[Kitchen Witch]

GIFTS FROM A JAR RECIPES

It's that time of the year again and many of us will be making "Gifts from a Jar" goodies to pass on to our friends and family members who look forward to receiving them! Homemade is always from the heart!

There are many fancy jars that can be used and so many pretty decorations for your jars. But most important - your jar gifts will always mean something to those who receive them!

Whether it is a gift of muffins, breads, brownies, bars, cookies, soups, seasoning mixes, beverages or even bath products - please feel free to post your recipes here.

And don't forget - a pretty tag with the directions on the back are just what make it so simple for them to make.

Recipes for quart jars or pint jars or any other size are welcomed.

Remember to seal your jars well with tight-fitting lids and seals. You can cut circles of decorative fabrics to cover the lids and use ribbon to tie around the fabric. A pretty bow or a decoration to celebrate the season or occasion can be attached to the ribbon.

Fancy small canisters with a good seal are great for homemade tea, coffee and hot chocolate mixes - or any other beverage mix.

There are so many cute little containers that will hold any size seasoning mix! Many can be found in dollar stores - which makes them cheaper than purchasing a case of Ball or Kerr canning jars.

A wide-mouth container is always easier to work with and so much easier to fill. Place your finished gifts in a nice basket trimmed with ribbon and decorated with flowers, poinsettias, pine cones, etc. for attractive appeal. Or you may want to line your gift basket with holiday/occasion print material - or - depending on the basket size - you can line it with a tablecloth, table runner, cloth napkins, etc. Or tuck in a few dish towels, potholders, oven mitts, etc. Is it a large basket? What about adding a set of measuring spoons, measuring cups, a spatula, wire whisk, rolling pin, set of cookie cutters, spatula, parchment paper, bakeware - the list is endless!!!

What a great gift you can give to the new bride or a bride-to-be! Or just to make for someone special. After all - our kitchen utensils do wear out after a while and new replacements are always nice!

Want to keep it simple? Just cover the lid of your jar with material and tie it with ribbon. Attach your tag and it's ready to go. Want to make it a little more special? For example, a soup mix gift jar with a wooden spoon, or a soup pot, a couple soup bowls or fancy soup spoons. A brownie mix could always have a spatula, square baking pan and a rubber spatula. A simple cookie jar could just have a cookie cutter attached with the gift tag. What about an air-tight container to store the finished product?? Use your imagination and have a lot of fun this holiday season!

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OATMEAL SPICE COOKIE MIX

MAKES 1-QT. JAR

2 1/4 c. cake flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cardamom
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cardamom in medium bowl. Layer into 1-qt. jar with tight-fitting lid a third at a time, packing down lightly before adding next layer. Whisk together sugar and brown sugar in small blowl; place in resealable food storage bag; place oats in a separate resealable food storage bag. Place bags in jar.

Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag/recipe card with ribbon.

GIFT TAG/RECIPE CARD:

OATMEAL SPICE COOKIE MIX
Makes about 40 cookies

1 jar Oatmeal Spice Cookie Mix
1 c. vegetable shortening
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375* F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove packets from jar. Mix sugars and shortening in large bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add remaining contents from jar, a third at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in oats using a spoon.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Dip fork into water and press each ball to flatten the cookie forming a criss-cross pattern. Repeat for all cookies.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes oruntil tops are golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

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MIXED BERRY MUFFIN MIX

MAKES 1 QUART JAR

2 1/4 c. cake flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cardamom
1/4 t. ground ginger
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. dried mixed berries (cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, or your favorite berries)

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cardamom and ginger in medium bowl. Layer mixture into 1-qt. jar with tight-fitting lid, a third at a time, pakcing down lightly before adding next layer. Place sugar and berries in separate resealable food storage bags; add bags to jar.

Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag/recipe card with ribbon.

GIFT TAG/RECIPE CARD:

MIXED BERRY MUFFIN MIX
MAKES 1 DOZEN MUFFINS

1 jar Mixed Berry Muffin Mix
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375* F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with paper liners.

Remove packets from jar. Place contents of sugar packet in medium bowl; add butter, buttermilk and eggs. Mix until creamy. Add remaining contents of jar a third at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried berries with spoon.

Spoon evenly into prepared muffin cups, about 1/3 c. batter per muffin cup. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

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DECADENT BLONDE BROWNIE MIX

MAKES 1 1/2 QUART JAR

1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 pkg. (10 oz.) semisweet chocolate chunks**
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 c. coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

**If chocolate chunks are not available, cut 1 (10 oz.) thick chocolat candy bar into 1/2-inch pieces to equal 1 1/2 c.

Layer ingredients attractively in any order into 1 1/2-qt. jar with tight-fitting lid. Pack ingredients down lightly before adding next layer.

Cover top of jar with fabric and attach gift tag/recipe card with ribbon.


GIFT TAG/RECIPE CARD:

DECADENT BLONDE BROWNIE MIX
MAKES 2 DOZEN BROWNIES

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 jar Decadent Blonde Brownie Mix

Preheat oven to 375* F. Spray 13 X 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until blended. (Mixture may appear curdled.) Add contents of jar to butter mixture; stir until well blended.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes oruntil golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.

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FESTIVE ORANGE-CRANBERRY WAFFLE MIX

MAKES 1 PINT JAR

1 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 t. dried orange peel
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. yellow cornmeal
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. dried cranberries or dried cherries, coarsely chopped

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Layer mixture attractively with other ingredients in the order listed above into 1-pt. jar with tight-fitting lid, packing down ligtly before adding next layer.

Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag/recipe card with ribbon.

GIFT TAG/RECIPE CARD:

FESTIVE ORANGE-CRANBERRY WAFFLE MIX
MAKE 4 7-INCH WAFFLES

1 jar Festive Orange-Cranberry Waffle Mix
1 c. buttermilk
1/4 to 1/2 c. milk or orange juice, divided
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
3 T. butter, melted

Preheat and prepare waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

Place contents of jar in large bowl; stir until well blended. Whisk together buttermilk, 1/4 c. milk, egg and vanilla in mediu bowl. Add to flour mixture; stir until just moistened. Stir in butter. Add additional milk,1 T. at a time, if batter is to thick.

Spoon about 3/4 c. batter onto waffle iron. Close lid; bake until steaming stops or affles are brown and crispy. Serve immediately with desired toppings.

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WHITE BEAN CHOWDER MIX
MAKES 1 QUART JAR

2 c. dried white beans
1/3 c. imitation bacon bits
1/3 c. dried chopped or minced onions
2 T. chicken bouillon granulles or 6 chicken bouillon cubes, unwrapped
2 T. dried celery flakes
1 T. dried thyme
1 t. seasoned pepper
3/4 c. instant mashed potato flakes

Place beans in 1-qt. jar with tight fitting lid. Place bacon bits, onions, bouillon, celery flakes, thyme and pepper in resealable food storage bag; place potato flakes in separate resealable food storage bag. Place bags in jar.

Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag/recipe card with ribbon.

GIFT TAG/RECIPE CARD:

WHITE BEAN CHOWDER
MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1 jar White Bean Chowder Mix
6 c. chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes

Remove packets from jar. Place beans in 5 to 6-qt. pot; add enough water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let beans sit, covered, for 1 hour; drain.

Add broth, tomatoes and contents of seasoning packet. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover and reduce heat; simmer 90 minutes or until beans are tender.

Add packet of potato flakes and stir in. Cover and turn off heat. Let chowder sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid, stir and let soup sit for 10 minutes more. Stir again and serve immediately.