BAKING FOR CHRISTMAS: GIFT IDEAS

I love giving fresh baked goods as gifts, something beautiful and delicious can still be simple to make.

I grew up with all kinds of special holiday treats, the earliest memories being of my mom’s Christmas morning coffee cake.  All through December, my mom would bake dozens and dozens of cutout sugar cookies and we would frost them with obnoxiously bright colored icing and sprinkles.  I’ve made Josh roll, cut and decorate cookies every year that we’ve been together (and even a few times before we were a couple!) and I can’t wait to include Hugo!

This year, I’m planning on making batches of my beloved Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls and wrapping them up as gifts for everyone at work.  The recipe makes a ton and is amazing with her “maple coffee frosting” but I wouldn’t judge if you just used a decadent cream cheese version. (I typically make a batch of gluten free, using the same recipe and Cup4Cup Gluten Free four, they always come out of the oven perfect!)

Since I was already looking up packaging ideas, I came across a few new new recipes and thought you might enjoy a some pretty inspiration too!

Cinnamon Rolls

Even though I’ll be using the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Cinnamon Rolls, this is how I’m planning to package them up for gifting.  Maybe a little red & white striped twine and then a tag and done!  Photo from Jenny Steffens Hobick (her recipe looks so good and its perfect if you’re not into bread baking!)

Festive Chocolate Bark

How gorgeous are these different flavors of chocolate bark.  Peppermint will always be my favorite, but I wouldn’t turn down any of these.  Recipe an photo by Dolly & Oatmeal.

Pound Cake

I love this tutorial of how to wrap a cake.  Use parchment paper and ribbon or the same technique with a tea towel and how beautiful is that?!?

Dipped Pretzels

So, so easy!  Thisrecipelooks great and I love the little bags all ready to go.  You could also simply dip the pretzels into melted white chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes for a very nostalgic treat.

Classic cookie boxes

Okay, so this one is for-sure going to take some work, but I love this tutorial by Half Baked Harvest and all of her recipe suggestions.  Absolutely stunning!