Great Gifts - Idea #4 Personalized Gingerbread Families

Neighbor/friend gifts.  They always get me.  They seem so simple in my mind, but the mass production always leaves me pulling my hair out.  Ever since the infamous star cookie tree incident.  Still, I like to do something thoughtful and fun (and inexpensive) for the people we interact with the most.

Last year, in keeping with my "Home for the Holidays" theme (see the Christmas Cards here.), we made gingerbread people families to live in these great boxes from the Martha Stewart line (which, of course, I purchased on clearance after Christmas the previous year--because I plan far in advance and I'm cheap like that!).  

As I recall, I used recipes from Our Best Bites for the Gingerbread Cookies...

And for the Glaze Icing.  I added orange extract for the flavoring and it was so yummy with the gingerbread.  Though, I think I should have made the icing thicker.  Our people were pretty messy, but it was a family activity, so I can always blame the kids, right?

I piped the basic white outlines, and then let the kids go to town with sprinkles and candies.

They really enjoyed this kind of decorating.  Then we made family groups.  For example, if we we going to a family of six with 2 boys and 2 girls, we would pick 3 gingerbread women/girls and 3 gingerbread men to live in their house.  So everyone would get to eat a cookie of themselves.

I'm not sure the boxes are still available this year.  But even if not, I'm sure your neighbors would love to see themselves in cookie form.  Especially if you got personal with identifying features like moustaches, or glasses, etc.

For a non-edible gift idea, go here.  And for more in my gift guide series, click the button below:

REMINDERS:  It's not too late to enter to win FREE COOKING CLASSES from the fabulous Chef Tess!  And link-up your holiday cookies to our Incredible Cookie Party Blog Hop!