Home-cooked gifts are love on a plate

Anyone can go to a store and grab a gift card or click on some generic and soon-to-be-outdated piece of electronics online and call it a gift. But when you actually take the time and effort to make a gift - to craft it with your hands, to cook it in your oven - that is when your friends and relatives truly know their present was made with love.

It won’t sit on a shelf somewhere and be forgotten. It won’t gather a layer of dust in the attic. Your friends will eat it and offer it to their friends (if they’re exceptionally generous), and every time they do they will think fondly of you.

Cookies, brownies and spiced nuts. It’s when you care enough to bake the very best.

For this holiday season, I baked four different homemade gifts, and they all turned out to be pretty spectacular. That’s what happens when you use a lot of butter, sugar, chocolate and the right combination of spices.

I started with the easiest first, biscotti. Just plain old ordinary biscotti without all the extra flavorings (though if you wanted to make them more Christmassy, you could add a little cinnamon and nutmeg). Mine were made with just the simplest, purest, most essential ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder. It was like the Rheinheitsgebot of cookies.

The unadulterated taste made these biscotti a standout. At a time of year when cookies are likely to have candy canes stuck into them with melted chocolate on top, these were enjoyably plain. Simple. Unfussy.

And they were also easy to eat. A lot of people shy away from biscotti because the cookies can be so hard; every bite brings with it a subconscious fear of a broken tooth. But that is true only of Italian-style biscotti, which are (or were orginally) meant to be dunked in coffee or wine. American-style biscotti, such as the ones I made, are lighter, crunchier and softer. You can eat them without fear, and with a great deal of enjoyment.

I next made Classic Fudgy Brownies, which are my favorite brownies to make and are perhaps the best brownies I have ever had. As the name implies, they are fudgier and chewier than cake brownies and, to my taste buds, infinitely better.

These brownies have just enough flour to hold everything together - the butter, the eggs, the sugar, the nuts and the three kinds of chocolate. That’s right, three kinds of chocolate. And because I wanted these brownies to be a memorable gift, I did the only thing I could reasonably be expected to do. I added another layer of chocolate on top in the form of a ganache frosting.

A ganache is ridiculously easy to make - chop up good-quality chocolate, pour in very hot milk and stir - but it is sinfully rich and delicious. It makes everything better, within reason, but it is best of all on something already wonderfully chocolaty. Something very much like Classic Fudge Brownies.

While looking for gifts to make, I saw a recipe for something called Fudgy Peanut-Butter Squares, and I couldn’t very well ignore something called Fudgy Peanut-Butter Squares, could I? After all, chocolate and peanut butter, as was well documented in highly scientific commercials in the 1970s and ’80s, are two great tastes that taste great together.

The squares are one of those three-part dishes, or rather, three layers. The bottom layer is a crust of flour, butter and peanut butter, sweetened with sugar and flavored with vanilla. On top of that is a filling, which is basically chocolate and butter held together with flour, corn syrup and sugar. And on the top is a frosting made entirely of butterscotch chips (or white chocolate chips) melted together with peanut butter.

If you have any friends who complain that desserts are not sweet enough these days, this is the gift to make for them. It isn’t cloying at all, just sweet enough to bring out the best in the peanut butter and chocolate.

For my final gift, I decided to make one of my favorite stand-bys, a dish that often finds its way into bowls at my parties. It’s Spiced Walnuts, and it manages to be sweet, hot, spicy and savory all at the same time.

They take a bit of effort, but they are not at all difficult to make. You just blanch walnuts in boiling water for a minute, drain them, and while they are still hot toss them with sugar and corn oil. Then you bake them for a half hour or so, stirring occasionally so they do not burn, and then mix them with an irresistible combination of spices and cayenne pepper (you can use as much or as little of the pepper as you want).

The only problem is you will want to eat so many of them yourself. But save plenty for your friends. When given as a gift, all of these dishes turn into love on a plate.

PLAIN BISCOTTI

Yield: About 15 biscotti

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

Note: For biscotti with more of a holiday feel, substitute 2/3 cup brown sugar for the granulated sugar and mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg into the flour.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy (this is easiest with a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer). Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. Lower the mixer speed, add the flour and mix until it comes together in one ball.

3. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, shaping it into a rough log about 14 inches long (it will be easier to use your wetted fingertips and a dough scraper). It will be about 2 1/2 inches wide and about 3/4 inch thick.

4. Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let cool on the pan anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes; just work it into the schedule of whatever else you’re doing in the kitchen. Five minutes before cutting, use a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water to lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier.

5. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Wait another 5 minutes, then cut the biscotti on a diagonal into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices. When you’re slicing, be sure to hold the knife straight up and down; if you cut at an angle, the biscotti may topple over during their second bake.

6. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. If they aren’t as crunchy as you’d like, and if the weather is dry, store them uncovered overnight, to continue drying. Biscotti can be stored at room temperature for 1 week or may be wrapped airtight and frozen.

Per serving: 147 calories; 5 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 37 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein; 22 g carbohydrate; 9 g sugar; no fiber; 98 mg sodium; 35 mg calcium.

Recipe from “The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion,” by P.J. Hamel

FUDGY PEANUT-BUTTER SQUARES

Yield: 24 squares

Crust

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/3 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (3 ounces) chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or peanut butter pieces, optional

Frosting

3/4 cup butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, white confectionery coating disks or a combination

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch, 11-by-11-inch or similar-sized pan.

2. To make the crust: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter until soft and well-blended (this is easiest with a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer). Stir in the sugar, salt and vanilla. Mix in the flour; the mixture will feel dry and will be crumbly. Press the dough into the prepared pan. This is best accomplished by covering the crumbs with a piece of plastic wrap and using a small pastry rolling pin (or a can on its side) to roll out the crust evenly. Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes, until it has lightly browned around the edges. Remove the pan from the oven.

3. To make the filling: In a medium-sized saucepan set over low heat (or in a microwave-safe bowl), melt and stir together the chocolate, butter, salt and corn syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar and flour. Add the eggs, beating until well-blended, then mix in the chips. Spread the filling evenly onto the crust.

4. Bake the squares for 22 to 24 minutes. The top should be shiny and look set. For the best chewy texture, don’t overbake; a tester inserted into the center won’t come out clean but will have sticky crumbs clinging to it. Remove the squares from the oven and cool to lukewarm while you make the frosting.

5. To make the frosting: In a medium-sized saucepan set over low heat (or in a microwave-safe bowl), melt the chips, stirring often. Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth. Spread the frosting over the warm bars. Cool completely before cutting, using a knife sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray, or warmed in hot water, wiping it often. These squares are sinfully rich, so cut the 2-inch squares in half, if desired.

Per serving: 267 calories; 14 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 31 mg cholesterol; 4 g protein; 35 g carbohydrate; 23 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 90 mg sodium; 10 mg calcium.

Recipe from “The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion,” by P.J. Hamel

SPICED WALNUTS

Yield: 15 servings

1 pound walnut halves

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons corn oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, see note

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Note: These nuts are quite spicy. If you like your food with less of a kick, use less cayenne.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Blanch the walnuts in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute and drain well. While still hot, put nuts in a bowl and toss with the sugar and corn oil. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, coriander, ginger, cloves and chili powder, and set aside.

3. Arrange the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking tray. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes. When nuts are brown and crispy, put them into a bowl. While they are still warm, add the seasonings and toss well. Spread the nuts in a single layer to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Per serving: 245 calories; 22 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 5 g protein; 11 g carbohydrate; 8 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 80 mg sodium; 32 mg calcium.

Recipe, originally called Curried Walnuts, from “The Frog Commissary Cookbook,” by Steven Poses, Anne Clark and Becky Roller

CLASSIC FUDGY BROWNIES

Yield: 16 servings

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (up to 64 percent cacao), finely chopped

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks, optional

1/2 cup chopped nuts, toasted and cooled completely

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position an oven rack in the center. Line an 8-inch-square cake pan with foil or parchment paper across the bottom and up two of the sides, then lightly coat with unflavored oil or canola-oil spray.

2. If you have a microwave, place the butter, 6 ounces of the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Stir. If not completely melted, heat 30 more seconds and stir again. If not completely melted, heat 15 more seconds and stir again. Continue until the ingredients are melted and thoroughly mixed together. If you don’t have a microwave, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the butter, 6 ounces of the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler and turn off the heat. Stir occasionally with a spatula until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

3. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, stirring well to incorporate each before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract. Whisk in the flour and salt. Continue to stir until the mixture changes from dull and broken-looking to smooth and shiny, about 1 minute. Whisk in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts, if using.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it (do not overbake). Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

5. If desired, frost the brownies with chocolate ganache, a recipe for which runs below. Lift the brownies out of the pan by gently pulling up on the overhanging parchment or foil (you may have to loosen the brownies from the pan by running a thin knife or flexible spatula around the edges). Set the brownies on a cutting surface and use a chef’s knife to cut into 16 equal pieces. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Per serving: 218 calories; 14 g fat; 7 g saturated fat; 38 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein; 23 g carbohydrate; 17 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 10 mg sodium; 8 mg calcium.

Recipes from “The Art & Soul of Baking,” by Cindy Mushet

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Yield: 1 cup

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (up to 60 percent cacao), finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to boil. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute, then gently whisk until the ganache is completely smooth.

2. To use as frosting for brownies, let the ganache cool for 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside to finish cooling at room temperature until it has the consistency of frosting, 4 to 6 hours.

Per (2 tablespoon) serving: 123 calories; 11 g fat; 6 g saturated fat; 21 mg cholesterol; 1 g protein; 8 g carbohydrate; 6 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 6 mg sodium; 10 mg calcium.