Edible gifts are one of our favourites here at Easy Food. The extra care and attention that goes into them is a really lovely thing to give or receive, so we’ve put together a few guides on how to make different variations of edible gifts.

Food kits are a really nice edible gift, as there’s less pressure on people to use them immediately in what is always a busy time of year. So, here’s a few favourites:

Baked Brie kit

Heat 100g sultanas with 5 tbsp sherry until simmering, then turn off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature. Spoon into a small jar and attach to a small box of Brie with a nice ribbon. Attach a small card with the cooking instructions: “Unwrap the Brie from any packaging and place back into the box. Pierce the top of the cheese and bake at 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes until soft. Spoon over the sultanas and serve with chunks of bread.”

Hot chocolate in a jar

Layer the following into a clear jar: 50g good-quality cocoa powder, 40g caster sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, a layer of mini marshmallows and a layer of chocolate chips. Tie a small card to the jar with the serving instructions: “Bring 250ml of milk to a simmer. Remove the marshmallows and chocolate chips and set aside. Stir together the remaining ingredients, then whisk three tablespoons of the mixture into the warm milk. Serve in a mug with some marshmallows and chocolate chips on top.”

Barbecue meat rub

Mix together the following ingredients in a clear jar: 4 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 300g brown sugar, 80g paprika, 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 tbsp garlic powder and 1 tbsp cayenne pepper. Tie with a ribbon and attach a card with instructions: “Mix this with 60ml red wine vinegar, 3 tbsp olive oil and 300ml of lager. Rub over pork, chicken or beef and refrigerate overnight. Cook on a low heat for a few hours until tender.”

Raisin oat quick bread

Layer the following into a large, clear jar: 250g plain flour, 160g oats, 100g caster sugar, 100g brown sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp cinnamon, 60g chopped walnuts and 60g raisins. Tie with a ribbon and attach the cooking instructions: “Whisk 370ml buttermilk, 2 eggs and 60ml of melted butter. Stir in the contents of the jar. Bake in a standard loaf tin at 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 4 for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.”

Smokey chilli con carne

Layer the following ingredients in a large, clear jar: 3 tbsp dried parsley, 2 tbsp each of chilli powder, dried onion flakes, cumin, paprika, taco seasoning and garlic granules, 200g dried pinto beans, 50g dried cannellini beans, 50g dried black beans and 200g dried kidney beans. Seal the jar and attach the cooking instructions with kitchen string: “Pour the contents of the jar into a large pot and add one chopped onion, 4 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes, 120ml cider vinegar, 100g brown sugar, 1.5l tomato juice and 900g of browned beef mince. Top with 2l water and simmer for 3 hours.”

This kit is for a ‘big ol chilli’ which serves 10-12 people, so make sure you’ve either got plenty of friends coming over, or room in the freezer for leftovers!

Salted caramel sauce

Combine 300g caster sugar and 120ml water in a suacepan over a medium-high heat. Do not stir, but swirl the pan occasionally for about 10-12 minutes until the mixture is a dark amber colour. Remove from the heat and whisk in 260ml cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1tsp flaked sea salt. Leave to cool and pour into sterilised jars.