Individual cheesecakes are good for a party or a bake sale.
Mini Cheesecakes
32 mini baking cups
25 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking cups in mini muffin pans or use paper-lined foil baking […]

Hershey’s helps with gift giving:
A video with suggestions of ways to package your cookie gifts
Printable gift tags and gift coupons
Crafts with Hershey Kisses
Land O’Lakes also has gift labels, holiday coloring sheets (to keep the kids busy while you’re waiting for the cookies to bake!), and plenty of cookie recipes.

Check out the interactive holiday cookie jar for an assortment of cookie and candy recipes.
Fruit Rugelach
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups apricot preserves
1 cup chopped almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor until […]

Make a gift basket of soup mix (don’t forget the instructions!) and homemade crackers. If you want, add mugs, soup bowls, holiday potholders, or a soup ladle.
French Market Soup Mix
1 lb. dried navy beans
1 lb. dried pinto beans
1 lb. dried Great Northern beans
1 lb. dried green split peas
1 lb. dried yellow split peas
1 lb. […]

When the holiday season begins I make two lists, one for gift shopping and the other is a list of the cookies I plan on baking. I haven’t gotten my list finalized yet but this recipe from Betty Crocker looks like a good one to add to it.
Classic Sugar Cookies (Cookie Exchange Quantity)
3 cups […]

My two favorite pumpkin bread recipes are one that makes two loaves (these make nice gifts) and one for muffins but I don’t always have the time it takes to mix the dough and monitor the baking so here’s one for use in the bread machine.
Pumpkin Bread (Bread Machine - one 2 lb. loaf)
2/3 cup […]

For each gift you will need:
Clean 1-quart jar with lid
index/recipe card
decorations for the outside of the jar - ribbons, fabric, paint, silk flowers…
Chocolate Lovers Cookies
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt (1/8 teaspoon)
3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups white chocolate chips
Pack brown sugar into the […]