When it comes to gift shopping for the holidays, nothing is more universal than chocolate! No matter how you deliver it, chocolate appeals to people of all ages and there are so many types of chocolate treats out there, there’s definitely something for everyone! Here are our favorite gift ideas that involve chocolate.
Festive Cookie Cakes
These cakes make excellent gifts because everyone loves cookies! Essentially, these cakes use the same dough as regular cookies – they’re just packaged differently. Look for cookie cakes that are decorated in festive ways, such as with a frosted Santa Claus. To make your own cookie cake, simply prepare a batch of your favorite chocolate or chocolate chip cookie recipe and press the dough into a cake pan. Bake in an oven that has been set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan, and decorate it any way you wish.
Chocolate Dipped Cookies
Another great gift idea for Christmas is chocolate dipped cookies. To make your own, you can start by either purchasing your favorite cookies or whipping up a batch from scratch. Melt chocolate of choice over a double boiler and dip the cookies by hand one at a time in the chocolate after it melts. You can either submerge the whole cookie or only half of it. Place the chocolate dipped cookie on sheets of waxed or parchment paper to let it set. This will take several hours, so if you want to speed the process up, you can always put them in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Dipped Cheesecake Pops
Dipping cheesecake in melted chocolate results in a treat that has a universal appeal. Put the whole thing on a stick, and it’s pure heaven! It’s also easy to make your own. Simply prepare a batch of your favorite cheesecake. Pour the cheesecake into lollipop molds and poke a lollipop stick into the top. Let the molds set in the refrigerator for a few hours. Transfer to the freezer for an additional two hours before dunking them in the chocolate.
Chocolate Covered Fruit
Dipping fruit such as strawberries into your favorite type of chocolate is another classic gift idea! To make your own, melt the chocolate over a double boiler. You can choose any chocolate you want, such as white chocolate, milk chocolate, or even dark chocolate. Submerge the fruit in the chocolate, remove it, and place it on sheets of waxed or parchment paper. You can also do the same thing with dried fruit.
These chocolate covered treats are perfect gift ideas. Nearly everyone enjoys some type of chocolate which means that you can easily find something that will appeal to everyone on your gift list.