We all have friends and relatives who just don’t need any more stuff! Infact we might be one of them! But, everyone loves food and something you consume makes a great gift! Here are 3 yummy recipes to make for your BFFs this Christmas:

White Chocolate Chunk Brownies – Mix in a Jar

Brownies in a jar, a delicious dry brownie mixture and recipe to give as a gift in a canning jar, made with cocoa, white chocolate chips, pecans or walnuts, sugar, and other ingredients.
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup cocoa, unsweetened
• 1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup sugar

In a 1-quart canning jar, layer the flour, salt, and baking powder. Using a wide-mouth canning funnel makes this a little easier. Add cocoa and shake the jar just slightly to level the layer. Now add the white chocolate chips then the walnuts or pecans. Put the 1 cup of sugar in a small food storage bag; seal or tie well then shape into a small enough shape to fit into top of jar. Press the sugar bag into the top of the jar.

Trash Snack Mix Recipe

•1 cup toasted oat cereal
•1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
•1/2 cup shredded coconut
•1/2 cup whole unsalted almonds
•1/2 cup wheat germ
•1/2 cup shelled unsalted sunflower seeds
•1/2 cup raisins
•1/2 cup honey
•1/4 cup light corn syrup
•1/4 cup vegetable oil
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together cereal, rolled oats, coconut, almonds, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and raisins.

In a medium bowl, use medium speed of an electric mixer to beat honey, corn syrup, oil, vanilla, and almond extract until well blended.

Pour honey mixture over dry ingredients, stirring until well coated.

Spread evenly on a greased baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown.

Cool completely in pan. Break into pieces. Store snacks in an airtight container.

Yield: about 5-1/2 cups snack mix

Put these candied toffee nuts in a decorative tin to give for Christmas presents or for any other holiday. You can use just about any type of nut including peanuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and almonds or try a mixture of different nuts.

Sweet Crunchy Nuts Recipe

•2 egg whites, at room temperature (save yolks for other use)
•1 cup packed brown sugar
•1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
•1 to 1-1/2 pounds shelled cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, almonds, or macadamia nuts (or a mixture of your choice)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Have an ungreased 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 inch jelly roll pan ready.

Using an electric mixer, place egg whites into a large bowl big enough to accommodate the nuts. Beat until the whites form soft peaks when beaters are lifted.

Add brown sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until mixture is stiff and glossy. With a large spatula, stir in melted butter.

Gently fold nuts into meringue mixture until they are evenly coated, taking care not to break nuts.

Spread coated nuts evenly on ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to keep nuts separate, until meringue is dry and nuts are crunchy. Let cool in pan, stirring occasionally to keep separate.

Pour cooled nuts into covered containers and store up to 2 months at room temperature.

Yield: about 3 to 5 cups, depending on size of nuts