In the interests of honesty I'm going to admit that my favourite gift for 2011 was not handmade. A very special friend got me something I've wanted for some time - an eReader. Cool gadgets aside, though, my favourite gifts are invariably handmade, both receiving and giving.

I collect as many ideas as possible throughout the year and have great fun deciding what to make, when, and for whom. These are some of my favourites:

BODY SCRUBS
Body scrubs are a really natural, eco-friendly and very inexpensive alternative to the pricey store bought ones.

Coffee is excellent for your skin; it invigorates, treats redness and inflammation, gets rid of cellulite and generally maintains evenly-toned, smooth skin, so why not make a quick and easy Coffee Sugar Scrub?

If you prefer something fresher and lighter, this Citrus Salt Body Scrub is wonderul.

EDIBLE GIFTS
There isn't a baker I know that wouldn't love receiving a jar of divine, homemade Vanilla Sugar. For chocolate lovers, how about a Hot Chocolate blend of cocoa, chopped chocolate, a little instant coffee powder and cinnamon? Yum! Homemade Chili Sauce, Granola or Lemon Curd would be equally delicious. Find these and more recipes at The Huffington Post.

FLAVOURED VODKAS
A really delicious way to get into the festive season spirit - literally! They're super easy to make and you don't even need to know your way round a kitchen for this one. Huffpo comes to the rescue again, with step-by-step instructions for 11 different infusions. I've had Chili Vodka before, but the Cucumber Vodka sounds particularly refreshing. Get the recipes here.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
These are my favourite chocolate chip cookies. Ever. Since discovering Jacques Torres' recipe a few years ago, it is the only chocolate chip cookie I make, whether to eat them all myself, share with family and friends, or give as gifts (which I do every Christmas). Everyone, and I mean everyone, loves them! They are well worth the effort.

Find the recipe at the New York Times, here. While the recipe calls for special chocolate discs, I just buy a few slabs and chop them into a mixture of smaller and chunky bits.

The recipe also calls for quite a bit of chocolate. If giving them as a gift, I stick to the quantity called for in the recipe, but when making them for myself I cut back a little. You'll still enjoy a delicious chocolate hit in every bite. Plus, if you save on chocolate calories you can eat more cookies!

Oh, and remember: even if making these as a gift, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Law states that you are obliged to eat at least one cookie, warm, straight out of the oven, while the chocolate chips are still all melty. Heaven!

SYRUPS & VINEGARS
And finally, we visit our own archives where some months back Christine Stevens shared some wonderful floral recipes in her article, Heaven Scent. Her Flower Petal Vinegar and Lavendar Syrup would make fabulous gifts. In fact, I'm thinking of making the Lavedar Syrup as a gift to myself. Find the article and recipes here.