Gifts in a Jar

Need a gift in a hurry? Go to your stash of jars then head to the pantry and start packing that jar with all the ingredients to make Simple Shortbread or Snickerdoodles and voila you have a gorgeous, very useful, very inexpensive gift in a jar!

FROM THE MEMBERS CENTRE: GIFTS IN A JAR 

Gifts in a jar can be as simple or as complex as you like. They can be in jars or boxes or buckets or any other container suitable for the contents of your gift. They can be for eating or gardening or sewing or relaxing in the tub. Gifts in a jar are only limited by your imagination.  Here are two of my favourites:

Simple Shortbread Mix
Ingredients:
1 cup SR  flour
1/2 cup ground rice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup castor sugar

Method:
Combine ingredients and pack into a jar.  Attach label with instructions as below. 

Simple Shortbread
1 jar Simple Shortbread mix
1 cup butter

Heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Cut cold butter into flour with a knife. Using fingertips knead shortbread mix and butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Use a knife to mix into a dough. Press mixture into a shortbread mould (if you have one) and cook on a baking sheet or press and cook in a greased, 20cm round cake tin. With a butter knife mark out wedges (you should get 12).  Bake for approximately one hour, or until light golden on top. Do not brown. Cut into wedges while still warm.

Snickerdoodle Mix
2 3/4 cups SR flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Method:
Combine ingredients and pack into a jar. Attach label with instructions below.

Snickerdoodles
1 jar Snickerdoodle mix
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Cream butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. On low speed, add Snickerdoodle mix and beat until a dough forms.  Roll dough into balls about the size of a 20 cent coin. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar and then place on ungreased cookie sheets, about 5cm apart to allow room for spreading. Bake 8 - 10 minutes until light brown. Cool on wire racks.