The first year I worked for Martha Stewart, I got to play Martha’s “Kris Kringle.” She asked the kitchen team to bake a sophisticated bread pudding into a gorgeous ceramic bowl that she had purchased from an artisan in Maine. I know, it’s so Martha. But it’s also apparently so Jersey, since Martha started baking holiday fruitcakes with her mother in their Nutley kitchen when she was just a wee sous chef.
I enjoyed distributing homemade goodies in a container that would stick around after the holidays. Lots of people bake, stick their goods in holiday cookie tins and call it a day, but ever since that Kris Kringle experience with Martha, I’ve enjoyed giving the dish as well as the food.
Here are five ideas for holiday cooking gifts, complete with vessel:
1. Over the last few years, lasagna pans have made it big. Mario Batali has one. You can find countless lasagna recipes online, if you don’t already have a favorite. Personally, I love using those no-cook lasagna noodles; give ’em a try if you haven’t already.
2. If you’re going to a party where there will be kids and adults, Chex Mix is always a good choice. Whether you make it savory, or drizzled with chocolate, people can’t get their hands out of the bowl. Last year, I brought some to a holiday party in one of my favorite bowls, and wrapped it in cellophane. I didn’t intend to leave the bowl as part of the gift, but my host was so gush-y about the bowl, I had to leave it. Note: this method also works for gift-recycling, if you’ve got a certain holiday bowl you’re ready to part with.
3. One of my favorite high-impact low-cost gifts is this glass cake stand from Williams-Sonoma. I have given it as a gift so many times, I finally had to buy one for myself. If you’re asked to bring a cake or a pie, bring it in this. And believe it or not, this “reversible” serving tool also doubles as a punch bowl. I didn’t see that coming, either!
4. This is a soup time of year, and one of the best things about this holiday gift is that the gift recipient is under no obligation to eat it now. Give frozen soup and you’ll be everyone’s friend. I recently made this Chestnut Soup recipe from Cooking Light (where I’m a contributing editor), which is rich, creamy and seasonal, and surprisingly low in calories. Perfect for the post-holiday weight-loss resolution that comes every January. And as for a gift, I adore this simple, unusual, reasonably priced soup bowl with handle from Sur La Table.
5. I love clafouti. It’s a simple custard, poured over cherries or berries, and it can be prepared in about 15 minutes (though cooking will take an additional 30 minutes). And by preparing it in a cast-iron skillet, the iconic American kitchen tool, you can go oven-to-table with this recipe. Though cherry clafouti is typically prepared in the spring during cherry season, you can use frozen cherries (or even blueberries) and make this right now. And you definitely gift the clafouti right in the skillet. Here’s a recipe for clafouti that I developed years ago (but still use). Enjoy!
Allison Fishman is the host of Yahoo’s Blue Ribbon Hunter and author of You Can Trust A Skinny Cook. For delicious humor & recipes, visit allisonfishman.com or follow @allisonfishman on Twitter.