I recently enjoyed lunch with a friend, where we connected over our shared passion for giving homemade preserves as gifts during the holiday season. “It’s a gift that everyone can cherish,” my friend remarked, noting that a jar of apricot spread or a container of fig jam from a late-summer harvest makes for a delightful and personal present.
I believe the idea that food unites us is particularly true for holiday gifts, as the creativity we express in the kitchen lays the foundation for memories, traditions, and strengthens our bonds with one another.
Rolling and wrapping caramels to place in gift bags. Icing sugar cookies and leaving them out for Santa. Slicing into a pie post-holiday feast. I know several individuals from Puerto Rico who dedicate a significant portion of the season to bottling coquito for sharing with friends and coworkers, along with those who send tins of homemade holiday cookies far and wide.
Indeed, the majority of food gifts can cross socioeconomic divides, age groups, and cultures, serving as small gestures of diplomacy. Cherry preserves from Washington, spice blends from the Carolinas, or honey from California serve as reminders of home, helping us convey our region’s heritage, history, and diversity. Gifts such as cookbooks, wine bottles, air fryers, and popcorn machines inspire action—ultimately leading to the creation of something delicious to share.
Last year, former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy visited the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen to discuss his booklet, “Recipes for Connection.” He shared that gathering is a remedy for the epidemic of loneliness and a pathway to deeper understanding. He urged us to host others for a meal, emphasizing that it doesn’t need to be extravagant. “The foundation has always been coming together and preparing food together,” he stated. It might even be as simple as whipping up a few batches of cookies or preserves for everyone to take home as a gift.
Create & Host
ORGANIZE A BA-STYLE COOKIE SWAP
The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen editors are showcasing their hometown flavors with new cookie recipes. Organize a cookie swap featuring your favorite cookies, using flavors that represent your city. Purchase a set of cookie tins or boxes from a craft store, allowing everyone to personalize their dozen.
COOKBOOK POTLUCK
Some of the cookbooks our Test Kitchen editors selected as their favorites of 2025 transformed their home cooking. Now it’s your opportunity to share what has influenced your cooking this year. Host a potluck where friends prepare a dish from their preferred cookbook. You can exchange books and recipes afterward.
WINTER WHITE (WINE) PARTY
Whether it’s paired with a buffet of lamb and root vegetables or as part of a white elephant gift exchange, the array of rich, velvety white wines are perfect for a dinner party, complementing raclette or fondue, or enjoyed with a bowl of buttery popcorn.
