Money's a bit tight this Christmas, so for family and friends we're hopefully going to make some foodstuffs as presents. I've been trying to think of recipes (ideally child-friendly as I'd like to get my children to help make them) but can only think of peppermint creams and coconut ice! I wondered if anyone had any ideas?

Oh, and whether anyone might have some good diabetic recipes, along the same sort of lines?

TIA

Home-made Chocolate Truffles

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/h...es,796,RC.html

That's what I was going to suggest - homemade chocolate truffles are always a hit (as long as the person you're giving them to likes chocolate!).

How about some nice biscuits that your kids can help make and then decorate them with chocolate or making a cream filling? You could put them into nice presentation boxes and whatnot.

We like doing these in our house - am going to make some Christmas themed ones I think this year.

These Stained Glass Cookies are good http://www.annabelkarmel.com/age-ran..._glass_cookies

They look good - have bookmarked that one to try

http://thefoody.com/sweets/xmaspuddingtruffles.html These wee xmas pudding shaped simple truffles are easy to make and will be great for kids to help with (they taste amazing too). I did them as gifts one year and they went down well, I started planning to make wee gift boxes too out of some lovely silver card (found folding instructions online) but ran out of time and packed them in wrapped drinking chocolate tubs (never chucking anything out comes in handy once again!). You can get sweetie cases from the supermarket and they have a vast range of decorating sugar shapes that would be ideal for going on iced biscuits (gingerbread stores and lasts well).

Speaking of gingerbread, if you want something more elaborate: http://www.foodiesite.com/recipes/2000-12:gingerhouse I saw these in Lidl last year as kits to make up and quite fancied having a go, seemingly you traditionally fill them with sweets. They certainly look the part.

My other suggestion would be filling nice bottles with herbs and spices and olive oil, they always look pretty (and if you have kids you can always do the ole' fav of calendars!).

If you do the herbed olive oil thing it is imperative that you sterilise the bottles first. A few people have been poisoned over the years. It would probably be OK but when giving them as presents i'd rather be safe than sorry.

Thanks everyone, some brilliant ideas Looking forward to practising and I'm sure the kids will enjoy "trying out" the practise versions!

Also thanks Indianwells for the sterilising tip, would be just my luck to give a poisonous present!

Every year a chosen few get Himself's special recipe (not really special - he lies!) Crab Apple Jam and Sloe Gin.
He makes his own labels as well - a picture of our garden in the snow (taken a few years ago) and our house name with the product underneath.

How adorable!

Seeing as it's Christmas, can you not make mince pies?

NO!

have you tried making xmas pud sweets.

Dead easy.....get yourself a reasonably priced xmas pud....."nuke it" as per instructions and let it cool a bit.
then just break it up and roll into several small balls (walnut size) before they go cold.

then all you need to do is make a simple icing (icing sugar and water)... pour a small amount on, then decorate with a bit of glace cherry. then all you need to do is get the kids to make some nice small boxes to put them in.

only problem is they only last a few days.

I make these for several buffets I do at xmas as a sweet canape and they always go down well. never seem to make enough though!