Edible gifts to give this Festive Season.

Are you stuck for gift ideas this Christmas? Make these flavour packed seasoning mixes or yummy treats as Christmas food gifts for friends and family. It's always nice to know someone has taken the time to make a personal gift and to share a bit of love through food.

Seasoning mixes are great gift ideas for men that enjoy barbecuing.

Christmasy bliss balls, cookies and slices are perfect gifts for those that love a healthy treat. They also work well as "thank you" gifts to give to the hostess of a festive party or dinner.

SPICE MIXES:

MEXICAN SPICE MIX RECIPE

Making your own Mexican seasoning is so simple. When I read the ingredient list on a packet of taco mix, I was shocked. The first ingredient was sugar and the second was flour, no thank you (I just wanted the spices).

Use 2 tablespoons of Mexican Spice Mix with 500g of beef or chicken mince when making tacos. It's always best to use organic spices if available. Store in an airtight glass container in the pantry and the spice mix will keep for up to 6 months. Mexican Spice Mix is also delicious sprinkled on fish, pork, beef or chicken before grilling or baking.

ALL-PURPOSE BBQ SEASONING RECIPE

My All-Purpose BBQ seasoning adds flavour to a plain piece of meat with no effort. It's not only delicious sprinkled over meat, chicken and fish but try it sprinkled over your cooked eggs or an omelette. By making your own BBQ seasoning, you miss out on MSG, flavour enhancers and anti-caking agents that are added to so many store-bought seasonings. Use organic herbs and spices where possible and store in an airtight glass container. This is the perfect gift for a man who loves to BBQ over the summer festive season.

TANDOORI SPICE MIX RECIPE

This is a great gift for a guy or gal. Tandoori spice mix is used to marinate chicken pieces for the very popular Indian dish, Tandoori Chicken. This spice mix consists of a variety of warm, smokey, aromatic spices. I like to double the spice mix when I'm making it and have extra on hand to prepare the marinade in a few minutes. (Just weigh out 45g and add to the coconut cream and lime juice and the marinade is all done). Tandoori Chicken recipe here. (print out this recipe and give with your gift of spices).

SWEET TREATS:

CHRISTMAS SNOWBALL RECIPE

These snowballs are a quick and easy festive treat. I've used cacao butter with just a little coconut oil to give a delicious white-fudge flavour. Maple syrup or honey can be used as the sweetener but my preference is 100% maple syrup as honey can tend to overpower other flavours. The cacao butter will help hold your snowballs together during our warm Aussie Christmas but it's still best to serve them straight from the fridge. They can be made 2 - 3 weeks in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer.

ALMOND BUTTON RECIPE

Almond Buttons are my version of Italian Almond Biscuits, they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. These delicious biscuits are popular at Christmas time, I think they make a lovely light and healthy treat any day of the year. You get a lovely almond marzipan flavour by using almond extract. I've used a little coconut flour lightly sifted on top to resemble icing sugar.

PECAN SHORTBREAD FINGER RECIPE

You can still have treats for Christmas when they are healthy like my Pecan Shortbread Fingers. Delicious melt in your mouth shortbread with extra flavour by the addition of roasted pecans and topping the fingers with a drizzling of dark chocolate. They can be made a week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge and then serve at room temperature.

CHRISTMAS BALL RECIPE

These yummy Christmas Balls are flavoured with tangy, sweet dried cranberries and a hint of festive spices. They deliver a big healthy dose of antioxidants. Dried organic cranberries contain the same nutrients as fresh, however commercially dried cranberries with sugar added reduces the vitamins. Christmas Balls can be made 2 weeks in advance and stored in the freezer ready to package up as a gift.

WHITE CHRISTMAS FUDGE RECIPE

White Christmas was a family favourite in our home until I changed to a healthier lifestyle. It's taken several tries to come up with a healthy paleo version minus the copha, icing sugar and sulphur ladened dried fruit. I found that the addition of blended cashews produced a yummy fudge texture, hence the name White Christmas Fudge. Enjoy! Can be made a week in advance, store in the fridge and serve chilled.

PECAN COOKIE RECIPE

These salty and sweetly spiced cookie morsels taste a little like pecan pie. You will love that they only contain two tablespoons of pure maple syrup between 36 cookies, making them low carb and fructose friendly. They can be stored at room temperature in a sealed glass container for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days, they also freeze well.

GINGERBREAD BLISS BALL RECIPE

When you live in a hot place like Western Australia at Christmas time, these delicious gingerbread balls are a better option than baking. They really hit the spot with their spicy ginger flavour. This healthy snack is not only gluten and grain-free but is also vegan. I love recipes that can be made well in advance to save time, these bliss balls can be made up to 2 weeks beforehand if stored in the fridge and suitable to freeze for up to 3 months.

CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPE

Christmas cookies free from wheat, gluten, soy, nuts, eggs, refined sugars and dairy (ghee used), with a yummy shortbread flavour. A great Christmas treat option for families with allergies. They freeze well. You might like to decorate with one of my coconut milk glaze recipes in The JOYful Table cookbook or drizzle with melted dairy-free dark chocolate.

GINGER SNAP RECIPE

My Ginger Snap biscuits are thin, crispy and snap with each bite. My family loves ginger cookies and I have several versions in my cookbooks but these Ginger Snaps have hit the top of the list, you must make them. They have the perfect balance of spice and sweetness and are completely healthy. They freeze well and when thawed they still have their crispness.

I've picked the recipes above as they work well as gifts. If you don't find an edible gift that suits, check out my other recipes in the FESTIVE OCCASIONS section or SLICES & COOKIES. If you would like some healthy sauce recipes or cranberry sauce for your turkey, have a look in the SAUCES & DRESSINGS section.

I'm sure your family and friends will be delighted with a personally made gift from you this Christmas.

By Susan Joy