Chowhound Gift Guide 2018: DIY Cocktail Gift Baskets

Everyone has that friend, the cocktail obsessive who collects bitters and has not one, but two Hatch bar mixing glasses. You could easily just gift him or her a bottle of really good rye and call it a day. But instead of taking the easy route this holiday, put a little more Martha Stewart into it, and arrange a cocktail gift basket or bag, which is much easier to put together than it sounds. Below, some tipple-themed ideas.

Old Fashioned

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For a baseline shopping list, take a look at our Old Fashioned recipe. Pick a nice rye or bourbon (make sure you know how he or she likes it), pick up some angostura bitters, and then add a few quintessential bar tools:

Open Kitchen Citrus Zester, $10 on Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma

Throw this in for the orange twist.See It

Silicone Ice Sphere Molds Set, 2 for $10.36 at Willias-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma

And you’ll want to include a large ice mold. An Old Fashioned should be chilled, not watery.See It

Moscow Mule

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We prefer our Moscow Mule with ginger syrup instead of ginger beer. For this basket, we say make a batch of Ginger Syrup and add a few other essentials. Also, don’t forget the vodka.

Chef’n Lime Juicer, $19.95 at Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma

To make things easy squeezy.See It

Copper Moscow Mule Mug, $23.96 at Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma

So they can sip in style (you can even have it monogrammed).See It

Moscow Mule Cocktail Shrink Film Holiday Ornament, $10 on Etsy

cheryloz/Etsy

If you want to add a little something extra.See It

Margarita

You know exactly which friend needs a “margarita night!” Include the aforementioned lime juicer tool so he or she can use real lime juice, like in our Perfect Margarita. Add a bottle of tequila, maybe a bottle of Cointreau, and a couple other items, and you have a gift basket that encourages a weeknight get together, just because, you know, margaritas are delicious.

Cocktail Rimmer, $6.99 at Williams-Sonoma (originally $12.95)

Williams-Sonoma

This helps portion out the right amount of salt.See It

Custom Made Frosted Spiral Wave Pattern Margarita Glasses, 4 for $89.10 at Etsy

Woodeye Glassware/Etsy

It’s a party on a glass.See It

Cosmopolitan

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This is for your friend who’s a total Carrie. For a classic Cosmo gift basket, along with a bottle of vodka, you can also include the lime juicer and citrus zester (for the lime twist) we mentioned above.

“Making Spirits Bright” Mini Cocktail Shaker, $12.50 on Etsy

White Confetti Box/Etsy

Add a pretty-in-pink cocktail shaker.See It

Hand-Painted Cocktail Glasses, $14.51 on Etsy

Contemporary Living Co/Etsy

And channel the squad’s penchant for flashy accessories with these hand-painted glasses.See It

Gin Martini

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For the classic (and arguably, “right”) way to make a martini, use our Perfect Gin Martini recipe. In addition to a bottle of gin and orange bitters, think about adding some seriously cool barware.

Elyx Martini Kit, $129 at Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma

This has everything you need except the alcohol.See It

Gold Bar Tool Set, $22.99 at Williams-Sonoma (originally $68)

Williams-Sonoma

Alternatively, choose luxury-on-a-budget with this set.See It

If you’d rather add glassware, you can’t go wrong with these diamond quilted coupes, pink depression glasses, or iridescent blue Fostoria numbers. Just be sure to wrap the glasses carefully, especially if you go the bag route.

If you’re looking for specific alcohol suggestions, check out our Chowhound Gift Guide 2018: Best Alcohol to Give as Gifts. And for even more great gift ideas, see our Gourmet Food and Drink Gift Guide and our Kitchen Gadgets, Tools, and Appliances Gift Guide.

Related Video: The Right Type of Glassware for Every Kind of Cocktail

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How to Ship Christmas Cookies and Other Treats

Merry holiday wishes alone will not protect baked goods in their travels through the mail. They can lose their crunch, go stale, or just get tumbled around enough to crumble those perfect linzer cookies you’re so proud of.

Here are the tips you need to know to ship your baked goods and have them arrive on time and intact for Christmas.

SELECT YOUR COOKIES

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Unless you are spending big bucks to ship with an overnight service, plan to mail baked goods that will taste fresh and stay crisp for about a week. “When you bake at home, you don’t think about shelf life,” says Jenna Park, co-owner of Whimsy & Spice bakery in Brooklyn, New York. “But definitely for shipping you have to.” You don’t want to ship any cookie or baked good that won’t hold up for three to five days sitting around your house in the container you plan to ship in. Not sure? Do a test batch and see what happens. Take these holiday-appropriate cookie recipes for a test drive.

Premium Christmas Cookie Tins, Set of 3, $21.65 on Amazon

The perfect tin for all your holiday cookies!

See It

The Best Type of Cookies to Ship:

Drier, crispier varieties will last longer. “Shortbreads are probably the most fail-safe,” says Whimsy & Spice’s Park. Other good bets are sugar cookies, biscotti, or crisp gingerbread. Our pecan sandies and molasses crinkle cookies are also great options to ship. Soft, moist cookies have “less of a shelf life because the moisture will help it deteriorate,” says Rose Levy Beranbaum, journalist and author of Rose’s Christmas Cookies.

Not as Foolproof But Totally Doable:

Opt for faster shipping methods for anything soft and moist, like brownies, bundt and tube cakes, and loaf cakes. The same goes for cookies with nuts, says Beranbaum—because nuts go rancid quickly, they shorten the shelf life of a cookie to about a week. For doughs with cream cheese in them (like rugelach), “five days is my rule of thumb for shelf life,” says Beranbaum.

Mail at Your Own Risk:

“One of my favorite cookies I would never ship,” warns Beranbaum. “My lemon butter bars. Or cheesecake bars.” They are too soft, squishy, and perishable. She also says she’s hesitant to ship meringues because they are so delicate (but at least they still taste good broken).

DON’T BE A CRAPPY PACKAGER

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To avoid an epic cookie-shipping failure, start by fully cooling your treats before trying to cram them into bags or tins or anything else but your mouth. You don’t want any extra steamy moisture caught in there to speed spoilage. That said, mail the cookies as soon as possible after baking, advises James Wigdel, spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service in San Francisco. This will get you the most out of the shelf life.

Also, use the right containers. You’ve got a few options: Beranbaum is a fan of Snapware containers because they have gaskets and form an airtight seal. Tins are fine too, but you’ll need to tape around the lid to add a seal and hedge your bets against the lid popping off somewhere in transit. At the minimum, Wigdel says, you should use one of those inexpensive plastic food storage containers, such as the kind Ziploc makes.

The often-overlooked key to good packing is keeping your cookie types separated. “You want crunchy to stay crunchy and soft to stay soft. If you put them together, the crunchy get soft, and the soft turn hard,” says Beranbaum. That doesn’t mean you have to ship multiple tins. You can separate the types with resealable bags, or class it up and get cellophane goodie bags, advises Park, and tie them up with a ribbon. If you’re just shipping one type of cookie, put sheets of waxed paper between the layers as you fill the tin. Either way, fill in the gap at the top with crumpled waxed paper, says Jennifer Caccavo, a spokesperson for FedEx.

BOX AND DELIVER

Once you have your treats secured in a container, use a sturdy corrugated box designed to ship in, says Kristen Petrella, a spokesperson for UPS. Then be sure to have at least two inches of packing material on all sides. You can use crumpled newspaper, foam peanuts, bubble wrap, shredded paper, crumpled old plastic or paper bags, or do as Beranbaum does and fill up resealable bags with real popcorn and pack those around the treats as a bonus for the giftee. “Shake the box—if you can feel or hear any movement, add more cushioning!” says FedEx’s Caccavo.

Caccavo, Petrella, and Wigdel all advise writing the recipient’s name and address on a note card stuck inside the box—if the exterior label falls off or becomes unreadable, the carrier can still get it to your giftee. And skip the brown paper and string overwrap, since it “can potentially catch in package sorting equipment,” warns Petrella. Seal the box with packing tape—not flimsy Scotch tape you stole from the office—clearly address it, and ship it out. And don’t wait too long!

For more tips, hacks, and recipes, check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas and Holiday Entertaining Headquarters.

Related Video: Healthier Versions of Your Favorite Christmas Cookies

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How to Throw a Holiday Open House

Elevate your entertaining AND lose the stress this year with a holiday open house! We've partnered with Blue Diamond to share our tips for pulling off the most enjoyable gathering you'll have this holiday season.

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How to Re-Purpose All of Those Strange Holiday Food Basket Gifts

Assess your post-holiday spoils. You might have a jar of olives or marmalade, a tin of mixed nuts, caramel popcorn, or shortbread cookies that seemed like a good idea at the time — in your gift-giver’s mind, at least. Yes, it’s the thought that counts. But then again, that thought takes up kitchen cupboard and fridge space … possibly until 2020.

Stackable Kitchen Storage Organizer Bins, Set of 4, $49.99 on Amazon

Keep your kitchen tidy into the new year!

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Be realistic. Say you can’t re-gift that Harry & David-style food basket (or won’t; you’re so nice). How are you going to use it? Here’s how.

1. Glaze chicken with orange marmalade.

Got a jar of marmalade from a well-meaning friend or coworker that you know will just take up space in your refrigerator door for the next year if you don’t use it somehow soon? A little Dijon mustard, grated ginger, garlic, and a half cup of that marmalade can glaze some chicken thighs for an easy, affordable weeknight dinner. Get the recipe.

The Complete Cookbook

2. Toss those cured meat sticks into the pot, pan, or pizza.

Use that meat tube like you would pepperoni and put thin slices on a pizza. Or chop up those logs of cured meat that came with the cheeses in your gift basket for a paella or a nice big pot of jambalaya. Sure, it’s not andouille sausage or tasso (a type of cured ham) but your meat stick is smoked, salty, and flavor-packed. It will work just fine in this forgiving, spice-filled Cajun recipe. Get our Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya recipe.

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3. Make peppermint desserts with candy canes.

It’s not Christmas without a few too many candy canes, especially if you have children. You’re not going to suck on them. So crush them. You can make our Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream Filling recipe with excess candy canes or those little alien-saucer-shaped peppermint candies.

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Too much work? This idea for repurposing your peppermints requires only four ingredients. Get our Peppermint Hot Chocolate recipe.

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4. Use olives in a stew.

Make some chili in your slow cooker and dump in those suckers. For a forgiving weeknight winter comfort, an easy Crock Pot taco soup is another option for getting rid of those gifted olives. You can use any ground meat you have, plus all sorts of canned beans and tomatoes. Get our Crock Pot Taco Soup recipe.

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5. Make nutty tarts or bars from that can of assorted nuts.

What pairs well with nuts? Fruit — any fruit — plus pastry. You could even use that marmalade we already mentioned and make our Italian Jam Crostata recipe. It doesn’t have to be exactly like the recipe. Just the general idea.

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Use leftover cranberries (that you dry) instead of dried cherries and dump out that can of mixed nuts and mix them with some oats, honey, and spices to make some convenient cereal bars that are packed with fiber and protein. Get our Cherry Power Bar recipe.

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6. Transform your Panettone into French toast.

Here’s an easy repurposing idea. That box of fruit-filled bread you got? Make it a nice weekend brunch meal with a little egg, cream, cinnamon, and syrup. It’s a cinch, and more enjoyable than the original. Get the recipe.

Olives + Okra

7. Put your caramel popcorn in your cookies.

A little salt, a little sweet, and you get a whole lotta awesome in cookie form when you put your caramel popcorn gift to another use. Adapted from a Smitten Kitchen Cookbook recipe, this salted caramel popcorn cookie has got all the flavor and texture pairings you could desire. Get the recipe.

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8. Make football food with your specialty mustard.

Take that mustard jar you found in your basket and make great munchies for the final football games of the season, maybe even the Super Bowl. You can use any kind of mustard, sweet or spicy, for our Honey Mustard Snack Mix recipe.

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Or spread that gifted mustard on your brats, hot dogs, our Soft Pretzels recipe, or our Soft Pretzel Bites recipe.

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— Head Image: Paste Magazine.

Related video: The Christmas Gift Basket, Deconstructed

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These Decadent Takes on Babka and Rugelach Are What You Need This Holiday Season

If you’ve been missing out on the doughy awesomeness that is babka, then Hanukkah is the perfect opportunity to rectify that situation. So what is babka anyway? (Besides delicious, of course.) It’s a dense, swirled bread, usually layered with chocolate or cinnamon. It’s often topped off with sugary streusel for extra sweetness. The contrast of dry and sticky layers makes for a perfect texture that’s both thick and airy. As a classic episode of “Seinfeld” attests, “You can’t beat a babka.”

At one point the Eastern European dessert was tough to come by in America. Unless you lived near a gourmet bakery or had a Jewish grandma, you probably lacked access to one of the best sweets on the planet. That was decades ago, though. Now neighborhood grocery stores, and even Trader Joe’s carry them, so you can get your babka fix anytime.

When it comes to flavor, chocolate babka is ideal. And nobody knows this better than Breads Bakery. The New York eatery takes their chocolate babka to a whole other level by contorting the baked good into a pie! They intricately braid strands of dough into a unique circular shape and then mold it into pie crust. It’s a creative spin on a classic dessert that we couldn’t endorse more. The amount of Nutella used to create this hybrid alone is a sight to behold.

3 Tier Serving Stand, $29.99 on Amazon

The perfect serving tray for holiday goodies!

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If you’re looking for more Yiddish goodies to nosh on this holiday season, try rugelach. These pastries are traditionally crescent-shaped, with a triangle of dough circling a filling. Raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, and fruit preserves are all popular variations. But once again we’re declaring chocolate the victor.

For an even more decadent take on the rugelach, we again turn to Breads Bakery. One of their most ambitious creations is this ginormous rugelach-branched Christmas tree. It may seem ironic at first, but honestly what could be a better baked good for inter-faith celebrations! It’s also perfect for people who can’t get enough Nutella. (Did we mention we really, really like Nutella?)

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Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed sweet potatoes are great, but add a little bourbon and they become outright decadent! Make this easy side dish for Thanksgiving or a holiday party this year.

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