Saying Gale Gand knows something about baking is like saying Tiger Woods knows a little about golf. As host of "Sweet Dreams" on the Food Network and as a pastry and executive chef for a number of restaurants, Gale has spread the gospel of fine desserts and baked goods for years.

With the holidays now in full swing, parties around every corner and gift-buying time dwindling down to nothing, the old standbys of things like wine and cheese baskets and (shudder) pre-packaged meat boxes become increasingly alluring as gifts for party hosts, business associates and neighbors.

Gale, in partnership with Panera Bread, is offering another alternative to those tired old options. This year, why not bake your presents and give your friends and family something they'll actually enjoy and remember?

One of the great things about holiday baking is that it tends to be infectious. I call it "investment giving." You start baking this year, and within a couple of years you'll have your whole circle into the swing of things. You'll end up with tons of tasty baked goodies to munch on while wrapping presents, tending the fireplace and listening for reindeer hooves on the roof.

Time, of course, is a prime commodity this time of year. Between shopping, decorating, celebrating and keeping up with your normal life, finding time to bake can seem impossible, especially if you're a rookie.

That's why cookies are such a great choice for holiday baking. According to Gale, any cookie short of meringues or other egg-heavy concoctions can be made in stages without ill effects. Do your shopping one day, making sure you've got all your ingredients together. Make your dough the next day (or day after), then refrigerate the dough until you're ready to make your cookies. If it's going to be several days before you can bake, go ahead and freeze the dough in cookie-sized rolls wrapped in waxed paper then either encased in foil or placed in airtight bags.

When I crank up my own cookie factory, I usually take over the dining room table as a cooling/packing area. I lay out all my cooling racks on one end of the table, and set up my packing supplies on the other end. I make a list of who's due for baked goodness and how much they'll be needing and make sure everything's set before I even preheat the oven.

Quantity is an important consideration in your holiday baking. You don't want to give a single guy living alone the same three dozen cookies you give your neighbors with two kids. I try to make sure I give enough that the sweets last for a couple days, but not so much that the last few end up stale and hitting the garbage.

Of course, if you just honestly hate to bake, or if you haven't cleaned your oven since the Truman administration, or if your idea of "freshly baked" means grabbing the bagel right when it pops out of the toaster, Panera Bread has you covered with a wide array of made-to-order gift baskets that let you pick what you'd like to put together from baked goods to oils, dipping sauces, travel mugs and more.

The ever-popular gift cards are another good option, especially if you don't have a good idea what your recipient's preferences are, or for stocking stuffers or out-of-town giftees.

This year, Panera Bread’s holiday offerings include Holiday Bread, made from a sweet egg dough mixed with honey, golden raisins, cranberries and chocolate chips, filled with apples and cinnamon sugar, baked with a streusel topping and drizzled with icing, as well as the new Cranberry Walnut Panettone bread, handcrafted from a sweet dough made with egg, sugar, butter and cream cheese, filled with candied orange peel, cranberries and walnuts and topped with powdered sugar.

To help you get started on your holiday baking, Gale and Panera gave me the following recipe for Wild Blueberry Scones, which will make a really great breakfast while the presents are being opened!

Panera’s Wild Blueberry Cream Scones

Makes 10-12

INGREDIENTS

3-¾ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
2-¾ cups heavy cream
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
¼ cup half and half (for brushing)
1 tablespoon granulated or coarse sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the heavy cream and frozen wild blueberries to the dry mixture and combine until a homogenous batter is formed. This step is best done with a wooden spoon.

4. Place the fairly wet batter onto a lightly floured surface forming a round disc about 10” round by 2” high.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut the disc into 10 or 12 triangles.

6. Lightly brush the triangles with half and half, sprinkle with sugar and place on a cookie sheet.

7. Place the scones into the oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

VARIATIONS

Substitute the blueberries with 1 cup of golden raisins, cranberries or chocolate chips.

If you're scrambling for ideas for those last few folks on your list, or facing a slate of parties and have no idea what to take along as a gift, hopefully now you've got some fresh ideas!

Got a question? Comment? Topic you'd like to see covered? Drop me a line, anytime!