season. For most people, a homemade gift holds more meaning then the most extravagant of store-bought items, and the holiday season is the perfect time to let our culinary imaginations run wild.

The giving of homemade baked goods, jams, spiced teas, cordials and mouth-watering candies conveys a feeling of warmth and familiarity few gifts can match.

Year after year, it's easy to get caught up in the commercialisation of the holiday season. The giving of homemade gift items is a pleasing way to avoiding that trap and enjoying the holidays for what they are: a time to give of oneself.

Packaging your gift is also important. Foil bread pans wrapped in coloured cellophane always look great. Cookies stay freshest when packed in airtight tins and containers. Candy looks super packed in pretty jars.

Here are some yummy ways to say: "Merry Christmas, I love you'' to the special people on your list: *** SUGAR AND SPICE NUTS 41 cups mixed, unsalted nuts 2 cups water 1 cup water Grated zest of 1 or 2 oranges 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground nutmeg or mace Pinch ground cloves MIX all ingredients in a large, heavy skillet. Simmer over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the water evaporates and the nuts look sugary - about 5 minutes. Remove from eat and pour nuts out onto a large, greased baking sheet. Using two forks, separate them quickly to prevent them from sticking together. Let cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

To prepare in advance: These will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer.

*** LOUISVILLE LEMON BARS 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup granulated sugar Finely grated rind of 1 lemon 3-4 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. baking powder PRE-HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour a 9 x 2-inch square metal baking pan.

Mix together 1 cup of the flour, butter and confectioners' sugar to make a soft dough. Cover bottom of the pan completely and evenly with the dough. Bake on the middle level of the oven for 20 minutes.

While dough is baking: mix eggs, granulated sugar, lemon rind and juice with remaining 2 tbsp. of flour. Taste for tartness. Just before taking the crust from the oven, add the baking powder to the mixture and blend well. Pour the lemon mixture evenly over the crust and bake for 25 more minutes.

Place the pan on a rack, let it cool, then cut into 16 squares. Sift additional confectioners' sugar onto the bars, if desired. Keep in tightly closed tins.

*** ALMOND MACAROONS 3 cup almond paste 2 egg whites 11 cups powdered sugar KNEAD almond paste with half the sugar. Add egg whites, one at a time, and work each in well. Add remainder of sugar and knead thoroughly. Drop on a tin covered with greased paper and bake at 370 degree F. for about 15 minutes. If the paper sticks, invert it with the cookies and steam it loose with a damp towel. Yield: About 18 macaroons.

*** PEANUT MOLASSES BRITTLE 2 cups sugar 1 cup molasses 1 cup water 1 cup butter 1 tsp. baking soda 2 cups peanuts PUT sugar, molasses and water into a saucepan and cook, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking very slowly until the temperature 300 degree F. is reached. Remove from heat, stir in butter, then beat in the soda.

Add peanuts, mix in well. Peanuts should be blanched and roasted. If they have been salted remove excess salt before adding them to the candy. Pour out on a well greased slab or baking sheet. Smooth out with a spatula, pulling out into a thin sheet, if desired. If not, mark into squares. In any case, loosen the candy from the baking sheet while it is still warm. When cold, break into squares or into irregular pieces. Yield: 13 lbs.

Cold water test: when candy reaches 300 F. it is very brittle.

*** CHERRY NUT BREAD 3 cups flour 1 cup sugar 31 tsps. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 cup chopped nuts 3 tbsp. melted shortening 2 eggs 1 cup sour milk 1 cup cherry juice 2 cup drained cherries SIFT together dry ingredients. Combine melted fat, milk and cherry juice. Add beaten eggs. Add nuts and cherries and stir into dry ingredients. Bake in greased loaf pan at 375 degrees F. for 50 to 60 minutes.

*** CRANBERRY TEA BREAD 2 cups halved cranberries 4 tbsp. shortening 2 cups light brown sugar 2 beaten eggs 4 cups flour 1 tsp. salt 3 tsps. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 4 tbsps. hot water 1 cup orange juice 1 cup chopped nuts CUT cranberries in half, wash in colander to get rid of seeds. Cream shortening, add sugar, beat until light, add eggs and beat well. Stir in dry ingredients and add alternately to the cream mixture with hot water and orange juice. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour.

*** FANCY DECORATED COOKIES 1 cup butter 3 cup sugar 1 egg 11 tsps. pure vanilla extract 11 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking power 1 tsp. salt Decors Food colouring Frosting or glaze Tinted coconut GIVE HOMEMADE TREATS FOR CHRISTMAS CREAM butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat hard. Sift flour, measure, and sift again with baking powder and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. (This makes a soft dough to work with. If you prefer a stiffer dough, add 2 to 4 tbsp. additional flour). Chill dought 1 hour or longer. Roll out thin on floured cloth or board, working with only part of the dough at a time. Cut with cookie cutters.

Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in 350 degrees F. oven 6 to 8 minutes. Remove immediately to cooling racks. Number of cookies depends on size and shape of cookie cutters. Yield: about 7 dozen 2-inch cookies. To decorate Cookies: Sprinkle with decors, nonpareils and coloured crystal sugars before baking. Tint dough before baking. Make pinwheels of white and tinted dough. Frost or glaze cookies, then decorate using frosting in a decorating tube or with decors. Tint coconut with food colouring and decorate.

*** CINNAMON SLEDGES 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg, separated 1 cup chopped pecans SIFT flour, measure, and sift again with cinnamon. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, beat well. Add flour and cinnamon, mixing until well blended. Spread this stiff mixture to about 1 -inch thickness on a 12 x 15-inch baking sheet, leaving a border about 11 inches around the edge to allow for spreading. Beat egg white until foamy and brush over top of dough. Sprinkle with nuts and press in lightly. Bake in 300 degrees F. oven 45 to 50 minutes. Cut into bars while still hot and remove from baking sheet. Yield: 3 to 4 dozen.

*** CARDAMOM BUTTER COOKIES 1 cup butter 11 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cardamom 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. all spice CREAM butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Sift together remaining ingredients; stir into creamed mixture and mix well. Chill dough, roll and cut with cookie cutters. Or, if you prefer, shape dough into two rolls and wrap in wax paper. Chill. Cut into thin slices. Bake in 350 degrees F. oven 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of cookies.

Yield: 8 dozen thin cookies.

DELICIOUS TREATS FOR CHRITMAS GIFTS CZECHOSLOVAKIAN COOKIES 1 cup butter or margarine 1 cup sugar 2 egg yolks 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 tsp. ground cardamom 1 tsp. allspice 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1 cup strawberry jam CREAM butter until soft. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat hard. Sift cardamom and allspice with flour; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing thoroughly. Stir in chopped nuts.

Spoon half of the dough into a greased 8-inch square cake pan; spread evenly.

Top with strawberry jam. Cover with remaining dough. Bake in 325 degrees F.

oven 1 hour or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into about 11 -inch squares.

Yield: about 2 dozen.

*** ORANGE BUTTER GEMS 1 cup butter 1 cup powdered sugar 21 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. mace 1 tsp. salt 1 egg 2 tsp. orange peel 2 tsp. orange extract CREAM butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flour, measure and sift again with mace and salt. Add 1 cup of the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat in egg, orange peel and orange extract. Add remaining flour mixture. Put dough into cookie press and form cookies on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 375 degree F. oven 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Decorate with tinted frosting if desired. Yield: about 6 dozen.

Variation: Lemon Butter Gems -- Substitute 2 tsps. lemon peel and 2 tsp. lemon extract for orange peel and orange extract in the above recipe.

*** PFEFFERNUSSE ( German Christmas cookie meaning Peppernuts ) 2 eggs 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 tsp. lemon peel 1 cup finely chopped citron 2 cups sifted all -purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. mace 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. ground cardamom 1 cup chopped nuts Brandy or rum extract BEAT eggs until thick; add brown sugar and lemon peel. Continue beating until well blended. Stir in citron. Sift flour with baking powder, salt and spices and add to egg mixture. Stir in nuts. Shape into roll 1 inch in diameter.

Chill. Cut into 1 -inch slices and place on baking sheet; allow to dry overnight. Turn cookies over and put 1 to 2 drops extract in center of each cookie. Bake in 375 degree F. oven 12 to 15 minutes. Store in tightly covered container several days to mellow. Yield: about 6 dozen.

*** DATE NUT COOKIES 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups pitted dates 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 cup butter or margarine 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 egg 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup chopped pecans SIFT and measure flour. Slice dates; dredge with 2 tbsp. of the flour. Sift remaining flour with salt, soda and pumpkin pie spice. Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Add egg and vanilla; beat hard. Add flour mixture alternately with milk. Stir in dates and pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake in 375 degree F. oven 8 to 10 minutes. These cookies should be soft and not too brown. Yield: about 5 dozen.

GIVE THESE TREATS FOR CHRISTMAS CINNAMON SANDIES 1 cup butter or margarine 11 tsp. powdered sugar 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 tbsp. water 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 cup finely chopped nuts 2 tsp. cinnamon CREAM butter and 1 cup of the sugar; stir in vanilla and water. Add nutmeg and vanilla; continue creaming until thoroughly mixed. Stir in flour and pecans.

Shape dough into small balls. Place on baking sheet and bake in 350 degree F.

oven 20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Sift the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and cinnamon together. Roll hot cookies in this mixture. Allow cookies to cool then roll again in the sugar-spice mixture. Yield: about 5 dozen.

*** HOLIDAY CHEWS 1 cup butter or margarine 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. ginger 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 2 tbsp. flour 1 tsp. orange peel 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 cup chopped nuts 11 cups shredded coconut 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. mace WITH a pastry blender or two knives thoroughly blend together butter, the 1 cup brown sugar, the 1 cup flour, pumpkin pie spice and ginger. Pat into a greased, shallow 8 x 12-inch pan. Bake in 375 degree F. oven 20 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degree F.

Thoroughly mix remaining ingredients and spoon over baked mixture. Return to oven and bake 25 minutes longer or until topping is brown and bubbly. Cool and cut into 1 x 11 -inch bars. Yield: 32 chews.

*** ANISE COOKIES 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 13 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 11 tsp. baking powder 11 tsp. anise seed CREAM butter; add sugar and continue beating until light and smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.

Gradually add dry ingredients and anise seed, beating hard after each addition. Shape dough into a roll. Wrap in wax paper and chill. Cut into thin slices. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in 400 degree F. oven 8 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: about 5 dozen.

*** PRUNE-FILLED SQUARES Prune Filling: 11 cups chopped, cooked prunes 2 tbsp. liquid from prunes 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. orange peel 3 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. ginger dash nutmeg dash salt COMBINE all ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature. Prepare crumb layer: Crumb Layer: 11 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 3 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats 1 tbsp. poppy seed 1 cup butter or margarine SIFT flour, then measure. Add cinnamon and salt and sift again into a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar, rolled oats and poppy seed. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixtures resembles coarse meal. Spread half this mixture evenly over the bottom of a well greased 8-inch square pan. Press down firmly. Cover with prune filling, spreading it evenly to edges and into corners. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over filling. Carefully press down crumbs to make smooth top. Bake in 400 degree F. oven 30 minutes or until top is browned. Cool in pan on cake rack. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container. These cookies keep well. Yield: about 16.

Variation: Apricot Squares -- Use 11 cups chopped, cooked, dried apricots in place of prunes. Proceed as in recipe above.