Hawaii Book Blog

posted by M.L. Sanico

If you’re anything like me, you’re now scrambling for some last minute gifts (and vowing to start early next year—even though it rarely happens). Sometimes, the best thing to do is slow down, take an evening…  and bake your okole off! That’s right, you can’t go wrong handing someone an overflowing tin of cookies, brownies or fudge. Often, the gifts I enjoy most (other than office supplies) are usually homemade. So, here are some useful books on local-style homemade gifts. From cookies to breads to crack seed… these books will show you how to do it and how to package it for that extra special zing.

Both books are by my favorite cookbook author Muriel Miura and published through Mutual Publishing. The first one, Holiday Gift-Giving Recipes is specific to the holidays and includes perrenial favorites of the season and some recipes for jams/preserves. It’s part of the “Little Hawaiian Cookbooks” series, so it’s a bit smaller than the average cookbook from Mutual. However, despite it’s size it really packs a punch for good ideas on turning the things in your kitchen into unique gifts—some of them quite creative. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a book by Muriel Miura. I LOVE this little book. Also, it would make a great gift on it’s own. or maybe with some cookies….

The second one Homemade Gifts of Sweets and Treats is focused primarily on baking and has similar recipes to Miura’s book  Cookies from Hawaii’s Kitchen (that one is all about cookies and the flavors of Hawai’i) which is also published by Mutual. The recipes in both of those books can be used for gift baskets and tins as well. In fact, Miura and Mutual have done TONS of great cookbooks to enjoy all year round… check them all out here!

Warning!… as with most of Miura’s books, the full color, drool-worthy pictures wreck havoc on one’s self control. But it’s the holidays I wonder if she writes a diet book that we can review on January 1st?