Homemade gifts can be easy to make and often much cheaper than the commercial equivalent. Not to mentioned tastier. So if you are looking for a gift to say Happy Birthday, Thank You or Good Luck here are three ideas to get you started.

My favourite are Chocolate Brownies, which always seem to go down well as a present, especially with chocolate lovers. With their intensely chocolate-y goodness, slightly gooey centres and crispy tops, what’s not to love?

I only put chocolate in mine, with a toddler who likes to help out and eat everything in reach I don’t like to use nuts but you can put whatever you fancy in yours.

Once the brownies have cooled all you need is a box & some tissue paper, or some cellophane and some ribbon and you have a lovely present. They generally keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 – 5 days. That’s if you can get them to last that long.

Ingredients • 185g Plain 60% chocolate • 185g Unsalted butter • 275g Golden caster sugar • 80g Plain Flour • 45g Coco Powder • 3 Medium eggs • Handful of chocolate pieces, small marshmallows or nuts

Method 1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees 2. Melt the chocolate & butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water 3. In a mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar until very light 4. Carefully fold the cooled chocolate & butter into the eggs & sugar 5. Add the flour and coco powder, again lightly folding into the mixture. 6. Add whatever you fancy – I add a handful of small pieces of chocolate but you can use part or whole nuts or small marshmallows. 7. Transfer the mixture into a deep baking tin and cook for approximately 40 minutes – the top will have cracked but you need to make sure the middle has stopped wobbling. The trick is not too cook it until it is like cake, but leave it slightly soft and fudge like in the middle. 8. Leave the brownies to cool in the tin – once cooled I usually take them out & leave on a wire rack upside down to allow the bottom to dry slightly before cutting into squares and dusting with icing sugar.

Another great idea for a gift is a beautiful Jar of Jam. Jams generally last longer than most other edible gifts. They can also be made with seasonal produce making them a good year-round present. They are reasonably easy to make and there are lots of recipes online to choose from.

I like strawberry jam and I found this recipe was easy and made 3 small jars.

Ingredients • 1kg hulled Strawberries • 500g Jam Sugar with pectin • Juice of ¼ Lemon

You will also need 3 small jam jars which will need to be thoroughly cleaned & sterilised.

Method 1. Firstly wash & dry the strawberries. 2. Next, put all the ingredients in the saucepan & cover with a lid. 3. Leave to steep for about an hour. 4. Turn the heat on medium and gently bring to the boil for about 20/30 minutes – the timing of this is down to each batch. 5. After 20 minutes start testing for a set (when the jam sets on a chilled plate) 6. When a set has been reached spoon the jam into the jars very carefully & seal the jars. 7. Leave to cool.

The jars can be decorated with ribbons and a nice homemade label if you wish. It is always a good idea to record the date the jam was made, as it is easy to forget!

The last idea here is the cheapest and easiest but nonetheless a lovely gift. A jar of Vanilla Sugar. Simply wash & sterilise a jar then leave it to cool. Once cooled, fill with sugar and a vanilla pod, which has been carefully sliced down the centre to release the seeds. Tightly seal the jar & keep in a cool place for at least two weeks.

The vanilla sugar can be used in cakes or biscuits and is even nice sprinkled over baked fruit. And once the jar is empty it can be refilled with sugar. The vanilla pod can be used for about a year before needing to be replaced.

To make it extra special you could even write out your favourite recipe & attach this to the jar.

This article was guest written by Claire Casey, from Claire's Cake Bake.co.uk a blog dedicated to all things food related.