Christmas Gifts for Co-Workers

I always want to give my co-workers a little something at this time of year, but both time and money are tight - as is true for a lot of teachers. I've come up with a few solutions over the years that my teammates love and even look forward to.

Fudge - hands down, a favorite of theirs (and it's gluten free). I've heard that fudge can be difficult, but Kraft's Fantasy Fudge recipe has yet to fail me. My little secret? Double the recipe & pour it into a 9x13 foil-lined pan. The fudge turns out roughly an inch thick. I cut it into 24 squares and give each person two huge pieces of fudge that look like they came straight from an over-priced candy shop on Main Street USA. ºoº

Kraft's Recipe (Already Doubled For Your Convienence)
6 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks - softened or not...doesn't really matter)
1 1/3 cups evaporated milk (I just use 2 small cans. Do NOT use sweetened condensed milk.)
24 oz of "fun stuff"* - more on this later
2 (7 oz) jars of marshmallow cream
1 cup chopped walnuts (I always omit these since some people - ME! - don't like nuts in their fudge.)
2 tsp vanilla extract**
festive sprinkles

Line a 9x13 pan with foil making sure to really press it into the corners. This will ensure that the corner pieces look decent and can be used for gifting. (Or you can plan on cutting a bit off all the way around and "testing" your fudge to make sure it's good to gift!)

Mix sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a full boil. Boil for 3 more minutes while stirring constantly. This is crucial. You must boil the full amount of time. As I start to think mine is boiling, I glance at the clock. Usually, it takes another 45 seconds or so to really get boiling. So, I probably boil mine for 3-4 minutes. Allrecipes.com says 5 minutes....haven't tried that, but as long as you're stirring constantly it should be fine.

Remove pan from heat & stir in the "fun stuff"* and marshmallow cream until everything is melted and smooth. (If using a chip, stir a little extra to really make sure they've all melted. One year I didn't...I had tiny bits of chocolate chips in my fudge. Co-workers actually loved that batch...) Add the vanilla extract last.

Pour into the foiled pan and immediately add some sprinkles to make it look festive. Let it cool completely. Then, lift the whole pieces of foil out of the pan, set it on a large, flat surface, and cut it into 24 huge squares with a pizza slicer. Wrap in plastic wrap and tie 2 together with a nice bit of ribbon.

*The "Fun Stuff"....Kraft says to use chocolate chips. Two 12 oz bags will do it. I say...mix it up! One of my best recipes uses peanut butter. I replace the chocolate chips with about 3 cups of peanut butter. The only thing to be careful of here is that chocolate chips are hard and peanut butter is very gooey - which is why I don't put in 4 cups. This fudge will turn out softer than regular fudge, but it's my favorite!

*Fun Stuff to Try: any type of chip (chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate, etc.); 3 cups of peanut butter; white chocolate chips with a couple of tablespoons of ginger (gingerbread fudge); white chocolate chips with peppermint extract (replaces the vanilla) & crushed candy canes. I also like to do a regular batch of peanut butter fudge and then add a thin layer of chocolate fudge on top. The possibilities are endless!

**Vanilla extract can be replaced with any type of extract. I like to mix it up with peppermint and make candy-cane fudge for at least one batch each Christmas. Hmmm....I wonder how orange or raspberry extract would go with chocolate....


Sugar Scrub - I needed this for a diabetic co-workers. My fudge was definitely out. But, we both got to enjoy this scrub since it made so much!

Mix together: a good coconut oil & white sugar. I started with about 1 cup of sugar and then added tablespoons of coconut oil until I got the texture I wanted. Add a couple drops of essential oil. I used lavender...what teacher doesn't need to relax right around Christmas with our high-stakes tests right around the corner??

Dollar Tree had small jars I put the scrub in and then dropped it into a nice little gift bag. Done!! And, these could be done over Thanksgiving break giving you a head start on your gifts.


Dry Rubs - My hubby LOVES his grill and cooking out for us - we live in FL where we can use the grill almost year-round - and some of these dry rubs are our favorites. They would make a nice gift for the man on your team that isn't into sweets or girlie-bath stuff. Scroll down her page just a few inches to find a visual recipe graphic you can save to your hard drive.  10 Dry Rub Recipes to Up Your Barbecue Game