Almond Joy Brownies Mix in a Jar
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (wipe jar after this layer)
1 1/4 cups flaked coconut, sprinkled with 1 teaspoon
almond extract and tossed to blend
3/4 cup coarsely chopped whole almonds
1 1/4 cups flour mixed with 1 teaspoon baking powder
and 1 teaspoon salt
Layer ingredients in order given in a 1-quart wide-mouth canning jar. Press each layer firmly in place before adding next ingredient.
Attach the following instructions on a gift tag:
Almond Joy Brownies
Makes 2 dozen brownies.
Empty jar of brownie mix into large mixing bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly blend mix.
Add:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine (not diet), melted
4 eggs, slightly beaten
Mix until completely blended. Spread batter in a sprayed 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Cool completely in pan, then cut into 2-inch squares.
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Butterfinger Cookie Mix in a Jar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon powdered vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, making sure there are no lumps in the brown sugar. Store in an airtight container.
If giving as a gift, attaching the following instructions:
Butterfinger Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 cup Butterfinger bar, broken into pieces
Contents of jar or tin
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat butter until smooth with electric mixer. Add egg, and beat until combined. Add Butterfinger pieces, contents of the jar or tin, and blend on low. Form cookies into 1 1/2-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden. Remove from oven; let rest 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.
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Cake in a Coffee Mug
This recipe will make 8 or 9 coffee mug gifts.
1 (18.25 ounce) box cake mix any flavor
1 small box instant pudding mix (not
sugar free), any flavor
Place dry cake mix and dry pudding mix into a large bowl and blend well with a whisk. This will be about 4 to 4 1/2 cups dry mix and will make 8 or 9 coffee cup cake mixes. Place 1/2 cup dry mix into a sandwich bag. Place mix into a corner of the bag and tie it there with a twist tie. Continue making packets until all your dry mix is used.
Suggested Flavor Combinations
Lemon cake mix - lemon pudding
Yellow cake mix - chocolate pudding
Devils food cake mix - chocolate pudding
Pineapple cake mix - coconut pudding
Butterscotch cake mix - butterscotch pudding
Select a large coffee mug. Make sure that it contains no metallic paint as it will be used in the microwave. Check it to ensure that it holds 1 1/2 cups of water.
Decorating the cups (optional)
Paint on the cup if you like. DecoArt Ultra Gloss Acrylic Enamel is one brand of craft paint that can be made dishwasher safe by baking the painted cup in the oven (instructions are on the bottle of paint).
Glaze Mix
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry flavoring*
* powdered lemonade mix, powdered orange breakfast drink mix, cocoa powder, vanilla powder (sold by coffee flavorings)
NOTES
Select the flavoring appropriate to the cake you are making.
For the pineapple coconut cake include flaked coconut in a separate bag with instructions to sprinkle it over the frosted cake. Place the glaze mix ingredients into a sandwich bag and tie into corner of bag. Label this bag Glaze Mix and attach it to the other bag with a twist tie.
Place one baggie cake mix and one baggie glaze mix in each coffee cup. Now attach the following baking instructions to each coffee cup:
Bake a cake in a coffee cup. Generously spray inside of coffee cup with cooking spray. Empty contents of large packet into cup. Add 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon water to dry mix. Mix for 15 seconds, carefully mixing in all the dry mix. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes.( you may not get satisfactory results in a low wattage small microwave).
While cake is cooking, place ingredients from Glaze Mix into a very small container and add 1 1/2 teaspoons water. Mix well. When cake is done, pour glaze over cake in cup. Enjoy while warm.
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Hello Dolly Bars Mix in a Jar
This recipe, presented in a canning jar, is almost too pretty for recipient to eat.
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces butterscotch chips
1 cup coconut
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
Please graham cracker crumbs in a small zip-type bag. Layer ingredients in a quart size canning jar in the order given, placing the bag of crumbs on top.
Attached the following instructions on a gift tag:
Hello Dolly Bars
1/2 cup butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt butter. Stir in the bag of graham cracker crumbs. Pat evenly onto the bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle remaining layered ingredients into crumb mixture and spread evenly with spoon. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over all. Bake for 30 minutes; cool. Cut into bars.
Makes about 36 bars.
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Russian Teacakes Cookie Mix in a Jar
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine the confectioners' sugar and flour and place into a 1-quart canning jar. Put the chopped pecans on top.
Include the following instructions with the jar:
Russian Teacakes
3/4 cup solid shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, cream together shortening and butter. Stir in vanilla extract. Add the contents of the jar, and mix well. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool, and roll in confectioners' sugar.
Makes 4 dozen.
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Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Cookie Mix in a Jar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cups flour mixed with 1 teaspoon baking
powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 large Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
candies, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and
wrapped in plastic wrap
Layer ingredients in jar in order given. Press each layer firmly in place before adding next ingredient.
Attach this recipe to the jar:
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Cookies
Remove candies from jar and set aside. Empty cookie mix into a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 slightly beaten egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; mix until completely blended. Stir in candies.
Roll dough into walnut-size balls. Place 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Yields 2 1/2 dozen.
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White Chocolate-Macadamia Cookies Mix in a Jar
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup white chocolate or vanilla milk chips
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk biscuit and baking mix
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk biscuit and baking mix
In a 1-quart wide-mouth jar, gently layer and pack ingredients in the order listed.
If there is any space left after adding the last ingredients, add more nuts or baking chips if desired.
Place lid on top. (For a decorative lid, cut an 8-inch circle of fabric, place over lid, secure with a rubber band, then tie with ribbon or raffia.)
Attach the following gift card to the jar:
Empty contents of jar into medium bowl. Stir in 1 stick butter or margarine, melted, 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract. Mix until well combined. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown.
Makes 2 1/2 dozen.
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Chocolate Truffle Pound Cake Mix in a Jar
3 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Mix well together and put into a decorative airtight jar.
Attach the following instructions on a gift tag:
Chocolate Truffle Pound Cake
3/4 cup butter, softened
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Contents of jar
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8- to 9-cup Bundt pan.
Cream butter until it is smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk and vanilla extract, beating until thoroughly blended. Add contents of jar and beat 3 minutes until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool 25 minutes in pan, remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.
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Crazy Cake Mix in a Jar
1 (1-quart) wide-mouth canning jar
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder. Layer ingredients in jar in order. Secure with lid, decorated or undecorated.
Give as a gift with the following instructions attached:
Crazy Cake
Contents of gift jar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir cake ingredients together using a wire whisk or fork, making certain that all ingredients are completely mixed together. Bake for 35 minutes.
Frost as desired or serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar with fresh fruit on the side.
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Sinful Fudge Brownies Mix in a Jar
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup cocoa (not Dutch processed)
1 cup all-purpose flour
Layer the ingredients in a one-quart wide mouth jar in the order given. Press each ingredient in firmly before adding the next ingredient.
Attach the following to the jar:
Fudge Brownies
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.
Cream 1 cup softened butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the jar of Brownie Mix and beat the mixture until it is smooth. Spread in the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Cut when completely cooled. This is a very rich, dense, fudge-like brownie.
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Friendship Cake and Starter
1-gallon jar
1 cup canned cubed pineapple
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1 cup maraschino cherries, including juice
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1 cup sliced canned peaches, including juice
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) box cake mix (flavor desired)
1 small box instant pudding (flavor to compliment cake mix)
3/8 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts
1 portion fruit
In the one gallon jar, combine the pineapple, 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of brandy. Let ingredients sit in jar for 2 weeks, stirring daily.
At the end of two weeks, add the maraschino cherries, 1 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of brandy. Let the mixture sit for two more weeks, stirring daily.
During the forth week add the canned peaches, 1 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of brandy. Let sit another two weeks, stirring daily.
Separate the liquid from the fruit. The liquid is your starter and you can use the fruit on ice cream or cake.
Now you are ready to prepare the fruit for two cakes. DO NOT refrigerate the liquid.
In a large gallon jar, put 1 1/2 cups of the starter, 2 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 (28 ounce) can sliced peaches. Mix well and cover jar with a paper towel. Do not refrigerate or screw lid on jar. Stir every day for 10 days.
Next, add 2 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 can (16 ounce) crushed pineapple. Stir every day for 10 days.
Add 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 (16 ounce) can fruit cocktail. Slice contents of 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries and add with juice. Stir every day for 10 days.
On baking day, drain the fruit and divide it into two equal parts. Save the juice and use it as starter for friends. You will have enough for five starters (approximately 2 cups each). DO NOT refrigerate the liquid because it will stop the fermenting action.
To each cake mix, add pudding mix, oil, and eggs. Beat until smooth and fold in fruit and nuts (batter will be thick). Pour mixture into a greased tube pan, then bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Turn cake out of pan while hot. When cooled, the cake freezes well. The choices of flavored cake mixes and pudding mixes is yours and coconut may be substituted for nuts.
Makes 5 cakes with starter to give as a gift with each cake.
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