25 homemade holiday gift recipes: Chewy ginger-sour cherry biscotti

1/21

German springerle are formed with wood or ceramic molds to create patterns such as snowflakes, acorns, Santas or the “little knights” after which they’re named. Recipe: Springerle cookies

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

2/21

Delicious when freshly baked, this citrusy sweet loaf -- made extra-special with a marzipan filling -- is also delightful if the flavors mellow for several days. Recipe: Stollen (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

3/21

Does it get any better than caramel corn? It’s the sort of stuff that turns even sophisticated adults into greedy kids. Recipe: Caramel corn (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

4/21

Flavor biscotti with chopped toasted hazelnuts and grated fresh orange zest before dipping it in melted chocolate. Recipe Hazelnut biscotti (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

5/21

Mix and match the decorated pretzels for gift bags. Recipe: Snowflake pretzel rods

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

6/21

This granola is not as sweet as you might be used to. It would be nice sprinkled over vanilla ice cream for dessert or over Greek yogurt for an afternoon snack. Recipe: Cherry-almond-coconut granola (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

7/21

Fragrant, yeasty holiday panettone -- studded with colorful bits of dried and candied fruit -- is festive just to look at and sweetly satisfying to eat. Recipe: Pannetone

(Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)

8/21

Now you can drink your beer and eat it too. Flavor this crunchy brittle with a good dark beer, such as a stout or an amber ale, for rich caramel notes. Beer brittle (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

9/21

With a delicate, crisp crust enveloping a wonderfully ooey-gooey filling, this amazingly rich brownie takes perfection and coats it in chocolate, and then drizzles over even more chocolate just for good measure. Recipe: Brownies (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

10/21

For basic marshmallows, omit the cinnamon; or substitute a flavoring of choice (lemon, almond or coconut in place of vanilla). The marshmallows can be cut into any shape desired. Recipe: Marshmallows (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

11/21

Dried apricots and fresh sage add subtle flavoring to this classic cookie. Recipe: Apricot biscotti (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

12/21

Vanilla-scented fig bars are wonderfully sweet homemade gifts, and the recipe is a worthy addition to any cookie repertoire. Recipe: Fig bars (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

13/21

Brown sugar shortbread has caramel and molasses notes. This recipe makes enough dough for two pans of wedge cookies or bar cookies, so you can try a pan of each variety if you’d like. Recipe: Brown sugar shortbread (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

14/21

These classic cookies, flavored with sliced almonds, will keep for weeks in an airtight container. Recipe: Almond biscotti (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

15/21

These light, flavorful meringues are wonderful to give or even to just keep for yourself. Recipe: Chocolate pink peppercorn meringues (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

16/21

Thomas Keller’s chocolate bouchons have a texture somewhere between dense cake and denser brownies. Recipe: Chocolate bouchons (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

17/21

The classic cookie, perfumed with subtle hints of vanilla and almond. Recipe: Mother’s biscotti (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

18/21

Candied citrus peel, glacé cranberries and spirit-soaked fruits are easy to make and are thoughtful gifts for the home baker. Recipe: Candied fruit (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)

19/21

Pack a batch of cookbook author Paula Wolfert’s prunes in Armagnac into a Mason jar. (Awesome over vanilla ice cream or crepes.) They’ll be ready to eat in two weeks: You can include that on the “don’t-open-until-Christmas” card. Recipe: Prunes in Armagnac (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

20/21

Make homemade granola using Christine Moore’s excellent recipe in her new “Little Flower” cookbook, changing the mix of the nuts and dried fruit depending on what appeals to you at the moment. The granola mix makes a terrific gift, packaged in cute storage jars. Recipe: Homemade granola (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

21/21

Looking for something a little more calorie-conscious? Let’s revisit flavored popcorn. You’ll find that these recipes for chile-flavored popcorn and rosemary-garlic popcorn make for quick, health-conscious gifts and snacks. Recipe: Flavored popcorn (Bob Carey / Los Angeles Times)

By Noelle Carter

Dec. 2, 2014 9:30 AM PT

Minced crystallized ginger and dried sour cherries add a little perk and bright color to biscotti, fragrant with spice and rich molasses notes. Eat them yourself, or wrap them up, making for a festive holiday gift.

Wrapped homemade biscotti is just one way to get crafty this holiday season with homemade gifts from the kitchen. We’ve compiled 25 great ideas, ranging from quick and simple gifts (perfect if you’re working with kids) to more intricate projects that call for a little extra time and patience.

Some gifts will last for weeks, perhaps more. Others are best eaten within a day or two.

Not only are homemade gifts a great way to save money during the holiday season, they’re a thoughtful and creative way to show how much you care.

CHEWY GINGER-SOUR CHERRY BISCOTTI

Total Time: 55 minutes. Makes 24 biscotti

Note: From Michaela Rosenthal, Woodland Hills

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts or peeled hazelnuts

1 cup dried sour cherries

1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat together the oil, molasses, sugar and egg.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Stir in the nuts, cherries and crystallized ginger.

4. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a log about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Press down on the dough to flatten slightly. Roll the logs in a little sugar. Place them on a nonstick baking sheet and bake in the upper third of the oven, 15 minutes.

5. Cool the logs 5 minutes, then cut them on the diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Lay the biscotti on two baking sheets and bake until they are still somewhat soft to the touch but dry, another 15 minutes.

6. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. 24 biscotti.

Each biscotti: 159 calories; 104 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.96 gram fiber.

Love cooking as much as I do? Follow me @noellecarter

25 homemade holiday gift recipes: Chewy ginger-sour cherry biscotti

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