a baking tray and bake for 10 –15 mins, until lightly toasted.

Watch carefully as this mix can burn quite easily.

Remove the muesli from the oven and allow to cool. As the mix cools, it will become crunchy.

Once the mixture has cooled, stir through the dried cranberries or apricots.

Place the mixture in a jar for a gift, or store in an air-tight container.

Easy entertainers’ dukkah

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts

½ cup pistachios

½ cup almonds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon Chinese all spice

1 teaspoon salt flakes

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

Toast the whole nuts (walnuts, pistachios and almonds) in a dry frying pan until they start to smell fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat. Then add the sesame seeds to the pan, so they get a chance to lightly toast without burning.

Transfer the nuts and seeds to a food processor.

To the mixture, add the spices, and process until the nuts are broken down to the point that they resemble coarse sand.

Allow the mixture to fully cool before placing in small jars to give as a gift, or store in air-tight container to enjoy at home.

Travellers’ trail mix

Ingredients

1 cup almonds

1 cup coconut flakes

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup pecans

½ cup currants

½ cup sunflower seeds

Method

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until evenly distributed.

Then transfer the mixture into jars for gifts, or store in an air-tight container to serve at home.