Holiday season is the perfect time to present your loved ones with homemade food and drink gifts. Whether it’s a labor of love or a quick way to show appreciation to many people, gifts like flavored syrups, chocolate bark, and festive cookies are sure to impress. Margaret Monroe Dickey, a pro at food styling, suggests making your own candy or caramels using pro recipes , making them perfect gifts for holiday parties. These small tokens can bring joy to colleagues, neighbors, teachers, and coaches alike.

In the Food & Wine Test Kitchen, Nicole Hopper takes a flavorful approach to traditional toffee. Seasoned with salted butter, kosher salt, and flaky salt, this chocolate and almond-topped toffee switches corn syrup with maple syrup and baking soda, striking a balance between hard and soft - perfect for snack time and as a gift.

Creating peppermint-flavored crystals can be a fun science experiment that results in lustrous clusters ideal for gifting. The leftover peppermint syrup can be added to hot chocolate or cocktails, making the gift even more special.

A 10-minute gift involves fresh ginger; it's as complex as it gets. Ali Domrongchai suggests presenting this in a cute bottle, a wonderful surprise for cocktail or sparkling water fans who can use it as a flavor-additive for their homemade drinks.

Jacques Torres, a renowned chocolatier, recommends his quick recipe that only needs three ingredients but produces 25 chunky pieces of giftable bark.

Johnathan Melendez, a popular blogger, lends a holiday twist to his treat by flavoring it with sweetened browned butter, rum, and warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Jesse Szewczyk, a cookbook author, has conjured a captivating treat in the form of two tender chocolate cookies sandwiched around minty white chocolate ganache with streaks of dark chocolate.

The sweetness of Chef LaMara Davidson's brittle comes from the smoky pepitas and warm cinnamon, accented by the subtle heat of sweet ancho chile powder – and best of all, it’s ready in an hour.

Using a simple sugar-water mix, infusing a whole cinnamon stick gives you a versatile seasonal syrup, as suggested by Eva Kolenko. Add it to hot and cold beverages, yogurt, pancakes, or even as a moistener to cakes.

For friends leaning towards vegan treats, the mixed fruity heat of Thai chile brings a fragrant edge to these caramels.

Leah Koenig, another cookbook author, adds freshness to winter-themed cookies by flavoring them with floral orange blossom honey and fresh lemon zest.

Claire Ptak of London’s cult-favorite bakery, Violet, suggests swirling peppermint chocolate into a fudgy batter, then topping the brownies with crushed candy canes for a delightful twist. And lastly, Justin Chapple recommends customizing chewy treats with a flavored apple cider or different spices. This holiday season, why not create these delightful gifts to make the season truly special?