Quick & Easy Gift Recipes

Looking for a last-minute or easy gift for your friends, neighbor or co-workers? Try these recipes for Easy Cracker Toffee or Dipped Pretzels. Our family made these last Sunday afternoon and they are tasty!  Hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Merry Christmas!

Easy Cracker Toffee
1 sleeve Saltine (Soda) crackers
2 sticks (1 c.) butter
2  c. brown sugar
2 c. chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet or dark to your taste)
(Optional: crushed nuts)

Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan to boiling; boil for 4 minutes stirring continuously.  Line jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (with edges) with foil and spray with no-stick cooking spray.  Cover pan with soda crackers.  Pour butter & brown sugar syrup over crackers, spreading evenly. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Return pan to oven for 2-3 minutes, then remove and spread chocolate evenly over crackers.  Sprinkle with nuts (optional).  Refrigerate, then break or cut apart. Keep cool until serving.

Dipped Pretzels
1 bag Rolled Gold pretzels (or your favorite brand)
1 package almond bark
1 package dark chocolate chips

Melt almond bark in double boiler (or microwave), stirring often.  Dip half or all of pretzel in almond bark, then lay on wax paper to cool.  After pretzels are cooled, melt chocolate chips.  Dip a spoon in the melted dark chocolate and drizzle over pretzels. Let cool, then refrigerate to set the chocolate. Keep cool until serving.

We wrapped these food gifts in ziplock bags, then put them in old tins that we decoupaged with wrapping paper.  Cute, cheap, and crafty gifts!  I've also made quick napkins out of 2 yards of Christmas homespun fabric ($1.50/yd at Walmart).  Cut into 18" sqauares, then serge or make rolled hem edges. You could wrap a fabric napkin around the bag of treats and tie with a bow for another reusable, handmade package.  We were all about handmade gifts this year and hope you'll give handmade, too!