Food

Create Beautiful Blueberry Gifts

Posted: 1/7/2011

Bursting with blueberries, these chocolates make a sweet gift.

(NAPSI) - Looking for the perfect gift? Stop looking and start making! A personal gift you create is always appreciated, whether it’s for a holiday present, a warm welcome to a new neighbor, or a thank you for a hostess or teacher.

Just about anyone on your list would love to receive a sweet box of Blueberry-Chocolate Bursts! And who would guess that these two-ingredient goodies are so simple to make. Choose dark, milk or white chocolate to cover blueberries. For an extra special gift, put the box of chocolates in a napkin-lined basket and add a bottle of sparkling wine or cider.

Delight your cookie-loving friends with Blueberry-Oatmeal Cookies! Make your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe and stir a cup each of dried blueberries and white chocolate chips into the dough. Layer the baked cookies in a pretty tin lined with colored foil.

Looking for an even easier-to-make gift that’s guaranteed to appeal to kids and adults? How about Blueberry Party Mix! Simply toss in a large bowl: one cup each of dried blueberries, toasted nuts, thin pretzel sticks (broken into pieces) and unsweetened crunchy cereal. Spoon the mix into jars or clear bags.

Go to www.blueberrycouncil.org to find many more recipes and to get inspired with ways to add blueberries to gifts and menus for your family and friends.

BLUEBERRY-CHOCOLATE BURSTS

2 cups (12-ounce bag) semi-sweet, milk or white chocolate chips

1 cup frozen blueberries, not thawed

Line 24 mini-muffin cups with mini-cupcake papers. In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the chocolate at 50% power for 40 seconds. Stir the chips well and repeat several times, warming and stirring the chocolate until just melted. Into each cupcake paper, spoon ½ teaspoon melted chocolate. Arrange 3 or 4 blue-berries on chocolate. Spread about 1 teaspoon chocolate over each, covering all blueberries completely. (If chocolate thickens, return bowl to microwave for 3 or 4 seconds and stir.) Refrigerate, covered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Enjoy or refrigerate in airtight container up to 3 days.

Yield: 24 pieces