Homemade Sriracha salt, pancake mix and sea salt caramel make unique holiday gifts

When it comes to homemade holiday gift ideas, there are plenty of ways to get crafty in the kitchen. Not only are such gifts a great way to stay on budget during the holiday season, they’re a thoughtful and creative way to show how much you care.

From chocolate-dipped pretzels to batches of freshly baked cookies and candies, gifts can range from ideas that come together quickly to more involved recipes. Homemade gifts also make great projects for kids.

The following are three unique gift ideas, each tailored to specific tastes:

Please the hot sauce fan in your life with a jar of homemade Sriracha salt. Give the outdoor enthusiast or avid camper you know a container of all-purpose baking mix — just add water and a touch of oil and you can whip up a batch of pancakes, biscuits or dumplings in almost no time. And for that special someone with a sweet tooth, cook up a batch of dark sea salt caramel candies.

For additional gift ideas, we’ve compiled 25 of our favorite homemade holiday gift recipes, including cookies, marshmallows, caramel corn and more.

SRIRACHA SALT

Flavored salts are a simple yet thoughtful way to please the avid cook in your life, and flavorings can vary to include ingredients like dried spices and herbs, fruit and chiles. For a Sriracha-spiced salt, slowly toast Sriracha-soaked kosher salt until it is dry and crumbly. Use the salt to add a little spice with your seasoning, sprinkle it over a dish for a colorful garnish, or even use it to rim a cocktail glass.

Total time: 5 minutes, plus 2 to 3 hours drying time. Serves 4 to 6.

1 cup (½ pound) kosher salt

¼ cup (2 ounces) Sriracha sauce

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the salt and Sriracha until the salt is evenly coated with the sauce.

3. Spread the salt out in a very thin, even layer. Place the salt in the oven and toast until the salt is completely dried, 2 to 3 hours. Remove from heat and cool. Pulse the salt in a food processor to break up the large chunks. This makes about 1 cup Sriracha salt, which will keep up to several weeks stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Note: Adapted from a recipe by chef Zaz Suffy of the Cohn Restaurant Group.

DARK SALTED CARAMEL CANDIES

Store-bought caramel candies are wonderful, but it’s hard to achieve the depth of flavor you can get by cooking caramel yourself. Cook the caramel until it is a dark, nutty brown for extra rich flavor. A sprinkling of coarse sea salt balances the sweetness and adds a nice crunch.

30 minutes, plus cooling time. Makes 10 to 15 dozen candies, depending on size.

2 2/3 cups sugar

½ cup water

1 teaspoon corn syrup

1 ½ cups heavy cream

½ cup (1 stick) butter

2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Coarse sea salt, preferably Maldon, for sprinkling

1. Grease a 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a layer of parchment, allowing the paper to come up two sides of the pan (the parchment “handles” will make it easier to pull the caramels out once they’ve chilled). Grease the paper and set the pan aside.

2. In a small, heavy pot, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup, stirring until the sugar has the consistency of wet sand. Place the saucepan over high heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and begins to boil. Do not stir the sugar, as this may cause it to seize.

3. While the sugar is cooking, combine the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep an eye on the sugar while you’re heating the cream to keep it from scorching. Cook until the butter melts, stirring it into the cream. When the mixture has come to a simmer, remove from heat.

4. Continue to cook the sugar until it darkens to a rich caramel color, 7 to 10 minutes — the sugar will darken quickly and noticeably and will smell faintly nutty. Swirl the pan as the sugar darkens to judge the true color of the caramel (the sugar may darken in patches if there are hot spots on the stove). Watch carefully, as the sugar can easily overcook at this point and burn.

5. As soon as the color is darkened to a rich caramel, remove the pan from the heat and quickly add the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream. The sugar will bubble and steam as the cream is added; be careful as both the mixture and steam are very hot.

6. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook just until a candy thermometer inserted reaches 248 degrees. Carefully stir in the vanilla.

7. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until cool. Sprinkle sea salt to garnish then refrigerate until the candies are firm. Pull the block of caramel out using the parchment handles. Grease a heavy chef’s knife to keep the caramels from sticking and cut into pieces. Wrap each of the pieces in small squares of parchment or wax paper and store in a cool, dry place.

Note: From Noelle Carter

ALL-PURPOSE BAKING MIX

An all-purpose baking mix is a perfect addition to any camping kit, as it requires no special ingredients or refrigeration. Add water and a touch of oil to whip up a quick batch of biscuits or dumplings, or add additional water to form a simple pancake batter. Add a touch of sweet or savory spice for added flavor, or fold in dried nuts, fruit or granola for extra texture.

5 minutes. Makes a generous 4 cups mix

4 cups (17 ounces) flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons sugar

¾ cup nonfat milk powder

Oil, as needed

Water, as needed

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and milk powder to form the dry mix. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 3 months.

2. To make pancakes: Whisk a generous cup of the baking mix with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and about ¾ cups water to form a batter. The batter will make about 4 pancakes.

3. To make biscuits or dumplings: Whisk a generous cup of the baking mix with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and about ½ cup water to form a thick dough. This makes about 4 biscuits and 4 to 6 dumplings.

Note: From Noelle Carter.

noelle.carter@latimes.com

Twitter: @noellecarter