Keep this snack around the house for guests to munch on, or package it in pretty bags and hand it out to friends and family for an affordable holiday gift.

Joe’s Market Barbecue Snack Mix
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Yield: 14 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups Corn Chex cereal
4 cups Wheat Chex cereal
2 cups square-shaped cheese crackers
2 cups pretzel sticks or snaps
1 container Joe’s Market Deluxe Nut Mix
½ cup butter
5 Tbsps. Joe’s Market Southern Barbecue Sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large roasting pan, mix together cereal, crackers, pretzels and nuts. In a small saucepan, melt butter then stir in barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt until well blended. Pour over cereal mixture and stir to coat. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

These simple sweets will go quickly so make plenty. Plus, the homemade vanilla sugar makes a perfect holiday gift by itself!

Drop Sugar Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsps. buttermilk
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
Vanilla sugar for decorating (See recipe below. If you don’t want to make vanilla sugar, substitute Sugar in the Raw.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add in enough buttermilk to moisten and soften the dough without making it wet. Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using your fingers, moisten the top of each cooking with buttermilk and press gently to flatten. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar or Sugar in the Raw. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before moving.

Vanilla Sugar

1 vanilla bean
2 cups granulated sugar

Slice one side of the bean lengthwise with the back of a knife and scrape podes into an airtight container. Add sugar and stir to combine. Bury bean in sugar and seal tightly. Let sit for 1-2 weeks. Use as you would regular sugar.

One way to save money during the holiday season is to make gifts for your friends and family instead of buying lots of expensive presents. Share your favorite homemade holiday gift idea in our comments section by Friday, December 11 and you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win a $100 Ukrop’s gift card to use for your holiday celebration. We’ll select five of our favorite ideas as finalists and from there we’ll randomly select the winner. Good luck! Click here to download full contest rules.

One of our favorite unique holiday gifts is marinated mozzarella. Here’s our recipe.

Joe’s Market Marinated Mozzarella
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Yield: 4 jars

Ingredients:
12 fresh basil leaves
12 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
2 jars Joe’s Market San Marzano & Olive Savory Topping
4 balls Joe’s Market Fresh Mozzarella
2 bottles Joe’s Market First Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 sterilized pint-size mason jars or other containers

Add 3 basil leaves, 3 thyme sprigs, 1 garlic clove, ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of kosher salt to each jar. Next pour half a jar of Joe’s market savory topping into each jar. Add olive oil to fill each jar halfway. Cut mozzarella balls into 1-inch cubes and add 1 ball to each jar. Top off with olive oil. Replace lids. Turn jars over several times to blend ingredients. Refrigerate at least 3 days before serving. Lasts up to 2 weeks.

These addictive nuts are an ideal item to keep on hand throughout the holiday season. They’re perfect for guests to munch on before Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but you can also add them to salads for a festive hint of flavor; sprinkle them on sweet potatoes or even wrap them in a pretty bag in a pinch and bring them to a party as a hostess gift.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecans
Yield: 2 1/2 cups pecans | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes

2 1/2 cups raw Food Club pecans
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1/4 cup sugar (we used Sugar in the Raw for a more crystallized effect)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice
½ tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together pecans and egg white until pecans are evenly coated. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper and salt. Pour over the nuts and stir until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes, checking regularly to ensure nuts aren’t burning. Once nuts are toasted, remove from oven and allow to cool. Break nuts into a bowl to serve or store at room temperature in an airtight container.