Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar - Great Recipe, Great Gift

Who doesn't love a good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie? Or that aroma as it drifts throughout the house as they bake in the oven. Makes me want one just thinking about it! The recipe here can be used to make a batch right now or as a guide to layering the ingredients in a jar to make a lovely gift. Add a little decoration to the jar, add a tag with instructions and voila - you have a beautiful homemade gift and it took only minutes! If you are going to make the cookies right now, skip all of the layering in the jar and jump ahead to the section on preparing the cookies.

Gathering the Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to put in the jar:
1 2/3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

If you are making the cookies now you will also need:
1/2 cup of softened butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preparing a Jar

First you should wash a 1-quart wide-mouth canning jar. Be sure it is completely dried before putting any of your ingredients in. You will also need an object to firmly press each layer you add to the mixture. This object could be a tart tamper, the bottom side of a small or narrow drinking glass, or just about any other flat-bottomed item that can fit easily into the jar.

Adding Your Dry Ingredients

The bottom layer in the jar will be the all-purpose flour. You should press the flour into the jar firmly with the object you found earlier. Be sure you make the layer as even as possible. Next add your baking soda right over the flour. Press down again. The granulated sugar will be next. Again, be sure your layers are evenly distributed and pressed down firmly in the jar. Now that all of the white ingredients have been layered you will add the brown sugar. Pack the brown sugar down evenly as well. Last but not least, top off your dry ingredients with the semisweet chocolate chips. You may now tightly close the jar's lid and decorate with ribbons, cloth, or other items. I like adding a square of fabric over the lid, securing it with a rubber band, and covering the band with a decorative ribbon. I thread the ribbon through the hole in the instruction tag at this point as well. To add an extra finishing touch you may choose to include a spoon with the mix. I like to tie a wooden spoon right onto the jar with the tag. If you will be doing this, it may be helpful to use additional ribbon to attach the spoon rather than trying to secure it with the first ribbon.

Making the Instruction Tag

First, you need to be sure that your tag is large enough to include all of the mixing and baking instructions and large enough to easily read these instructions. You may choose to create a typed tag using your computer, but hand writing the instructions on an index or recipe card works great too. Leave enough room to punch a small hole in order to attach it to the jar. If you are making a tag that will fold in the center, be sure you leave enough room near the top to make the holes without getting in the way of your writing. When using a folded tag, the hole should be at the top of the card, through both sides, near the fold.

In addition to the directions for preparing the cookies, the following information should be included on your tag as well:

Yield: Appx. 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients needed but not found in this jar are:
1/2 cup of softened butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparing the Cookies

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a large bowl, cream the softened butter, eggs and vanilla extract. You may do this with a fork or with an electric mixer on low speed. Next add the contents of the jar. Using a spoon, stir all ingredients until well mixed. Make your cookies by dropping heaping teaspoonfuls of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Space your cookies about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are light brown in color. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving to wire racks. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the racks. Cookies may be served immediately or can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

A Final Note

There you have it - a quick, easy, inexpensive and tasty gift for anyone on your list. Caution - if making this to give away you may want to have enough ingredients on hand to make a batch for yourself. It's sure hard to make this mix, smelling the sweet sugars and chocolate, without deciding you need to whip some up on your own.