Give Something That Shows How Much you Care - Edible Christmas Gifts

Meg
Dec 21, 2025
4 min read

There comes a point each Christmas when we pause mid gift shopping and think, do we really need more stuff? Another candle, another lotion, another novelty item that raises a polite smile before quietly joining the back of a cupboard.

I’ve always loved giving gifts far more than receiving them. I feel deeply uncomfortable when someone asks what I would like for Christmas or my birthday. I suspect this is partly tied to being autistic it’s a feeling shared by many of my autistic friends. Perhaps that’s also why I’m drawn to making gifts rather than buying them.

Edible gifts carry warmth in a way few things do. They say I thought of you, I made time, I chose flavours you’d love. They’re generous without being excessive, practical without being dull and deeply personal in a season that can sometimes feel a little overdone.

Why I Love Making Edible Gifts

For me, the joy begins long before anything is cooked. It starts with planning what to make, choosing jars or bottles, designing labels and planning who each gift is for. There’s something wonderfully grounding about laying out ribbons, drying orange slices, tucking in cinnamon sticks and giving everything a final flourish with twine, tags and toppers.

Some of my earliest Christmas memories revolve around edible gifts. I vividly remember making peppermint creams from a Beatrix Potter–inspired cookbook. Sticky fingers, icing sugar everywhere and enormous pride in the finished result. On Christmas Eve, while my mum carefully covered the Christmas cake in marzipan, she would always make a little extra. I’d sit beside her shaping marzipan fruits to leave out for Father Christmas, convinced that this small act of creativity was part of what made the night magical.

Those moments stayed with me. They taught me that food isn’t just nourishment, it’s memory, ritual, love and connection.

Winter Herb & Garlic Butter

A jar of homemade butter feels quietly luxurious. This one melts beautifully over roasted vegetables, steak, baked fish or simply spread thickly on warm bread.

Makes: approx. 250g

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp finely chopped thyme or rosemary
Zest of ½ lemon
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Place the softened butter in a bowl and beat gently until creamy.
Add the garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Mix until evenly combined.
Spoon into small jars, ramekins or roll into a log using parchment paper.
Chill until firm.

To Gift: Tie with string, add a handwritten label with serving suggestions, and keep refrigerated. For gifting further afield, freeze and gift with instructions.

Spiced Orange & Almond Biscotti

These keep beautifully, making them ideal for posting or adding to hampers. Perfect with coffee, tea, or a quiet moment by the fire.

Makes: about 20 biscotti

Ingredients

200g plain flour
150g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
Zest of 1 orange
2 large eggs
100g whole almonds

Method

Heat the oven to 170°C (fan 160°C). Line a baking tray.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, spice and orange zest.
Beat in the eggs to form a firm dough, then fold in the almonds.
Shape into a log about 25cm long and place on the tray.
Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden.
Remove, cool for 10 minutes, then slice diagonally.
Lay slices flat and return to the oven for 10 minutes each side until crisp.
Cool completely before packing.

To Gift:

Pack into cellophane bags or tins with parchment paper and a ribbon. Add a little note suggesting dunking is encouraged

Thoughtful, Seasonal and Made with Purpose

Edible gifts sit beautifully alongside seasonal cooking. They make use of winter spices, stored fruits, nuts, oats, butter and chocolate — ingredients that feel comforting, generous and abundant at this time of year. But they are also a quiet celebration of everything that has come before.

A jar on a Christmas shelf can hold the story of an entire year. The carefully harvested wild garlic from the first forage of spring, blitzed into a vibrant green pesto. Elderflower cordial that, with a single sip, carries you straight back to warm afternoons and open garden gates. Tomato chutney simmered gently at the end of summer, made from fruit picked at its peak and preserved for darker days.

Then come the flavours of autumn — orchard pears tucked into light syrup, spiced plums

slowly softened with cinnamon and cloves, capturing that brief, glorious moment when fruit is at its best. These are not just preserves; they are memories, seasons paused and shared.

That, for me, is the real beauty of edible gifts. They are thoughtful, rooted in the rhythm of the year, and made with intention — a way of offering not just food, but time, care and a little piece of the seasons themselves.

A Gift That Lasts Beyond Christmas

Edible gifts don’t end on Christmas morning. They’re shared, savoured, remembered and often talked about long after the decorations come down. They spark conversation, inspire creativity and sometimes even encourage someone else to try making their own next year.

✨ If you’d love more ideas, step-by-step guidance, or help streamlining your Christmas cooking, I’d be delighted to help.

✨ Book a cookery session, explore my seasonal cookbooks, or discover how a Thermomix can make your kitchen prep calmer and more joyful.

Let’s make gifts that are eaten, loved and remembered not destined for landfill or charity shops in the new year.

Share what you’re cooking this season and tag me in your festive kitchen moments. Keep an eye on Instagram and Facebook for daily tips, quick recipes and behind-the-scenes glimpses from the markets.

Your support—every comment, share, heart and message—means the world.

Let’s make this December delicious, nourishing and wonderfully simple.

With warmth from Loch Awe,