What are easy edible gifts to make with kids?

All 3 recipes in this post work wonderfully with children. For the coffee syrup they can help fill and decorate the bottles, for the chocolate crossies with speculoos biscuits they can crumble the cookies, stir in the cornflakes and place little heaps on baking paper, and for the pickled basil tofu they can layer tofu cubes, olives and herbs into clean jars. Decorating is the part kids usually love most, writing labels, sticking on stars and dressing up the jars. The result is a personal gift the little ones are genuinely proud of, because they helped from start to finish.

How long does homemade coffee syrup last?

Thanks to the high sugar content, the coffee syrup keeps for several weeks. Store it in a clean, tightly closed bottle. To make it, strong freshly brewed coffee is simmered with raw cane sugar, cinnamon sticks and a pinch of cardamom for about 20 to 30 minutes until it reaches a thick, syrupy consistency, and the sugar acts as a natural preservative. You can use the syrup in a cappuccino, over pancakes, in desserts, basically anywhere you would use syrup, which makes it the ultimate gift for the coffee lovers in your life.

How long does pickled tofu with olives keep?

The pickled basil tofu with olives keeps for about 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge. It is important that the tofu cubes, olives and dried tomatoes are completely covered in olive oil in the jar, as the oil protects the ingredients. Inspired by pickled feta, this savory gift tastes wonderful as part of an aperitif spread, with fresh bread, alongside a (vegan) fondue or raclette, or with a salad. It is the perfect option for everyone on your list who prefers savory treats over sweet ones, packed in a pretty jar.

Gifts from the Kitchen: 3 Easy Vegan Recipes

Hello everyone, it's that time again: The Christmas season is approaching which brings along the question of what to give to your loved ones. So today here is this blog post from me: Gifts from the kitchen – 3 easy recipes. It’s well known that the way to the heart is through the stomach and I have been giving away homemade things from the kitchen for years. So if you get something edible from me, then you can be sure, I like you :-). I also find it very practical to create gifts in the kitchen with children, because they can help a lot there and also for example decorate the glasses or labels. I have put together 3 easy recipes in cooperation with Migros Bio/Alnatura Switzerland*. With high-quality organic ingredients from Migros and the matching decorations you can find there.

Gifts from the kitchen

It's important and a special appreciation for us and the recipients to use high-quality, organic ingredients. What I also appreciate about edible gifts: they are sustainable. It’s not something that stands in the corner and collects dust, but it’s “used” and enjoyed. I usually use jars and vessels that I already have at home and only buy the labels and stars for decoration, nature supplies the rest. Gifts with high-quality ingredients taste even better - and that is ultimately the most important thing if you want to give someone a gift.

Ingredients for chocolate crossies: chocolate, cornflakes, speculoos and coffee

3 gift ideas

But now back to the 3 simple recipes, there is something for everyone: for coffee lovers, for chocolate fans and for everyone who prefer it savory. Of course, all three gifts are vegan and delicious! I used the fine Caruso organic coffee, the Alnatura fine dark chocolate, the organic basil tofu and the herbal olives from Alnatura. And these are the results:

**Coffee syrup **
Chocolate chips with speculoos biscuits
Pickled basil tofu with olives

Recipes

This sounds all very yummy, doesn’t it? So here are the recipes for you:

Coffee syrup

Homemade coffee syrup in a gift bottle with cinnamon stick and gift tag, beside a Chemex

I used the new Caruso Crema Bio for syrup and brewed a strong coffee. The syrup can of course be used for cappuccino, but also for desserts or pancakes, so actually for everything that uses syrup. This is definitely the ultimate gift for any coffee lover and because of the added sugar the shelf-life is several weeks.

Coffee syrup with cinnamon sticks in a saucepan, photographed from above

Coffee syrup with cinnamon

Get the recipe: coffee syrup with cinnamon and cardamom

The second recipe is for all chocolate lovers:

Chocolate chips with speculoos biscuits

Chocolate cornflake crossies arranged in gift paper with a tag

The chocolate chips with speculoos biscuits are so easy to make, yet they are super tasty! Kids can easily support you. The Spekulatius and Blevita pieces make them extra crispy and there is a little surprise effect.

Speculoos chocolate crossies wrapped in parchment, viewed from above

Gift-ready crossies on a wooden board with star picks and tofu jar Packed in a pretty box, they are a great to take to an Advent coffee or as a gift for loved ones.

Get the recipe: chocolate chips with speculoos biscuits

And “last but not least” here is a savory recipe, as not everyone likes it sweet:

Pickled basil tofu with olives

Marinated tofu with olives and sun-dried tomatoes in two jars

Inspired by pickled feta, this combination captures the aromas of summer and tastes wonderful with an aperitif, with fresh bread, but also with (vegan) fondue or raclette and of course with salad. Perfect for all lovers of savory dishes - they will surely be delighted with such a pretty jar!

Marinated tofu with olives in two jars topped with rosemary

Get the recipe: pickled basil tofu with olives

So these were my Gifts from the kitchen – 3 easy recipes. I really hope I was able to inspire you and your loved ones can look forward to such a beautiful gift soon. Even if Christmas sometimes turns out a little different than planned, nobody can take away the love and joy of giving. And even in special times, such small gifts given with love and care are particularly important.

Festive gift arrangement with liqueur, crossies, tofu jar and stars

Chocolate crossies portioned out on baking paper to set

You can of course find more Christmas recipes here on the blog. The chocolate chips with speculoos biscuits now have their own recipe card, my vegan christmas cookies - 3 recipes are perfect for the cookie tin, and the speculoos chocolate spread makes another lovely edible gift.

And you can find more delicious recipes with *Migros Bio/Alnatura Switzerland **ingredients here.

Love, Verena

If you have Pinterest, you can find me here and you can pin this picture if you like:

Kitchen gifts with liqueur and crossies, Pinterest title graphic

*This blog post was created in collaboration with Migros, but reflects my own opinion.