I have a friebd with a December birthday, but we don't give Christmas presents. I got her a nice insulated casserole-dish holder in bright red plaid from BB&B, only $9.99 (minus coupon), and I filled it with separately wrapped baking items, like a cookie spatula, a silicone pastry brush, colorful spatulas, some Dutch Process cocoa, and a spice-sized microplane.

Herb scissors are a gift I've given to many people who enjoy cooking. I use mine constantly for snipping fresh herbs and also to julienne spinach and other green for soups and salads. Sometimes, I add one of those "grow your own herbs" kits. Herb Scissors

I went shopping in a local cooking/baking/gadget store yesterday and honestly couldn't find anything I needed, wanted, or couldn't live without. The one item I've been looking for, with not much effort on my part, is a very small sifter for powdered sugar. I'm sure that 10 seconds on Amazon will produce results... maybe right now, since I'm thinking about it - again.

Along the lines of cooking gift items, the LAST thing in the world I want is another cookbook!

I love spoiling someone with a gift of Madascar Bourbon vanilla from The Vanilla Company -- heaven in a bottle!

Fawnridge , on another forum someone said that they used on of those little tea spheres - the type where you pinch the handle to open the halves to put the tea in. Sounds like a good idea for powdered sugar.

I was skeptical, but have got a ton of use out of smaller size spatulas. Thought they’d just clutter the drawer, but I’m using them all the time!

I just bought this one from Amazon. It's only a 1 cup, perfect for garnishing with powdered sugar.

I forgot to mention a wonderful gift for tea drinkers - Avent Calendars with a different tea each day from Dec. 1st through 24th. My daughter got me one in Germany a few years ago and now there are all types available online. Tea Advent Calenders

I have a Danish dough whisk for gifting and a Cuisinart DLC 10 for my grand daughter in her first apartment...oh and a therma-pen for my daughter.

Ruthanna, I like your idea and ordered a pair of herb scissors for my son who is a real foodie. They have a garden and lots of herbs and he and his wife are adventurous cooks. Thanks for the idea.

Fawnridge, I use my tea "ball" for little dustings of powdered sugar. It has a handle and hinged ball of fine screening and works great.

Amazon contacted me to say the herb scissors were undeliverable. So I asked what that meant. Turns out they lost it and refunded my money. So I went online to find herb scissors, and I found that the red ones of a similar design but costing $2 more had a much higher feedback rating. So now I have ordered those.

I love to give (and receive) good quality extracts, as Nielsen Massey's Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean paste. For tea drinkers, good quality loose leaf tea. Teavana carried my favorite tea, Samurai Chai Mate, but it's no longer available.

In regards to the microplane, I use it for grating ginger (peel and all), nutmeg, citrus zest, garlic, etc.

Btw, grating garlic on a microplane is easier if you freeze the garlic cloves before using.

Sol

I have a duster that looks a lot like an old handled mesh tea infuser, but it twists open, and one side is solid, so you load the solid side, twist closed, and invert once it's over the target. My sugar sifter for powdered sugar is a cup style one with a lid. It's great for sifting or dusting moderate amounts of sugar.

Gifts? My college girl needs a bundt pan, but I think it's coming to her from someone else. I suppose she could use a good knife, but I'm not going there while she has roommates. She's interested in learning to cook--she's learned a lot already. I've already given her Bittman's compendium. Most people I know are fully outfitted.

I have sent friends abroad, in previous years, the Joseph Joseph pillbug scale and the Paderno four blade spiral slicer.

Similar to extracts, you can also give liqueurs. I have found some somewhat unusual ones that I really like, including Cassis, pecan/praline, chocolate (prefer Godiva), and Noce. After buying Calvados, I use it in cooking, but it is not good to drink, and the other ones are, except perhaps for Cassis.

For sifting powdered sugar, you can use a flour shaker. I haveone for flour and one for powdered sugar.

I am asking for an induction burner and perhaps a vacuum sealer this year. And I always have new spatulas, etc. on my list for stocking stuffers!

The one item I've been looking for, with not much effort on my part, is a very small sifter for powdered sugar.

I use a small stainless fine mesh strainer for sifting powdered sugar.

Bought Williams Sonoma Salted Hot Chocolate for a couple neighbors. I'll make a batch of cookies to go with the chocolate.

Btw, right now 20% off with free shipping using promo code MERRY.

Salted Hot Chocolate

Some of the best cooking gifts I've gotten have been coffee table cookbooks. The kind with art book quality paper and photography, but really good recipes for out of the ordinary things as well. One was Plenty by Ottolenghi and whatshisname. Another is Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck, a lovely lady with a name that doesn't transliterate well in American. :)

I also received a Breville Multicooker as a gift. It took me half a year to even figure out where to start with it because I so didn't need it, but I'm very fond of it now. It's like an Instant Pot.

A thought that counts gift was the meat slicer that was meant for meats at a sandwich counter, was not up to slicing cheese (per instructions), was huge, too heavy for me who thinks nothing of lifting the KA mixer, and dangerous to clean without protective gear. Really thoughtful, but it went back to the store. Some TV chef had pooh-poohed home models, so the giver just went light industrial rather than choosing something else. ;)

Lars, you can send the Cassis and the Calvados my way.... DH loves a good Calvados, and I do enjoy a Kir or a Kir Royale!

I've given away the Joseph Joseph utensils to friends who love the colours and the fact that they have their own built in tool rest. My favourite is the small pink spatula which I always use. Unfortunately, I think it may have been discontinued.

Joseph Joseph Elevate

I bought an induction burner for us from Santa this year. I'm so tired of waiting half an hour for water to boil on my propane gas stovetop. It was much cheaper than I thought it would be on Amazon.

Ruthanna, you made me do it! Ordered a pair of the herb scissors from Amazon last night.

Madonna

For someone you really love, a Kyocera ceramic knife is the best. I have a paring knife size I was given and I love it beyond all my other knives. I got the Santoku knife for my son. Drawback? You have to be really careful not to drop or otherwise beat up a ceramic knife as they break. OTOH, wow!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F7UZEE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Since moving to Colorado, friends have sent us 18 different Cannabis cookbooks. First, I never would have guessed that there were 18 different ones and second, other than cookies, there's nothing else I'm going bake with Cannabis.

That having been said, I just mailed out regular cookbook presents to each person that sent us one of the 18 cookbooks.

My kids like cooking related gifts. I have given the America's Test Kitchen and Southern Living cookbooks. I have also given special cake and fancy bundt pans, a copper tea kettle, electric tea kettle, All-Clad, pizza stone and peel, Spritz cookie press, rolling pins, madeline pans, thermometers, sous vide, special cookie cutters. Cookie cutters make cute gift box decorations. This year the kids are all getting a risotto spoon, which I love for cooking puddings and sauces.

The only cooking related gift I might give this year will probably be an apron or table runner for my mother.

I use a little sieve for sifting powdered sugar too.