Cheap Gifts for the Holidays

Making homemade food is always a cheap way to give great gifts during the holidays.  Here we have three recipes found on a recipe website that will all fit the Christmas Holiday theme.  Visit the recipe site to find more great recipes.  Making food from scratch is frugal.

Fudge Sauce - $2.64 per Gift

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped $
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Preparation

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour into jars and cool completely before covering or refrigerating (otherwise the sauce will become granular). Keeps up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

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Nine-Bead Soup Mix - $1.80 per Gift

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) package barley
• 1 (16-ounce) package dried red beans
• 1 (16-ounce) package dried pinto beans $
• 1 (16-ounce) package uncooked lentils
• 1 (16-ounce) package dried black-eyed peas
• 1 (16-ounce) package dried black beans
• 1 (16-ounce) package dried navy pea beans
• 1 (16-ounce) package dried great Northern beans
• 1 (16-ounce) package dried green split peas

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container.
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Peanut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies - $1.54 per Gift

Ingredients

• 1 cup (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, at room temperature $
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar $
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter $
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour $
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz.) $
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Preparation

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
2. In another bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips, oats, and peanuts.
3. Drop dough in rounded 2-tablespoon portions, 3 inches apart, onto buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. With a lightly floured fork, flatten slightly into 2 1/2-inch rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Bake in a 350° oven until cookies are golden and tops feel set when lightly pressed, 12 to 14 minutes (they will feel underdone but will firm up as they cool); if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.
5. Let stand 5 minutes on sheets, then, with a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool. If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
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