Just because you're cutting back on gift-giving this year doesn't mean you need to cut back on flavor. We've rounded up a pantry's worth of holiday treats perfect for giving, and they won't leave your wallet on empty. Gadget lovers on your gift list? We have plenty of those, too. Tightening the belt means cooking at home more often, so make sure those kitchen drawers are well-equipped. Enough talk - get tasting.

Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker

* Why it's cool: It has a clip-locked lid and a tight seal, so it can take those bumps over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house.

* Cost: $36.99 to $42.99, depending on color and style

* Get it: Wal-Mart

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Paula Deen Signature 1.5-quart and 3-quart Mixing Bowl Set

enamel on steel

* Why they're cool: If these speckled bowls don't take you back to your mama's kitchen, why, her name ain't Paula Deen.

* Cost: $24.95 in red or blue

* Get them: Sears, foodnetworkstore.com

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Craveable caramel corn, spiced chocolates, fudge, brittle and toffee from the Georgetown Valley Candy Co.

* Why it's cool: Premium ingredients and a small-batch approach make these some of the yummiest traditional Colorado-crafted sweets.

* Cost: $7.50 per pound of cashew and almond caramel corn, $14 for the Spice Trader's Finest Box

* Get it: 500 Sixth St., Georgetown; gvcc.biz

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Vinturi wine aerator

* Why it's cool: Most wines need to breathe before enjoyment. This stylish wine aerator draws in just the right amount of air as juice passes through, softening and melding the wine's flavors.

* Cost: $45

* Get it: The Vineyard in Cherry Creek, vineyardwineshop.com; vinturi.com

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Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook, 1,400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes (Phyllis Pellman Good, Good Books)

* Why it's cool: So you're not staring at your new Hamilton Beach slow cooker and wondering what to do with it

* Cost: $29.95

* Get it: Tattered Cover, Borders, Barnes & Noble

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Ela Family Farms fruit

* Why it's cool: For true fruit lovers, nothing beats the tastes from this Hotchkiss-based organic orchard. Sweet, crunchy Fujis and tart- tangy Braeburns fill the Apple Gift Pack. We recommend adding jars of Cabernet Franc Grape Jelly, Pear Jam and Just Jonathan Applesauce.

* Cost: $22, Apple Gift Pack; $6, Grape or Pear Jam; $5, Just Jonathan Applesauce

* Get it: elafamilyfarms.com; some products available at Whole Foods, Marczyk's and Spinelli's Markets

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Bonjour Peppermint Hot Chocolate Pot With Frother

* Why it's cool: The frother fits right in the lid so you can stir the pot with minimal hassle.

* Cost: $40

* Get it: Sur La Table, Cherry Creek Shopping Center

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Drinkwear's Wearable Coasters Sock-like, in either Santa Claus or reindeer designs, they fit over the base of your wine glass.

* Why they're cool:Well, your feet get cold, don't they? Why not your wine glass' feet, too? The perfect gift for Uncle Harry in his funny Santa hat.

* Cost: $6 each

* Get them: Sur La Table, Cherry Creek Shopping Center, and Compleat Gourmet, 7592 S. University Blvd., Centennial, 303-290-9222

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Kuhn Rikon Serving Knife

The serrated edge slices, while the spatula serves pies, cakes, bread and casseroles.

* Why it's cool: It's two . . . two gadgets in one.

* Cost: 10-inch knife, $14; 12- inch knife, $16; red or metallic silver

* Get it: factorydirect 2you.com or 1-866-233-6587

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Head Chefs

bendable silicone tools with suction feet

* Why they're cool: Once you've finished bending and playing with them and sticking their little feet to the counter, hand them over to the kids, who may want to actually use them for cooking.

* Cost: $10.95 each

* Get them: Compleat Gourmet, 7592 S. University Blvd., Centennial, 303-290-9222

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The Vegetable Box

14 cookbooks with mini-vegetable markers in an old-fashioned vegetable box.

* Why it's cool: A sweet way to get interested in eating more veggies. Written by Keda Black, Catherine Quevrement and Jose Reis de Matos

* Cost: $34.99

* Get it: Tattered Cover, Borders, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

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Curtis Stone Keep It Clean Spoon Rest

* Why it's cool: The slipper shape is deep enough to hold water in the bowl for keeping the spoon clean and large enough to contain drips.

* Cost: $39.95

* Get it: Williams-Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com; curtisstone.com

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Rachael Ray Bench Scrape, used to round up those unruly sliced and minced ingredients to plop into a bowl or pan

* Why it's cool: Who wants to chase bits o' diced carrots around the kitchen?

* Cost: $10

* Get it: cooking.com

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SteadySticks

plastic outdoor holders for wine glasses and bottles. Just insert the sharp end of the pole into the ground and slip your glass or bottle into the holder at the top.

* Why they're cool: Weather-resistant, sturdy and simple to use, they allow for spill-free outdoor wine enjoyment.

* Cost: $12.50 for either two glass holders or one bottle holder

* Get them: The Vineyard in Cherry Creek, vineyardwineshop.com; steadysticks.com

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Vanilla extract and vanilla sugar

* Why it's cool: Have a favorite baker on your gift list? This easy project will put the perfect gift in his hands in a snap. Vanilla extract is a pantry staple, and your baking buddy's supply has probably dwindled from the furious round of Christmas baking. A little sprinkle of vanilla sugar adds a special flavor to muffins or cookies and can add another dimension to coffee or mixed drinks.

* Make it: For each set, you'll need:

2 vanilla beans (we used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans from Savory Spice Shop, three for $5)

2 empty sterilized glass jars (directions below)

Enough inexpensive vodka to fill one of the jars

Enough white cane sugar to fill the other

The hardest part of this project is sterilizing the jars. Make sure you use high-quality canning jars. You can do this by putting them and their lids in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes and then drying them on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven. While waiting for them to dry, slice the vanilla beans lengthwise, splitting through only one side of the bean. Open it to reveal the brown flecks inside. Place an entire bean in each jar.

For the vanilla extract, use inexpensive vodka; the alcohol content is what's important, not the taste. (More expensive vodka doesn't equal tastier vanilla.) The alcohol will absorb the flavor of the vanilla bean and will create the extract.

With the bean already in the bottle, fill it to the top with vodka. Close tightly. The extract should be ready in about four weeks, but might take six weeks or longer depending on the amount of vodka you use. (You can always give the gift and let the recipient know he might want to wait awhile before using. This gift just gets better and better after a few weeks.)

We used one bean for about 6 ounces. Shake the bottles every few days to disperse the vanilla.

Tip: If after a few weeks your vanilla extract has too strong an alcohol taste, you can add white sugar to it to bring out more of the vanilla flavor. The vanilla bean doesn't need to be removed.

For the vanilla sugar, make a small funnel out of a square of paper, taping one corner over to make a cone. Use it to fill the jar to the top with the white sugar. Close tightly. To prevent the sugar from clumping, shake every few days. This should also be ready in four to six weeks, but there's no harm in leaving the beans in longer.

If you have several people you'd like to share this gift with, both of these can be made in larger batches and divided among the smaller bottles. Add a fresh-split vanilla bean to the bottle first to add to the presentation.

- Christine Birch Ferrelli

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Chocolat, The Chocolate Lover's Handbook With 40 Recipes

(Stephan Lagorce, Octopus Publishing Group)

* Why it's cool: First, because of the surprise element - look, it's not a candy bar. Second, because it will last a whole lot longer than the real thing.

* Cost: $21.99

* Get it: Tattered Cover, Borders, Barnes & Noble

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Peanut Butter Bacon-flavored Truffles from the pig-centric restaurant The Berkshire

* Why they're cool: They're not just the same ol' chocolate truffles. No bananas, but the King would love them.

* Cost: $9 for six truffles, no advance notice required.

* Get them: The Berkshire, Stapleton, 7352 E. 29th Ave., 303-321-4010

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Christ Stollen from Rheinlander Bakery, justly famous for its holiday sweets lineup starring potica, kringel, pfeffernusse cookies and yule logs

* Why it's cool: This perfectly rich German Christmas bread is laced with nuts, raisins and candied fruits, with optional marzipan (and a rum soak).

* Cost: $11.98 to $15.98

* Get it: Rheinlander Bakery, 5721 Olde Wads- worth Blvd., Arvada; 303-467-1810, rheinlanderbakery.com

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OGGI Nonelectric Thermal Hot/Cold Serving Tray

Heat the tray in the oven to keep foods warm; cool it in the fridge to keep foods cool.

* Why it's cool: No dangly cords to keep the tray hot, and it's pretty.

* Cost: $39.95

* Get it: Sur La Table, Cherry Creek Shopping Center

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Bamboo Square Bowl, Bamboo Tongs and Bamboo Spoons

* Why they're cool: Bamboo is the environmentally friendly "it" material. Package these together for a theme gift.

* Cost: small bowl (91/4 inches square), $19; tongs, $6.75 (small) or $10.50 (large); spoon set of two, $4.75; larger spoons, set of three, $9

* Get them: pamperedchef.com

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Peugeot Wine-Scented Candles

* Why it's cool: Anyone can make a candle that smells like an apple. These candles take their aroma from wine: pinot noir, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, Riesling or chardonnay.

* Cost: $30 each or a set of three mini-candles for $40

* Get it: psp-peugeot-usa.com

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Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate Naughty! or Nice! * Why it's cool: Hmmm, could you leave this on someone's desk? Each bag contains either silver-wrapped Nice or black- wrapped Naughty candy.

* Cost: $2.99 per bag

* Get it: Walgreens, Target, Rite-Aid

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Merken Mapuche Spice and Kultrun Olive Oil with Merken

Merken is made by smoking the cacho de cabra (goat's horn) chile pepper from Chile and mixing it with other spices.

* Why they're cool: Impress your foodie friends. You'll be the first on the chopping block with these.

* Cost: Merken is $5.99 to $9.50, the Kultrun $9.99.

* Get them: chileangourmet.cl

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Rachael Ray Lazy Spoon and Lazy Ladle

in green, blue or orange

* Why they're cool: Notched to fit on your pot, and you'll never lose them in a drawer - not in that green color.

* Cost: $19.99

* Get them: foodnetworkstore.com

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