Great ideas, simple and beautifully presented! Great for last minute gift ideas and parties! ( )

Beautifully photographed. There are several recipes here I've marked to be sure to try out before the holidays roll around. Wait, this is October? Before the 2012 holiday season, for sure.

The packaging ideas were less exciting than the recipes. ( )

July is a great time to plan ahead for your Christmas gift giving. If you are thinking of trying something new this year, Georgeanne Brennan's book, "Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen", is just what you need to get things started. How about whipping up a recipe of Plum-Vanilla Preserves? Or a batches of Chocolate Shortbread and Chewy Ginger-Molasses Cookies? There's also Savory Palmiers, Kugelhopf, and Sugar and Spice Pecans. All would make excellent gifts to give to your special someone.

This book is chock full of easy-to-follow recipes that are sure to delight even the grumpiest Scrooge on your holiday gift giving list. The book is divided into the following chapters: Introduction; Cookies; Cakes, Bars & Breads; Candies & Confections; Savory Treats; Preserved Delights; and an Index. Many of the recipes have full color photos. Plus, the book includes tips for how to present and package your homemade goodies.

The Bottom Line: While this cookbook assumes some previous baking experience, there are recipes for bakers of all levels. Recommended with enthusiasm for everyone.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog: http://minibookbytes.blogspot.com/ ( )