You cannot beat cookies for lastability and usually, appreciation from almost any one. (But you have to make them yourself.) I grew up doing this and I just finished fudge (for the candy part of this answer). Candy too along with cookies. Candy is always welcome, especially some good kind most people won't spend the money for as a rule.
But anyway, I just made my mom's chocolate-apricot bars. They are melted chocolate and apricot preserves on shortbread type dough. Rich and delicious. I'll make butterhorns and chocolate chips and a few others and that will get me through all the Christmas gifts that are just nice thank you type gifts. Much easier than buying stuff any day.
Hot cocoa mix in a nice jar is something my kids and I did a few times. There is a whole recipe but using Nestles Quik and adding some ground peppermints is just as good and easier.
One year we made 14 loaves of molasses bread to distribute to our neighbors. After we distributed them we sat down and sliced the loaf we kept for ourselves. Horrible!!! It was awful. I laugh about that every Christmas. And never made molasses bread again!
One year a friend made biscochitos (a certain type of cookies most Hispanics are aware of) fudge and brownies. Another friend gave me a dozen homemade tamales. Some of the tastiest presents ever! ;)
This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at December 20, 2016 9:17 AM MST
