Gifts from my Kitchen: Lizzie's Tasty Treats

A basket filled with homemade treats means way more than mass-produced commercialized gifts. It will save you more than just a penny and can be great fun for the whole family.
Who knows, you may have a budding master chef in your home!

I know my friend Hive account@apanamamama's young son loves baking, and I'm sure there are many more Moms whose little ones would love to get stuck in to help. and learn at the same time. To be totally honest, that's how I learnt as well, they were the taste testers;)

I must have made 1000s of cookies in my lifetime, most of them when my sons were growing up.
There was a period where they also wanted to 'help' Mom, sometimes getting in the way, and their cookie dough would end up being a little sandy as they would get bored, disappear, and be back again. Naturally, I gave them their own pans, I did not feel like biting into a sandy cookie;)
They were very proud of their efforts, and although they did not become master bakers, they know how to cook today! My older son is very particular, he even roasts and blends his own spices for curries.

I felt like making fudge, but of course, that is loaded with sugar, something I've been trying to avoid - note the word 'trying'.

I learnt from an old #fruitsandveggies friend Hive account@plantstoplanks about what a good alternative dates is for sugar when baking. I had gorgeous plump Medjool dates and also remembered an old recipe for Date chews, except that one has added sugar, but I opted not to add it.
Granted the Marie Biscuits that I would use do have sugar, but it's a very plain tea biscuit, and not overly sweet.
A big plus is that these chewy bites do not need to be baked!

The Ingredients:

Recipe - Chewy Date Caramel Bites

125 gram Butter
200 gram Medjool Dates
5ml Vanilla
2ml Salt
1 packet Marie biscuits - any plain tea biscuit

Melt butter, dates, vanilla and salt in a large pot, stirring till it forms a thick paste-like mixture

Add crushed biscuits, and mix lightly to coat biscuit crumbs

Press with fingertips into a square baking tin, leave to cool in the refrigerator for approx 10 min, cut into squares, and return to refrigerator to cool completely before packing.

Pack into a pretty bowl as a gift, wrap in cellophane or netting, and tie with a pretty ribbon. Add a label or gift card, and store it in the refrigerator.