Okay, so I’ve been wanting to try making my own dessert gifts for a while now. I see all these cute things on Pinterest, and I’m like, “I can totally do that!” Spoiler alert: it’s harder than it looks, but still fun!
Getting Started
First, I picked a few recipes that seemed easy enough. I’m no pastry chef, so I went with things like chocolate-covered pretzels, mini cheesecakes, and those no-bake cookie balls. Simple, right?
Then, I hit the grocery store. I grabbed all the usual suspects: chocolate, sprinkles, cream cheese, graham crackers, and a bunch of those little cellophane bags and ribbons for packaging. I probably spent way more than I should have, but hey, it’s for gifts!
The Messy Part
- First up, the pretzels. I melted the chocolate – which was a bit of a disaster at first, I almost burned it! – and then dipped the pretzels.
- Next added sprinkles. Some of them looked pretty good, others… well, let’s just say they had “character.”
The mini cheesecakes were next. These were a little more involved. I mixed the batter, poured it into these tiny cupcake liners, and baked them. They actually turned out pretty well! I topped them with some whipped cream and a little strawberry – fancy, I know.
The no-bake cookie balls were the easiest. Just crushed some cookies, mixed them with cream cheese and other stuff, and rolled them into balls. Then I dipped those in chocolate too, because why not?
Making it Pretty
The real challenge was the packaging. I tried to make those little bags look all cute and professional, but it’s harder than it seems! I fiddled with the ribbons for ages, and they still looked kind of wonky. But, you know, it’s the thought that counts, right?
The Final Result
In the end, I had a bunch of slightly imperfect, but definitely homemade, dessert gifts. Some were prettier than others, some had a bit of a sugar overload, and a few pretzels have slightly burnt-chocolate.
I learned that I’m not going to be opening a bakery anytime soon, but it was a fun experiment! And honestly, my friends and family will probably appreciate the effort, even if the presentation isn’t perfect. Plus, I got to eat all the “mistakes,” so that’s a win in my book.
