Freezer-Friendly Recipes For Gift Goodie Bags

Festivals might be a little overwhelming, but the positive memories of time spent with loved ones make them well worth it. Well, holidays are often packed with tasks, preparations, and hosting chores on one hand.

Festive seasons are all about spreading joy. And nothing does the job better than gifting goodies to your loved ones. While store-bought gift hampers do the job, nothing beats handmade gift packs filled with love, care, and warmth. And in India, festive goodie bags are never complete without sweets and desserts.

On the other hand, our greatest concern during any upcoming holiday gathering is running out of food, especially when it comes to feeding our demanding guests or gifting them something that they’d cherish eating long after. Also, unfortunately, in today’s busy and fast-paced world, distance often becomes a reason to dull your celebrations.

So, how to deal with both these concerns then? Well, a bunch of freezer-friendly recipes with a few simple ingredients can definitely rescue you at this time of the year. Be it the quantity concern or the spoilage concern during long-distance shipment, one may still share the love and joy with these freezer-safe homemade goodies, treats, and sweets. Here’s a look at some of the best ideas.

Mince Pies with a Cadbury Twist

Key Ingredients & Flavor Combinations

Ingredients:

• 500g pack sweet or dessert shortcrust pastry
• 1 cup of plain flour for dusting
• 300g mince meat
• 1 tsp of milk for glazing
• Round or fluted cutter

How to Make:

1. To make these homemade goodies treats, start by rolling out a little more than half of the pastry on a surface sprinkled with flour to a thickness of approximately one pound coin.

2. To line the holes of a 12-hole bun tin, stamp out circles of pastry; an 8-cm cutter works well for this. Continue rolling the trimmings until they line all 12 holes.

3. After filling each with a small amount of mincemeat, lay out the remaining crust using a bit more flour. Cut out 12 lids using a 6cm plain round or fluted cutter.

4. Place the pastry lids over the mincemeat, press to seal the edges, and pierce each one with one or two tiny holes to let out steam. Carefully cover the entire tray with cling film now.

5. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°F for fans). Take the mince pies out of the freezer and lightly brush each one's top with some milk. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the filling is heated and the crust is crisp and golden.

6. The delicious mince pies are now ready to serve and/ or gift to family and friends.

Cranberry and Lentil Bake

Ingredients:

• 25g dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp red wine
• 125g cooked Puy lentils
• 2 tsp olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• ½ garlic clove, crushed or finely grated
• 1 tbsp chopped sage
• ½ tbsp chopped parsley
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• A pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornflour

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C for fans or gas) and grease and place a circle of baking paper on the bottom of a 200ml ovenproof ramekin.

2. Now, place the cranberries and wine in a small pan, then simmer over medium heat for a few minutes, or until the cranberries are plump and the wine is syrupy.

3. After filling the ramekin's base, set it aside.

4. Transfer the lentils to a bowl and use a fork to coarsely mash approximately half of them.

5. In a small pan, heat the oil and sauté the onion over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it becomes tender. Add the cloves, paprika, garlic, and herbs and heat for an additional minute.

6. After removing the pan from the heat, add the lentils, tomato purée, soy, and cornflour. Mix everything and then transfer the mixture into the ramekin, carefully pushing it down with the back of a spoon.

7. For fifteen minutes, place the ramekin on an oven tray and bake. After a minute of cooling, transfer to a platter.

8. The cranberry and lentil bake is now ready to be savored by family and friends or be gifted as a goodie bag.

Rapini and Sausage Baked Pasta

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, if desired, minced
• ½ tsp chili flakes, if desired
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups Mondelez Philadelphia mozzarella cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound of chunky, whole-wheat pasta
• 1 pound of fresh Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 bunch rapini, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 jar (370 ml) roasted red peppers, sliced
• 2 cups Mondelez Philadelphia grated mozzarella cheese, divided
• Some melted Cadbury Dairy Milk (for drizzle)

How To Make:

1. Make the béchamel first. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chili flake, if using, and the minced garlic. Stir often to keep the garlic from burning. Cook for 1 minute. After adding the flour to the butter, mix everything. Cook for a further two to three minutes over medium heat, or until flour is incorporated into butter and mixture is light golden yellow.

2. Pour the milk in gradually while stirring. Simmer sauce for 8–10 minutes, or until thickened. Add the cheese and stir until melted. To taste, add salt and pepper for seasoning. Sauce should be set aside to cool.

3. Next, to get al dente pasta, cook it in a big pot of boiling salted water for three minutes shorter than the recommended cooking time on the package. In the oven, the pasta will cook through. Once the cooking time has elapsed, transfer the saucepan into a colander and run cold water over it until it cools. To remove as much water as possible, leave the pasta in the colander in the sink.

4. Thereafter, as the pasta cools, sauté the sausage meat in a pan until it's well-browned. After removing extra fat, place the sausage aside to cool.

5. After the ingredients have cooled, mix them; if the sauce is still hot, the pasta will absorb it, and the meal will become dry. Combine the pasta, drained roasted red pepper, chopped rapini, and chilled sausage in a big bowl. After sprinkling everything with the chilled sauce, fully combine with half of the shredded cheese.

6. Distribute among two to three foil-lined frying pans, then equally top each with the leftover cheese. Cover and freeze now.

7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit when ready to dine. Depending on the size of the container, bake the pasta with the lid on for 30 to 40 minutes. For the final five minutes, broil to produce a crispy and golden top. Just before serving, add the melted Cadbury chocolate drizzle and serve with a green salad.

Why Choose Cadbury for Your Goodies

The Cadbury Difference

Whenever a festive season comes, gifting becomes the most common practice to exchange well wishes. From handcrafted goodies-based gifts to curated gift packs, gifting comes in many ways. And with Cadbury products, it is the easiest to think of a wholesome gift box. From Cadbury Dairy Milk and Cadbury Bournville to brownies and fudges made with Cadbury cocoa powder and Cadbury Oreo cookies, the options are endless to add more joy to the festive season.

Creating The Perfect Goodie Bag

Presentation Tips

If you are wondering how to go about how to pack the homemade goodies and treats, the options are plenty, actually. From handmade paper bags and paper boxes to hampers made with sustainable eco-friendly fabrics, bamboo, and canes, one may try anything when it comes to making presentable goodie bags.

Storage Tips

To store freezer-friendly foods properly, it is essential to cool them properly, wrap them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place them in airtight, freezer-safe containers or freezer-safe bags. Make sure the containers don’t have any excess air. This is essential to prevent freezer burn.