Paperwhites and daffodils for Christmas gifts

Paperwhite bulbs.Lucy mercer/A Cook and Her Books

When you run into the Lowe's or Home Depot or your favorite garden center this week, looking for an extra string of lights, or a discounted wreath, find the display of fall bulbs. I bet you'll find a few bags of beautiful tulip, daffodil and paperwhite bulbs, priced to sell. If you have a few extra minutes in the Christmas rush and crush, you may put some into the ground, or you can make lovely gifts for friends and family.

Paperwhite bulbs. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

First, paperwhites: these fragrant blooms take really well to indoor forcing. Pick up a bag of gravel while you're at the Depot and find a few shallow dishes around your house. I prefer sealed ceramic dishes for this - the saucer will need constant watering and unsealed terra cotta will ruin the surface underneath. Gently place gravel in container, nestle the paperwhite bulbs among the stones, and add water. Because of the moisture factor, I keep these in my sunny kitchen and bathroom, where I can monitor the water level daily. If you're giving these away, don't add water, and wrap with cellophane and a pretty bow and add instructions for water and light.

Paperwhites in gravel container. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

You can also take the smaller approach and gather a few jelly and canning jars for a collection of bulbs. Just place a few pieces of gravel in the bottom, fill with a bit of dirt, then add a bulb. I found this idea on Wenderly's site and she recommends not watering right away, but placing the jars with bulbs in a dark place for a few days to encourage root growth, then bringing out the jars, putting in a bit of water and watching the bulbs grow.

Paperwhite bulbs in jars.Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

I found daffodils marked down 75 percent at Lowe's (half off at Home Depot), and decided to use them for teacher gifts. Very simple here, and it's easy to set up assembly-line style. Clean pot, gravel in bottom, 5 or 6 bulbs place upright on gravel. Fill in with potting soil and pat down the soil.

Daffodil bulbs in pots. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Wrap with cellophane. Tie with a pretty gold ribbon (I buy gold and silver ribbon after the holidays and have a stash of lovely wired ribbon to use throughout the year.)

Daffodil pots. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

The daffodil pots were given to teachers and family this year. I have a few extras on hand, for last-minute and unexpected gifts.

Christmas is all about new beginnings - a baby, new life for those who believe. And a planter full of the promise of spring will make a wonderful Christmas gift.

Text and images copyright 2011, Lucy Mercer.

Wrap it up for teachers

Wrapped loaf cakes. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Give those hard-working teachers something homemade this year, all wrapped up in a pretty ribbon. Loaf cakes and quick breads fill the bill - most recipes make at least two loaves, and if you use smaller pans, you can stretch the recipe further. Below are some of my favorites. Click on the name in the caption for the recipe.

Lemon tea loaves. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Cream cheese pound cake. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Banana bread. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Text and images copyright 2011, Lucy Mercer.

Bake a pound cake for friends, family & teachers

Cream cheese pound cake by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 True confession: I was the kind of kid who went off to college and baked. That's right, the only graduate of the University of Georgia who spent her Friday and Saturday nights creaming butter and sugar together and preheating the oven. I'm still not too sure why I didn't channel this enthusiasm for the never-ending possibilities of the butter-sugar-flour matrix into a food-related career, but the truth is, I spent my extra hours at college baking cakes. I tried all manner of pound cakes and baked them in loaves so that I could distribute them to friends and co-workers. I tried lemon-glazed pound cakes, sour cream pound cakes, and eventually found this recipe for a cream cheese pound cake that has been my best baking friend for two decades. It makes a lovely Bundt cake, but really shines as a loaf cake, with the typical San Andreas Fault line running through the middle. The crust is crispy and shattery, the interior is buttery and tender. 

This recipe will yield two loaves or one Bundt cake. I've made four batches of this cake in the past week, to distribute to teachers, friends and family at Christmas.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened

3 cups granulated sugar

6 eggs

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese (neufchatel acceptable), room temperature and divided into three equal pieces

pinch salt

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325. Use baking spray to coat inside of Bundt pan or tube pan or 2 loaf pans.

2. In mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar for several minutes. When fully incorporated and no longer grainy, add eggs and cream cheese alternately. This means two eggs, fully mixed in, piece of cream cheese, fully mixed in, followed by eggs and cream cheese two more times. When batter is creamy and smooth, add, on low speed, flour and pinch salt. Stir in vanilla extract.

3. Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth the top with a spatula. Cake bakes in 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.The cake is ready when a narrow bamboo skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool on rack for at least an hour before giving in to the luscious vanilla and butter smell and slicing generous portions for your starving family.

Look for more ideas for gifts from the kitchen like orange pecan coconut balls , roasted almonds and my never-the-same-way-twice snack mix on A Cook and Her Books. Looking for Christmas cookies? Try Scottish Shortbread and Macadamia Tassies.

Text and images copyright 2011, Lucy Mercer.

An old-fashioned favorite: Orange-Pecan-Coconut Candies

Orange pecan coconut balls. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Here's another goody from last week's kitchen marathon. I wrapped these up to give to friends and family and tuck into the teachers' goody bags, too. This is an oldie-but-goody that I remember from my childhood Christmases - vanilla wafers and pecans pulverized in the food processor and combined with orange juice concentrate and butter and confectioner's sugar. The mixture is shaped into balls and rolled in coconut, or crushed pecans. I boosted the citrus flavor with a bit of orange extract from the spice shelf. Did I mention that no baking is required? Call the kids and let them help in the kitchen. Give these treats a try - I'm sure they'll become a family favorite in your house, too.

Orange-Pecan-Coconut Candies

1 (12 oz.) package vanilla wafers

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup confectioner's sugar (10 X)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

2 cups flaked coconut

1. In food processor, add vanilla wafers, pecans and sugar to food processor bowl and blitz into fine crumbs. Add room temperature butter and pulse until combined. Add orange juice concentrate and orange extract (if using) and pulse until combined. Scoop mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in coconut. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week.

For more teacher gifts from the kitchen, see here.