Nothing makes a gift more personal than taking the time to bake it yourself. A wonderful gift from the kitchen shows thoughtfulness and doesn't necessarily have to take a lot of time or money. Who wouldn't love a loaf of delicious, sweet bread?

If holiday baking is not something you've done in the past, why not start a new tradition this year? Find one or two fabulous recipes for quick breads and have them become your signature loaves, one that everyone will look forward to receiving for years to come.

Quick breads make the best gifts because they are sturdy and travel well. They are easy to freeze so you can make them ahead of time for less stress during the holidays.

Label each loaf and attach a recipe card. Presentation can be as simple as wrapping the loaf in brightly colored cellophane wrap and sticking a bow on it, or purchasing a beautiful gift bag in which to place the wrapped bread.

When preparing holiday quick breads, you have the option of sticking with one or two different recipes or finding a basic quick bread recipe and adding your own special touches.

Listed below are some quick tips and for your gift giving needs:

· Add raisins and other dried fruit such as apples, cranberries, figs, dates and apricots to provide texture and sweetness.

· For added richness of flavor, try soaking the fruit in apple cider.

· All quick bread recipes can be made into muffins, or you can divide the batter for one large loaf into two or three mini loaves.

· Wrap the loaves individually in plastic and then aluminum foil before freezing.

· Measure all ingredients accurately. Successful quick breads depend on the right amount of ingredients.

· Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, and then lightly stir the two together. Remember, just like making muffins, the less mixing you do, the more tender the results.

· Do not mix up the batter any sooner than you intend to bake. Batters with baking soda or powder will lose their leavening power if not baked immediately.

· Cool quick breads in their pans for about 10 minutes. Remove them from their pans and continue to cool on a wire rack. This allows the air to circulate under the bread so it doesn't become soggy on the bottom.

· Quick breads actually benefit from standing overnight. The flavors have a chance to mellow and the bread won't be as crumbly when slicing.

· If you're using a boxed mix for making your quick breads, try adding something extra to make it more unique. Shredded carrots, chopped apples, shredded zucchini, halved fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped nuts or pumpkin purée are great additions to any mix.

· If you're feeling extra energetic, make a batch of apple butter and include a jar with your loaf of bread.

· Make sure to bake extra loaves to keep on hand for your own holiday entertaining!

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