• Give the gift of sweet treats this Christmas.holiday cookie image by palms from Fotolia.com
  
  As Christmas rolls around, malls are packed with shoppers looking for the perfect holiday gift. While clothing and electronics may seem like surefire bets, edible Christmas gifts are a great option for presents as well. Not only can they be more cost-effective, but a sweet treat is always a welcome gift during the holidays.
  
  

Christmas Cookies and Candy

• Give cute, edible gifts of Christmas cookies or candy to families, kids and loved ones. Or, use them to enhance a larger gift for your significant other. While you can purchase a variety of Christmas cookies and candies in a bake shop, it can be more cost-effective to make these goodies yourself. Whip up a batch of press cookies or sugar cookies and shape them into Christmas shapes, like Christmas trees, snowmen and stars. In addition, you could make a variety of cookies, like chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter, to include in your Christmas cookie/candy gift set.
  Package the treats in a clear Christmas gift bag and tie a red ribbon on it to make it a bit more festive. If your budget allows, take this gift up a notch by adding in candy canes, and chocolate goodies, like peanut clusters and fudge.
  
  

Gingerbread Houses

• Surprise your family and friends with small gingerbread houses. They can use this traditional Christmas baked good for a centerpiece until it is consumed. Purchase mini gingerbread houses at a bakery, or make them yourself. Once you've finished decorating, wrap the houses up in clear cellophane and tie a red ribbon around the top. Gingerbread houses can be time-consuming to make. Thus, countryliving.com recommends boxing up gingerbread men or even a gingerbread cookie puzzle for gifts instead.
  
  

Hot Chocolate and Homemade Chocolate Bark

• Make or buy a batch of homemade chocolate bark and include a tin of gourmet hot chocolate. This is a great gift for chocolate lovers and those with a sweet tooth. Put the chocolate bark in a Christmas tin and tie a red ribbon around the gourmet hot chocolate. Place both items in a cute Christmas gift bag and hand it over to family and friends.