Spending time creating DIY kitchen gifts reflects how much the recipients mean to you, and your loved ones, business contacts and service providers can savor your gifts during the holiday season and beyond. Plus, DIY edible Christmas gifts are truly one of a kind.

And perhaps best of all, Christmas gifts from the kitchen can be really simple to put together. To get you ready for the season, we created this roundup of the best DIY kitchen gifts for cheese lovers.

Holiday Gift Baskets

DIY cheese baskets are sure-fire-winning gifts for the holiday season. Everyone on your list can enjoy opening the basket and discovering the items inside, and then they're treated to the delicious taste of the cheeses and accompaniments themselves.

Here are some tips that will help you create festive cheese gift baskets for the holidays:

• Shop bundles: If you're short on time or have a long list, consider our curated cheese bundles, each featuring a carefully selected assortment of cheeses. You can even have them shipped directly to your loved ones if you wish.
• Shop online: Nowadays, many people save time by shopping online but will still head to the grocery store or cheesemonger when it comes time to make a gift basket. At Cabot, we make it so much simpler to stock up on our award-winning cheeses by allowing you to shop our cheese selection online and have your order shipped to your door.
• Add accessories: Including a few cheese accessories such as a cutting board or a cheese grater gives the recipients of your gifts something they can use again and again, even after the tasty finds in the baskets have been enjoyed.

• Incorporate some wine: Wine can elevate a cheese gift basket and complement the flavors of whatever selections you include. Check out our guide to cheese and wine pairings for tips on how to select the perfect bottle for your gift basket.
• Shop our Holiday Gift Guide: Our bundles, merchandise and so much more are sure to inspire you to find the perfect gift!

Cheese-Centric Gifts

The holidays are the perfect time to introduce your loved ones to the wide world of cheese. With a seemingly endless array of tastes, textures and types of cheese available, you can give cheese-centric gifts every year and always be providing those on your list with new things to discover.

Plus, cheese gifts can appeal to a wide range of people from your favorite foodies to those self-avowed cheese aficionados to frequent hosts and hostesses to passionate home cooks. Here are a few tempting cheese gifts to consider for this holiday season:

• Themed gifts: Create a gift that centers around a specific theme. For example, you can include an assortment of Cabot cheeses with tomato sauce, pizza crust mix and a baking stone for a make-your-own pizza gift, or pack cheese and forks into a fondue pot. Our cheese lovers gift guide is full of tasty ideas for you to try.

• Gift sets: We already mentioned our cheese bundles above, but they're worth repeating due to how popular they are for holiday gifts. You can find curated assortments that include cheeses, tools and farmer-made accompaniments with options to suit every budget.
• Cheese tools: Whether presented alongside cheese or on their own, cheese tools are great holiday gifts because they're something many people don't think to buy themselves. Learn more about how to choose cheese tools for holiday gifting or shop our cheese accessories.
• Cabot merchandise: Those avid cheese lovers can show their spirit with our branded merchandise that includes apparel, hats and accessories, as well as gift cards.

Homemade Recipes

Cheese is an oh-so versatile ingredient, and there are many ways that you can transform it into delicious food gifts to make for your loved ones. The following are some of our top recipes that are ideal for giving as holiday presents or for serving at your holiday gatherings.

Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake

Speaking of a white Christmas, this mouthwatering holiday cake resembles mountains covered with the season's first snow. Each bite pleases the taste buds with citrus flavor from lemon zest and lemon juice, and the icing made with Cabot Plain Greek Yogurt adds a tangy touch to the sweet and simple-to-gift cake.

Cheddar Compost Cookies

Let everyone on your list explore the sweeter side of our Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese with these cookies that deliver a bold mix of flavors and textures in every bite. Use dried fruit and pepitas to add festive green and red colors, and present them in attractive tins that can be used long after the holiday season.

Linzer Cookies

Flaunting star-shaped cutouts displaying homemade strawberry jam filling, Linzer cookies are a festive treat for the holiday season. The dough is simple to make with all-purpose flour, salt, powdered sugar, vanilla and Cabot Unsalted Butter, and the dusting of powdered sugar that completes them will have your loved ones thinking of a white Christmas.