I have decided I want to offer holiday gift baskets this year. I'm wondering what you all would think should be included in a gift basket in the $50 range? Please keep in mind these will need to be shipped so I can't include anything that would require refrigeration.

Banana nut bread in a loaf, small packets of nuts and dried fruit, Jar of cookie dough, a plastic cookie cutter? In a fancy basket wrapped in plastic and a pretty bow on top??

P.S. Check this out, I just recieved a Gift Box yesturday and I looked at the bottom of the box.. These boxes are perfect.. This one was filled with crackers, nuts, dried fruit, cookies.. Alot of boxed items.. and it was filled to the top with paper. And all the items were comeing out from the top. She also had 2 plastic fall leaves and some confetti paper on top.. This is where she gets her boxes from:
http://www.boxcoindustries.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=22&products_id=216
Good Luck!

How about nuts like pistachios,full shell mixed nuts,fancy packaged import cookies,Christmas candy mix....um...cheeses that don't require refridgeration like bobel or those little cubes,Crackers....small jams,spreads etc just a thought!

Those are great ideas....but I was hoping to fill it with things I've made so to generate more business. I'm hoping to offer things they can't necessarily get somewhere else. I'm definitely leaning towards a small loaf of banana nut bread, probalby some decorated cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, gourmet hot chocolate mix and maybe apple cider mix, but I still need one or two more things in order to charge that much .... don't ya think?

Oh I get it...sorry..I thought you meant store bought stuff!! Hmmm what else can you offer.How about some homemade toffee or almond bark..easy to make and doesn't require a ton of expensive ingredients.I like the christmas bark with white chocloate and broken up candy canes.

Oooh good idea....maybe some pecan pralines, divinity?

Yeah....now your talking!! My kinda Candy!!

You could do the mini loaf of banana nut bread and then do a mini loaf of holiday bread (since these are going out around the holidays.) Then just add little things like Nilla Wafers dipped in choclate and then sprinkled with crushedpeppermints wrapped up in a cellophane bag. Those were a HUGE hit for me last year! Good luck!

You know here in Canada there is a line of books called "Company's Coming" by Jean Pare.I have two of the holiday "Gifts from the Kitchen" books and they are fantastic for making homemade gift basket stuff!! I just bought their new on at Walmart this week and it is spectacular.Everything from food to liqueurs to bath salts etc...See if you can find it on Amazon or something that would be great!

A friend and I made up some baskets last year and we put cheese straws in them, they were a big hit.

How about some RumBalls? I always make them around christmas and they are a big hit with everyone i know

Just an idea on the dipped pretzels...

I recently made some dipped pretzel rods that were so yummy and pretty.
I first dipped them in chocolate and while they were still wet, I sprinkled them with nuts and then drizzled white chocolate back and forth over the nuts and then did a slight drizzle of dark chocolate over top of that.

They were so gourmet looking. Then I wrapped each one individually. I have seen these in stores and coffee shops for $1-$2 each.

Good luck with your baskets!

I don't know if you make pound cakes...but you can make the mini pound cakes in the Wilton pan..they turn out real cute!

That's a great idea on the pretzels! And I'm definitely going to do a mini-pound cake! Thanks for the input!!!!

Nana have you ever tried doing your own version of the "gourmet" dipped apples. I have been doing them for the past year or so and they are a BIG HIT! I cover the apple with caramel.. let it set.. then dip in chocolate.. let it set and then dip in chocolate again and add all kinds of toppings.. cookie chunks.. chocolate chips... toffee bits... nuts.. etc. etc. I get jumbo fuji apples, but regular size apples would work in a basket really well.

What about chocolate dipped spoons? They would look nice with the basket and they are very easy to do. You could also put brownies in there...now I'm hungry

I'm doing baskets as gifts for my brother and sister and my husband's sister. I make homemade salsa (which they rave about), including some tortilla chips and some other odds 'n ends.

Something that is really good (although it sounds strange) is putting peanut butter between two ritz crackers and then you dip them in melted chocolate bark. Let them dry and then you can bag them up. They taste like the Little Debby peanut butter cakes. OOOH! Guess I'll have to make some -- I'm now craving them.

Nana I wrap them in cellophane and tie with a pretty ribbon.. Also I place them on a small square or round of cardboard before wrapping. I have shipped them to people so I know they hold up.. just not in really warm weather.

You could also try doing coffee spoons. Just dip the sturdy plastic spoon in melted chocolate and let it harden. Then tie a bow around the stem and put it in a cellophane bag. You can add flavorings to the chocolate too. I've added Kahlua, Baileys, amaretto, etc. They're cheap to make and look great.

Nana - I have a picture of them on one of my sample trays in my photos. I bought the spoons from Michaels or Joanns, dipped them in melted dark chocolate candy melts and drizzled with white chocolate candy melt. The spoons are gold and they come with twist ties. You could probably use red or green candy melts and make them festive. I just dipped them and let them dry for a little bit. Very easy

I saw a cookie kit in a kids toy store magazine. It was sugar cookies that turned pink when mixed, small roller, cookie cutter, etc. It was called princess cookie kit. I think it was a star cookie cutter with lollipop sticks to make wands. I was thinking of doing something like that. You can buy sugar cookie mixes, add pink powder food coloring and just buy the rest of the things. I know you were looking for homemade but I thought it was such a cute idea.
I have a recipe for pistachio dried cranberry white chocolate bark that is festive and very tasty that I make every year.
I also made peanuts and almonds last year. You caramelize some sugar, add the toasted nuts, cook some more then cover with chocolate. I tempered the chocolate(bittersweet for the almonds and milk for the peanuts) but I'm sure it would be easier with candy melts. These are totally addictive.
Here's a site that ships gift baskets and they have some really cute ideas.
http://www.giftbasketsremembered.com/index.html

Sandra
ps let me know if you want the recipes for the bark or the nuts.

Gibson, if you did the ritz crackers in some good chocolate, then they taste like reeses cups. They are awesome!

I have also seen the plastic spoons that are dipped to add flavor to your hot drink as you stir. anyone else seen that?

Last year I also took the pretzel rods and dipped them in chocolate halfway and then roll in chopped nuts. My kids loved them. You can also roll them in the different colored sugar crystals.

I bought a gift basket for my MIL last year. It was in a giant coffee cup...so cute! The chocolate dipped spoons were in there and so was rock candy on a stick for stirring into your coffee/tea. Lots of baked stuff too. She loved it! I'm trying my hand at making them this year too. It's a lot less expensive to DIY and you can put exactly what you want in them.

These are all great ideas!!! Please send recipes...we may just start a new trend here!

How about chocolate dipped spoons with some coffee, homemade candies, truffles, maybe a book, bubble bath, bath salts, wine.........