Homemade holiday gifts, without the added stress
Reliable gluten-free cookie recipes for thoughtful, last-minute giving
December 13th already. Usually by this point all my gifts are bought, wrapped, and waiting to be distributed. This year though, I wasn’t quite as efficient. There are only a few gifts under the tree, and I simply don’t have many clever ideas. I also don’t want to buy something just to give something. So now I could panic, or decide to refocus on what I love most: homemade gifts. I’ve already written about this in one of my latest newsletter.
First step: I revisited my own article on all the gluten-free homemade gifts one could possibly make. It’s still full of inspiration, even if you’re not gluten-free at all. Then I went back through my cookie recipes to decide which ones would be easy to make, scalable, and appreciated by everyone.
I will leave here my top tips when baking for holiday gifts:
Use a recipe you already know (or at least test it beforehand).
Choose recipes that don’t require endless work to make large quantities.
Buy all your ingredients well in advance (this includes packaging, labels and wrapping materials).
These are the basic rules to avoid finding yourself on the verge of a nervous breakdown, with room-temperature butter sticking to everything in the house, chocolate smears on every white surface… all for the sake of three small bags of cookies.
Below are my favorite cookies to give as gifts, with suggestions to help you choose based on skill level, time available, and bonus points. Click on the title to go to the recipe on my blog (all with free access).
1. Sandwich cookies with gluten-free shortbread
Expertise: Medium
Time required: About 3 hours (including resting time for the dough and for the cookies before filling)
Bonus points:
The holes in the top cookies can be cut into different Christmas shapes, creating variety in your cookie box or gift bags. The filling can be chocolate or jam, depending on your taste and what you have on hand. This shortbread dough is also very versatile: you can use it to make cookie sticks dipped in chocolate, meaning two different cookies from one dough!
2. Almond paste cookies
Expertise: Easy
Time required: About 1 hour of active work, plus 8 hours or overnight chilling (yes, it really makes a difference)
Bonus points:
Only three easy-to-find ingredients. These cookies are also easy to customize: top them with a whole almond, a candied cherry, or roll them in crushed almonds for a different look and texture.
3. Gingerbread cookies
Expertise: Medium
Time required: About 1 hour, including resting time, plus extra time if you decorate with icing
Bonus points:
You can shape the dough using whatever cookie cutters you already own (round, star, moon, heart), no need for specifically Christmas-themed ones. A simple icing decoration instantly gives them a festive look.
A few other bonus ideas you can find on the blog: a bag of customized granola, hazelnut and chocolate cups, or even a kiwi jam.
If you need help with any of these recipes, feel free to reach out.
I wish you a calm, relaxed, and joyful baking time 🎄
Marta