VANCOUVER -- From essential workers to kids' teachers, there are many people to thank this holiday season.

The gift of chocolate or something homemade is a great way to show appreciation. Food and lifestyle expert Pay Chen joined CTV Morning Live with gifts for the foodie.

Chen featured a vast table filled with Lindt chocolate delights. She recommended prepackaged selections from the company for those that are looking to save time.

For others that are feeling the urge to bake, she offered up some great recipes.

Two of her favourites were chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies and mini chocolate gingerbread loaves.

The recipes are featured below.

Other gifts for the foodie Chen shared were Talisker Whisky, and local gifts from Riding The Pine and Cà Phê Vietnamese Coffee House.
 

Recipes

Chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies

A thumbprint cookie is a must-have for every holiday cookie gift box. This recipe combines peppermint, chocolate and candy canes to make the perfect cookie for gift-giving.

Prep time: 25 minutes Bake time: 12 minutes Makes: 22 cookies

1½ bars (150g) Lindt Excellence 70 per cent Cocoa Dark Chocolate, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/8 tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp peppermint extract

11 peppermint Lindor chocolates, sliced in half along the seam

2 tbsp finely crushed candy canes, about 2 candy canes

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Break one bar of chocolate into pieces. Melt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring often. Alternatively, melt chocolate in microwave on 30-second blasts. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Combine flour, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
  • Beat together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand blender, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Add egg and peppermint extract. Beat to combine. Scrape in melted chocolate and mix. Tip in flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
  • Scoop out heaped tbsp.-sized balls of dough and roll into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Using a tsp. measuring spoon, press down firmly on top of each ball to leave an indent.
  • Bake on top and bottom third racks of oven, rotating sheets halfway through baking, for about 10-12 minutes.
  • Re-indent cookies with tsp. measuring spoon as soon as cookies come out of the oven. Let cool completely.
  • Melt remaining ½ bar chocolate. Place melted chocolate in a zip-top bag. Cut off a small corner of the bag. Drizzle chocolate over cookies. Place half a peppermint Lindor, round side up, in the indent of each cookie. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Place in fridge to set chocolate for about 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
     

Mini chocolate gingerbread loaves

These mini loaves combine chocolate and spices to make gingerbread-inspired treats. This can also be made into one large loaf. Simply use a 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Prep time: 30 minutes Bake time: 35 minutes Makes: 4 mini loaves

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled 

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¾ cup vegetable, canola or olive oil

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup molasses

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup plain 2.5 per cent yogurt

1 bar (100g) Lindt Excellence 70 per cent cocoa chocolate, finely chopped, divided 

¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups icing sugar

10 Lindor milk chocolates, sliced in half along the seam

Sprinkles, optional

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease four 5.75x3-inch mini loaf pans. Line each pan with one strip of parchment paper, leaving overhanging sides (this will make it easy to lift the loaf out of the pan).
  • Combine flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.
  • Combine oil, sugar, molasses, eggs, vanilla and yogurt in a separate bowl. Mix well to combine. Add in flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in half of the chopped chocolate. Divide batter between prepared pans. If you only have two pans, keep the batter at room temperature and bake remaining batter when other loaves are finished baking.
  • Bake in centre of oven until a cake tester inserted in the centre of each loaf comes out clean or with a few crumbs, about 35 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife along edges of loaves, then turn out onto rack. Remove parchment paper. Let cool.
  • Make the icing while the loaves cool. Melt remaining chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring often. Alternatively, melt chocolate in microwave on 30-second blasts. Set aside to cool slightly.  
  • Beat together butter and icing sugar on low speed until mixed together, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape in melted chocolate. Mix well to combine. Divide icing between tops of loaves. Top each loaf with 5 Lindor halves. Add sprinkles to top of loaves, if you wish. 

Pay Chen: