Ever seen cookie mix in a jar presented as a gift and wondered how to do it yourself? It’s not hard at all and you can do it as an assembly line and make several cookie gifts at once. The kids can get involved too. It’s a great choice for a craft for Brownies or Girl Scout troops who need to raise money. The girls can easily fill the jars and write out the tags. Host a bake sale next time that includes these great gift ideas. They’re also fun for grab bag gifts, gift basket fillers and raffle prizes. So how do you do it? The idea is that you will layer the ingredients needed to make a certain type of cookie. The recipient will need to follow the recipe you provide and add a few additional perishable ingredients that couldn’t be added to the mix. Follow these guidelines. Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark, packed 1/2 cup white sugar 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (use the best you can find) 2 cups flour (all purpose, not self-rising or cake flour) 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda You’re going to layer all the above ingredients in the order they are listed. You’ll need a wide-mouth canning jar. A one liter jar works perfectly. Some people say you should mix all the ingredients and then pour them in the jar. But the layers make a lovelier presentation. It’s fine to do whichever you choose. You’re going to want to type or write the following baking instructions and attach them to the jar either by a string or by gluing or taping them onto the jar. Chocolate Chip Cookies: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat 1 cup of butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Pour in the entire jar of dry cookie mix. Using a wooden spoon, mix until combined. Drop spoonfuls of dough, one inch apart, onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Check often as all ovens are different. Remove them from the oven when they are still soft and only lightly browned to avoid burning. Allow to cool before eating. Enjoy! ( If left covered in a cool, dry place, this mix will stay fresh for 6 months.) Decorate your jar any way you like. Many people like to cut a circle of fabric larger than the lid and secure it with the Mason jar screw on lid, ribbon, or a rubber band. You may choose to paint on the glass with glass markers or write a message on colorful paper and tape it on the jar. How fancy you get depends on the time and energy you have. If you have younger helpers, let them pour some of the ingredients in and then glue shapes to the jar for decoration. Use these gifts for thanking teachers, other moms, dance instructors, soccer coaches and school bus drivers. It shows you thought of them, but you didn’t have to break the bank to do it. Any glass vessel will work for this project. Just make sure it has a lid. And use the freshest ingredients so that your recipient can store the mix for up to six months without spoilage.
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