It's easier to come up with a list of people to give gifts to than the actual presents themselves.
But if you can find a few hours to fiddle in the kitchen, you can make homemade gifts that have a whole lot more personality than a last-minute trinket from the 24-hour drugstore on the corner.
Almost any food that doesn't require refrigeration can be a gift, but it helps if the food is something out-of-the-ordinary, something that the recipient isn't likely to make -- think spiced nuts, granola, candied citrus peel or cheese crackers.
Ready-to-eat sweets are an easy gift. We all have our favorite cookies, bars, truffles and candies to make, especially at this time of year, and you can spiff them up by wrapping them in colorful cellophane or putting them in holiday tins.
Or, if you're not too handy with a whisk or electric mixer, you can take the super-easy route and infuse sugar with fragrant ingredients such as zest from lemon, grapefruit or oranges, or vanilla beans, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, crystallized ginger or fresh rosemary or mint.
In a pint or half-pint jar, layer granulated sugar with one (or more, if you're feeling inventive) of the infusing ingredients and seal with an airtight lid. Shake the jar every day for a week and your sugar will take on the aroma and flavor of whatever else is in the jar. Wrap a pretty ribbon around the jar and present it with a box of tea or simply a note saying how sweet your friend is.
For the drinking enthusiast on your gift list, get crafty in your home bar and mix up a homemade liqueur or infusion. You don't need a degree in chemistry to make this kind of spirited gift. All you need is a base spirit, a flavoring agent and a sweetener.
Vodka is the most common base spirit for infusions, as it provides a neutral palate that will showcase the flavors best, but for a richer body profile, brandy or cognac work, as well.
