Last-minute recipes: Homemade holiday gift ideas

12 Recipes

Last-minute recipes: Homemade holiday gift ideas

By Noelle Carter

Dec. 20, 2018

Snowflake pretzel rods

30 minutes

Makes about 45 pretzel rods

Marzipan stollen

1 hour 45 minutes

Serves 16 to 20 (8 to 10 per loaf)

Brown sugar shortbread

50 minutes

Makes 4 dozen bars or 2 dozen wedge cookies

Crumbly almond sable cookies are made with cacao nibs, vegan sugar and almond meal. Recipe: Almond sable cookies

Vegan almond sable cookies with cacao nibs

45 minutes

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies

Triple-Chocolate Brownies

1 hour

Makes about 3 dozen brownies

Gingerbread heart house cookies made in the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen. Adapted from a recipe by Katie Rodgers.

Gingerbread Heart Houses

1 hour

Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on size

Baklava roulada cookies made in the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen. Adapted from a recipe by Scott Cronick.

Baklava rouláda cookies

2 hours

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA., SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 --- Homemade gift ideas are perfect for the holidays. Here are fun recipe ideas for homemade granola. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Homemade granola

1 hour

Makes about 2 quarts granola

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA., SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 --- Homemade gift ideas are perfect for the holidays. Here are fun recipe ideas for homemade cinnamon whiskey. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Homemade cinnamon-spiced whiskey

5 minutes

Makes about 750-mL flavored whiskey

Toasted hazelnuts and black sesame seeds coat chocolate-covered toffee.

Black Sesame Butter Toffee with Hazelnuts

1 hour

Makes one 12- by 17-inch sheet

Bits of seaweed add an umami savory hit to this cereal mix.

Crispix Arare

1 hour 30 minutes

Makes about 9 cups

Storing the chiles and ginger in the syrup infuse it with heat.

Ginger Chile Simple Syrup

15 minutes

Makes 4 cups

Noelle Carter is the former Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen director. She left in January 2019.

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