What do you choose when you want to give a holiday gift to a foodie friend? At this time of year, almost any specialty shop stocks jars of jam and preserves, fancy chocolates, exotic honeys and chutneys of pedigree. Add a ribbon and a hug and there's your hostess or thank-you gift. Shopping is easy.

Receiving is harder. I have a shelf loaded with such stuff in my pantry. I'm sure they are all delicious. I'm waiting for any inspiration to use the cranberry curd, sweet olive jam, a three-pack of mustards, mango-ginger key lime marinade and such. I'll never get to the jams alone even if I make toast for breakfast every day for five years. Re-gifting is out of the question. Unethical. And besides, I don't remember who gave what.

When it's my turn to give, my motto, evolved from collecting and warehousing said pantry overstock, is "Do unto others ..." I try to give something homemade along with its recipe, and if possible, in a pretty, reusable container.

• A favorite first stop is Fireborn Studios, 2338 Sarah St. on the South Side. Owners Dan Vito and his wife, Donna Hetrick, have functional and decorative handmade pottery, including bakeware, dinnerware, serving pieces and glass. I saw a sky-blue-glazed oval oven dish that would be gorgeous with, say, macaroni and cheese. The matte finish, soft green, any-shape-you-want platters and bowls would give celebrity status even to red-sauce spaghetti. Add a recipe and you're good. Prices vary. Check out the studio online: www.fireborn.com.

• Somebody, and Santa says I can't say who, is getting a box of edible gold leaf. A package is $35 for 150 milligrams at Sur la Table at South Side Works. A little goes a very long way. I'll include a recipe for pears poached in red wine with instructions how to crumble a sheet or two of the gold leaf over servings. That sprinkle of bling makes a show-stopper dessert.

• Buy two or three Breton Shortbread cakes from Jean-Marc Chatellier's Bakery, 213 North Ave., Millvale, for $8 each. A specialty of Jean-Marc's hometown in France, the shortbread cakes are good keepers, freeze well and are good to have on hand as a last-minute gift. The cake is wonderful plain, sauced or sliced with fresh fruit, and one size fits all.

• Those wonderful Florida strawberries come into the stores right around the holiday. Buy a box (but don't wash them) and show them off in a small, brightly colored, porcelain-coated colander for $15.95 or the smaller plastic one for $7.95, also from Sur la Table. Imagine the bright red berries with green top-hat leaves in bright yellow or aqua. No need for a recipe. Just add a gold ribbon.

• Penzeys Spices, 1729 Penn Ave. in the Strip District, is a shoppers' delight. Buy a jar of Indian Tellicherry peppercorns, 2.2 ounces for $3.49. Add a 6-inch peppermill, $24.95. Or match the black pepper with one or an assortment of imported sea salts.

• Marshall's, the discount store, always has goodies for giving. So what if the "use-by" date is a few months off. Find great deals on jams and preserves, maple syrup, mustards and marinades.

Oops, did I say I'm giving those? Silly me. I'll buy them for myself. My pantry shelf isn't that full.

The King Arthur flour elves are up to their aprons in baking this time of year. These muffins are wonderful. Eggnog flavor helps give these streusel-topped muffins their delightful taste. But the combination of vanilla, freshly grated nutmeg and eggnog from the supermarket works fine. Bake ahead and freeze, and serve for holiday brunch with good sausage or bacon and mixed fruit. Keep six for yourself and give the other six as a gift.

For the batter

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon eggnog flavor or 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups eggnog or half and half

For the topping

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon eggnog flavor, or a few drops vanilla
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cups and grease the cups with nonstick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar till smooth. Add the eggs, beating for several minutes and scraping the bowl, till the mixture is smooth and light colored. Beat in the baking powder, nutmeg, salt and eggnog flavor or vanilla.

Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the eggnog or half and half, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups.

Stir together all of the topping ingredients JUST till crumbly. Stir gently, and don't overmix; you don't want to turn this crumbly topping into a solid mass. Sprinkle the topping over the muffins.

Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown. Remove them from the oven and serve warm, or at room temperature.

Makes 12 muffins.

-- www.kingarthurflour.com