Holiday Winners (Sweet Edible Gifts): Wondering if you discovered any real "keepers" this past holiday season, specifically for sweet treats. ;o)

AJ, great question! I feel like I am always making the same things and should consider making some new recipes next year. :)

This year I made the mini loaves of your scrumptious Kentucky Whiskey Bread and shipped them to friends and family in Canada and the States. I can also attest to the deliciousness of Merrill's White Chocolate Snowflakes. However, in my next batch, I think that I will increase the amount of peanuts. I posted a photo on my Instagram account of these cookies, and Merrill said that she added pretzels and raisins to her recipe this holiday season, both of which I think would be excellent additions. These cookies travel very well.

The other cookie that I make every year and ship very successfully is tastefood's Ginger Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies https://food52.com/recipes/3884-ginger-spiced-molasses-sugar-cookies. Last year I made and shipped hardlikearmour's Vanilla Bean and Pink Peppercorn Icebox Cookies https://food52.com/recipes/19655-vanilla-bean-and-pink-peppercorn-icebox-cookies. They are delicious and very festive looking -- I decorate them with pink sanding sugar.

I also make and ship bags of holiday granola based on the genius recipe but often add a holiday twist (pistachios for the nuts, dried cranberries or dried cherries for a hit of fruit, sometimes some orange zest for flavoring, etc.). Wanderash's Ancho Chile Cinnamon Chocolate Bark is irresistible and travels well. https://food52.com/recipes/2105-ancho-chili-cinnamon-chocolate-bark

I always plan to make the food52 marshmallows https://food52.com/recipes/2167-chocolate-swirl-cinnamon-marshmallows but haven't gotten around to them yet. Maybe next year? It would be fun to give them as gifts with the Smitten Kitchen hot cocoa mix. http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/12/decadent-hot-chocolate-mix/

AJ I shipped apple butter and blueberry jam I canned in the summer all over the U.S., along with biscotti and chocolate oatmeal cookies. Everything held up very well. In the past I've done homemade caramels and toffee bark with success.

AJ, this year I made lebchuken, crystallized the citron and candied fruit peel to flavor the cookies. I also rendered the small amount of lard called for in the old German recipe. Since my husband's family is German, I felt like the cookies had any layers. A lot of time (and anxiety) went into the lard, candling and crystallizing and I was honoring their tradition. This sounds like the kind of project youigjt enjoy, w your own theme(a).

I usually make an assortment of cookies from a variety of countries. This year's hits were the World Peace Cookies from Dorie Greenspan (on this site), and the Graybeh, and the Spice Cookies from Ottolenghi's "Jerusalem " cookbook. This year, I put each cookie in a mini-muffin paper liner before placing it in a tin or sturdy decorative box, which added a layer of cushioning for shipping.
For other great sweets recipes that only improve with age, I can recommend the lebkuchen, marzipan, and cookie recipes from Sarah Kelly Iaia's book, "Festive Baking: Holiday Classics in the Swiss, German, and Austrian Traditions". I typically use those recipes, just decided to mix it up a little this year.

A different twist on baked goods, but I made vanilla and bottles it in ADORABLE 8 oz flip top bottles. I made cute labels, tied pretty ribbon and included a cute jingle bell. I also made ghee for everyone which I do every year. Those were in short little Italian flip top jars. I may or may not have broken the law by mailing the vanilla.

I made these white chocolate snowflakes several times. People loved them, and they are SO quick. https://food52.com/recipes/2533-white-chocolate-snowflakes

Hi AJ! I made your brandy balls and sent some to my Food52 giftee who loved them, too. btw, I met your sister at our DC group holiday party. So glad someone mentioned who she was while we were all still there!