- November 25, 2024
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If you're like me, you have a hard time shopping around the holidays. But it's not because you don’t like to shop, more that you see things in the store and wonder how you can make them at home.
I’m a bargain shopper, and I have learned that, in most cases, it is cheaper to do it yourself. That is especially the case with those adorable mason jars filled with cookie mixes. The best thing about this DIY project is that most of the necessary materials come from the kitchen, and the fun part is: The candy can be changed to fit the season, occasion or even the gift receiver's preference.
Just follow the steps below, and your friends are sure to be impressed.
What you need:
12-ounce mason jars
3/4 cup packed flour
1/3 cup packed sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
your choice of candy
sticker paper or cardstock
measuring cup
spoon and/or dowel
hole punch
your choice of ribbon or twine
What to do:
Start by measuring the flour. Using a dowel or spoon, pack the flour down to the desired amount – this needs to be exact.
Now, add the measured flour to a clean jar. If you have a wide-mouth funnel, that works the best. If not, you can fold a piece of paper into your jar to make this step easier.
Before you pack the flour down into your jar, add the baking soda and the salt and stir them around a bit into the flour.
Once you have the flour, baking soda and salt in your jar, it’s time to pack the first layer. A dowel probably works best for this, but since I don’t have one, I used a spoon that I bent for better coverage. When packing the flour mixture, it can feel extra fluffy at first; just keep pushing it down and it will quickly become compact.
The packing of layers is very important – the cleaner the layers, the cuter the jar looks.
Now it’s time for the sugar. Measure and pack the sugar. Add to jar and pack the layer. Do the same for the brown sugar.
Fill the remainder of the jar with the candy; it should be about 1/3 cup. (I used red and green mini M&M's.) Screw the lid on tight. Jars will stay fresh up to six months.
Print or handwrite a baking direction card on cardstock with the following instructions:
Remove candy from top of mixture. Cream 4 tablespoons of butter with both sugars. Add 1 egg and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla to sugar mixture and beat on high for one minute. Add flour and beat until smooth. Stir in candy pieces. Put this sticky batter in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Makes 10 cookies.
Trim directions, hole punch and tie onto the jar to finish.
- Recipe adapted from somethingturquoise.com
