Enjoy giving and receiving this holiday season with Do It Yourself gifts!
Bestow bespoke presents tailored to your friends' and loved ones' favorite scents and tastes while avoiding allergens and additives.
Craft sustainably with local and fair trade ingredients using these recipes:
Holiday Horchata Body Scrub
Ingredients
- 15 drops Aura Cacia Vanilla in Jojoba Oil
- 8 drops Aura Cacia Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil
- 4 drops Aura Cacia Organic Cardamom Essential Oil
- 4 Tbsp Aura Cacia Sweet Almond Oil
- 1/2 cup Cane Sugar
- 1 tsp Finely ground oats (optional)
Preparation
- Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl until well combined, then store in a sealed jar.
- Gently massage onto damp skin, then rinse. Avoid using on broken or freshly shaved skin.
Spiced Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Simply Organic® Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Simply Organic® Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic® Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic® Cloves
- For rolling: crushed candy canes, cocoa powder, sprinkles, nuts, etc. (make sure any candies or sprinkles are gluten-free if needed)
Preparation
- Into a large heat-safe bowl, add chopped chocolate, then set aside.
- Into a small saucepan over medium heat, add heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Heat until just beginning to simmer (do not let it come to a boil), then remove from heat.
- Pour over chopped chocolate and cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until chocolate is completely melted.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours, until chocolate is set.
- Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion truffles into balls, then roll between your hands. For best results, use food-safe gloves (this will get very messy!). If truffles start to melt, transfer to freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
- Roll truffles in your favorite toppings. Store in refrigerator.
Fireside Spice Bath Bomb Ornaments
Ingredients
- 10 drops Aura Cacia Sweet Orange Essential Oil
- 5 drops Aura Cacia Fresh Ginger Essential Oil
- 3 drops Aura Cacia Clove Bud Essential Oil
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1 tsp Frontier Co-op Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Citric Acid
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Himalayan Salt
Preparation
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, salt). In a separate bowl, mix coconut oil, vanilla extract, and essential oils.
- Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry while stirring continuously to avoid fizzing. Lightly spray witch hazel a few times while stirring until the mixture holds together when squeezed (but not too wet).
- Firmly press the mixture into bath bomb molds. Let dry 24-48 hours before removing.
- Place one bath bomb into a clear plastic ornament ball & tie a ribbon or string through the top of the ornament.
Salted Toffee Chocolate Bars
Ingredients
- 12 graham crackers broken into 24 squares
- 1/2 pound butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the crackers on the foil-lined sheet, with their edges touching. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, then stir in the brown sugar. Turn the heat to medium high, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10 minutes until the sugar has melted. Pour the sugar mixture over the graham crackers, and spread with a spatula to cover evenly.
- Sprinkle with pecans and bake for 10 minutes, until bubbly. Place pan on a cooling rack and use the tip of a spatula to nudge the crackers apart. Sprinkle with coarse salt. When the pan has cooled, melt the chocolate and drizzle it over the crackers. Let cool until firm; remove from the pan, and break into pieces. Store, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to a week.
Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon water
- 2 cups whole almonds
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly oil a sheet pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white, take out 2 tablespoons, and put them in a large bowl. In the large bowl, whisk the water into the egg white until frothy. Add the almonds and toss to coat with egg white. Add the sugar, salt and cinnamon and toss to coat evenly.
- Spread the almonds on the oiled pan and bake for 20 minutes, then stir and rotate the pan, and bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool completely on the pan before transferring to a jar or other airtight container.
- Keeps for two weeks at room temperature, or a month in the refrigerator.
No-Bake Sugar Cookie Truffles
Ingredients
- 12 3-inch sugar cookies (14 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Preparation
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Crumble the cookies into the bowl of a food processor and add the cream cheese. Process until a smooth paste is produced, scraping down and repeating as needed. Use a tablespoon to scoop out level portions. Roll each between your palms to make an even ball. Place on the prepared pan and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
- When firm, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler set over barely-simmering water. Use a fork to drop each truffle into the white chocolate, turn to coat, and lift out, tapping the fork on the edge of the pan to allow excess chocolate to fall back into the pan. Place dipped truffles back on the parchment-lined pan, and repeat. If there is a little chocolate left over, use the fork to drizzle it back and forth over the truffles for a decorative pattern. Chill again until set, then transfer to a storage container and keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, until time to serve. These keep for a week in the refrigerator.
Serve with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios (as pictured), chocolate chips, sprinkles, or slivered almonds for an eye-catching treat.
Sweet and Spicy Nut Mix
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Organic Korintje Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Organic Cayenne
- 1/8 teaspoon Frontier Co-op® Organic Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and cover a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a small pot, heat maple syrup, spices and sea salt until syrup is warm.
- In a bowl, combine nuts and pour warm syrup over nuts. Stir until well coated.
- Spread nuts on baking tray in a single layer and bake for 12 minutes. Nuts should be browning slightly. Remove and let cool on tray for 10 minutes.
- While still slightly warm, toss nuts with sugar. Store in an airtight container for two to three days.