We love the idea of making homemade gifts for the people on our lists this holiday season – its thoughtful, meaningful and best  of all, affordable! If you have a special recipe or food that you make better than anyone else you know, chances are, someone would love to receive it for a gift. Add a custom label (from Bottle Your Brand, of course!) and the gift becomes personal and extra cute – after all, who doesn’t love pretty packaging?

When we ran across this recipe for Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce on Kitchn this week, we got the urge to whip up a batch of our own, create an adorable label and hand them out as party favors and presents to our family and friends this season. Check out the recipe! Sounds delicious…

Rhoda’s Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce
Yields 4 cups

2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. Kosher salt
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 t. peppermint extract (substitute vanilla, if you don’t want the mint flavor)

Directions: In a double boiler over medium heat stir in cocoa, sugars and salt. Add the cream and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the sauce comes together and is smooth and glossy. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Then, remove the bowl from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the peppermint extract. Store in the fridge and re-heat when ready to use.

Storage notes: This sauce is great to packages in glass jars for gifts. When pouring the sauce from the bowl into the jar it is helpful to use a kitchen funnel if you have one available. This sauce will stay in the fridge for up to two weeks or more.

Serving ideas: In addition to ice-cream, this sauce is excellent drizzled over slices of pound cake, cheesecake or a meringue. The version made with vanilla extract is also delicious served with poached fruit.