GIFT GUIDE Gifts From Your,Ki Gifts you make yourself are charming to receive. by Annabel Cohen n this world of prefab and cookie-cutter everything, it's gratifying to spend a few hours crafting the types of yummy homemade gifts peo- ple used to send. It's good practice, too, to show yourself that you can create treasured delicacies. Packaging will set your homemade gifts above the rest. A well- packaged food gift is as important as the gift itself. Candied citrus peel enveloped in crisp, clear cellophane bags (available at card shops, cake decorating and candy stores and many craft stores) and tied with colorful satin or grosgrain ribbon is infinitely more appealing than the same peel presented in a zippered sandwich bag. The same holds true for jarred gifts. Soup and cookie mixes, jams and sauces are much more eye-catching when the jar includes a label with your handwriting on it (Annabel's Vegetable Soup Mix, for example) and a square of patterned fabric secured with a rubber band and tied with coor- I MIXED CANDIED CITRUS PEEL 1 large grapefruit 2 oranges 3 lemons 3 cups water 1 1/2 cups sugar Superfine sugar (available at gourmet shops and candy supply stores) or granulated sugar Remove the peels. If the peel is the kind that comes off the fruit with your fingers, score the fruit with a sharp knife, just through to the flesh. Peel away the skin and cut the peel into 1/4-inch strips. Use a sharp knife to remove as much of the white (the pitch) under the peel. If the peel does not come off easily cut the fruit into sixths and cut the peel away. Continue with the process as above. Place the strips in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a low boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain the strips in a colander, and repeat the process two more times. After the last boiling, place the strips back in the saucepan. Add 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook the strips for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the peels to soak for 30 minutes more. Drain well; do not rinse. Spray a drying rack (or cooling rack) with nonstick cooking spray Place the rack over a baking sheet or large length of foil to catch drippings. Spread the peels on the rack in a single layer and allow them to dry for 1 hour, but not more than 4. Pour about a cup of superfine sugar into a gallon size, zipper-style plastic bag. Add the peels; shake well to coat. Arrange them again on the drying rack and allow them to dry for another couple of hours. Place the peels in small cellophane bags, tins or gift boxes (small Chinese food boxes work great). Tie the bags or wrap the boxes with attractive ribbon. Makes 3/4 to 1 pound. GIFT GUIDE 11/12 2004 20 MIXED NUT BRITTLE This adapted recipe makes an interesting and luxurious brittle. You can use all one dinating ribbon. (Almost any commercial jar is good — just soak off the label in warm, soapy water.) For more food gift wrap ideas, look around. Line small gift boxes with gift tissue and a paper doily before adding your goodies. Or combine your homemade treats with fitting accessories: Packing homemade candies or caramels in a crystal candy dish and wrapping in an elegant gift bag is easy and clever. The recipes below are just a few examples of gifts you can craft in your kitchen. Don't let this list limit you. Other great food gifts include nut breads, cookies, jam, flavored olive oils or vinegar, fudge ... If you're not into cooking, the soup mix recipe below or any combination of dried fruits and candies, packaged just so, makes a great gift. This holiday season, give something different — something of yourself — your time and effort. type of nut if you prefer. I like salty nuts combined with the sweet brittle, but you can use any kind of nut — salted or not. 3 cups sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup water 4 ounces sliced almonds 4 ounces pine nuts 4 ounces shelled pistachios 4 ounces cashews 4 Tbsp. (1/2-stick) unsalted butter Preheat oven to 350E Spray two baking sheets with sides well with-nonstick cook- ing spray Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly; con- tinue cooking until mixture reaches about 280F on a candy thermometer. Add all the nuts and continue cooking until mixture reaches 290-300F on the thermometer (hard-crack stage). NOTE: The brittle must reach the hard-crack stage or it won't be crunchy. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Pour the mixture onto the pre- pared pans, and using an oiled spatula, work quickly to stretch or spread the mix- ture. Allow the brittle to cool completely before breaking it into pieces. Wrap tightly in gift bags, boxes or tins. Makes about 2 pounds. LAYERED VEGETABLE SOUP MIX Though you can use any variety of beans for this mix, I like to vary the colors for visual interest. You can also mix all the ingredients together and forget the layer- ing. 1/2 cup dry white or northern beans 1/2 cup dry split peas 12 cup dry red lentils 1/2 cup dry pearl barley 1/3 cup beef bouillon granules 1/4 cup dried onion flakes 3 Tbsp. parsley flakes 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. granulated garlic 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper Layer the soup mix by ingredients in a 24-ounce jar or cellophane bag in the order listed above (if there is extra room in the jar, add some white or wild rice to take up the space). Attach a card with these instructions typed or written on it:: (Your name) Vegetable Soup Combine soup mix with 10 cups of water and 1 28-ounce can of diced toma- toes with juice in a soup pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to sim- mer and cook the soup for 2 hours. Test the beans for tenderness and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until the beans are tender, adding more water if needed. Makes 8-12 servings. BRANDIED DRIED CHERRIES This is beautiful packaged in small jars, using a pretty square of fabric tied with ribbon around the lid. It is a great topping for ice cream or pound cake. 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cup (packed) dried cherries 2 tablespoons brandy, such as Cognac or Armagnac Bring all the ingredients except brandy to a boil in a medium saucepan over medi- um-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in brandy and allow to cool completely before transfer- ring to one or two jars. Chill for up to 2 months and bring to room temperature before serving. QUICK MICROWAVE FUDGE SAUCE Essentially this recipe is a "ganache" sauce that's so perfect for many uses. Make up an ice cream sundae gift bag or basket, adding small cellophane bags filled with nuts, jimmies, dried fruits, chopped chocolate sandwich cookies and more. Tie the bags with coordinating ribbons and include a jar of this sauce and perhaps an ice cream scoop! This is beautiful pack- aged in small jars, using a pretty square of fabric tied with ribbon around the lid. 1 cup half-and-half 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 12 ounces (1 package) semi-sweet choco- late chips Combine 'all ingredients in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 2 minutes. Remove from oven and stir until the mixture is smooth and the cream and butter are completely incorporated. Pour into 2 or 3 clean small jars. Makes about 3 cups of sauce. CHEWY PECAN CARAMEL Homemade caramels are very easy and delicious. I like to wrap these in small squares of wax paper (Tootsie Roll-style) and twist the ends. Substitute any kind of nuts you prefer. 1 1/2 cups whipping cream (not whipped) 1 cup sugar 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup light corn syrup 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted Spray a baking sheet with sides with nonstick cooking spray Set aside. Combine cream, sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the mixture begins to melt, begin stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. (If sugar crystals begin sticking to the side of the pan, dip a pastry brush in cold water and "wash" the crys- tals down into the pan). Boil the caramel, stirring occasionally until a candy ther- mometer registers 245-250E Stir a few more times before pouring the mixture onto the baking sheet and allowing the caramel to cool completely. Chill the caramel overnight. Meanwhile, cut wax paper into 80 2- inch by 2-inch (approximately) squares. Remove the caramel to a cutting board that's also been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Use a large oiled knife to cut the caramel into small rectangles (about 1-inch in length). Wrap the caramels in the wax paper, twisting the ends to secure them. Pack them in attrac- tive tins, cellophane bags or gift boxes. Makes up to 80 caramels, depending on the size.