Sara’s Weeknight Meals: Season 02

I think the ultimate holiday gift is a homemade tasty treat, artfully packaged to share with family and friends. I’ve got something for everyone on your list. Like Homemade Marshmallows. They’re kind of magical to me. The flavor is fresh, and the texture extra fluffy, which makes them a nice gift all by themselves but even more special when you package them up with a Hot Cocoa Mix Kit. While it’s easy enough to bring a bottle of wine to someone’s house, I think it’s nice to take it one step further by adding a savory nibble made from scratch such as Rosemary Walnuts. I adapted this easy and addictive recipe from an article by Laurie Colwin that ran many years ago in Gourmet Magazine. (By the way,these nuts pair up perfectly with a bottle of pinot noir.)

It wouldn’t be the holidays in my house without Peppermint Bark. We used to buy it in copious amounts at a huge cost from local gourmet stores until my nephew Peter Murphy figured out how to make it himself. We are very grateful to him. This recipe combines the creaminess of chocolate with the cool crunch of those classic little peppermint candies. Holiday bonus: It looks festive and is ridiculously easy to put together.

Whether you make one or all three of these special homemade recipes, they are as good to give as to receive.