Give Gifts in Jars: Monster Cookie Mix
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I have a special treat for you all today! My dear friend, Shaina Olmanson from the popular blog, Food For My Family and author of Desserts in Jars has graciously offered to guest post with some tips on how to give gifts in jars! I think Shaina is playing Santa……. she is also sharing a recipe from her book, along with a free printable AND she has a few copies of her cookbook to giveaway to three lucky TidyMom readers! Sweet!!
Let’s talk gifts. I have a difficult time with gift-giving. It has nothing to do with the actual giving of the gifts; it is in the buying of the gifts. I don’t want to grab the generic gift card or a bottle of wine and hand it off to my aunt or sister-in-law and call it good. I would rather give something that’s thoughtful or that comes created by my hands. For me it’s the difference between a gift just to cross it off your list or to be thoughtful and purposeful in your giving, to show that you care for and appreciate that person.
For years we’ve been sending hot chocolate mixes as teachers’ gifts and pancake mix for the aunts and uncles. Here are a few ways to give gifts in jars:
- As part of a gift basket: If you’re sending a care package of sorts, a gift mix or a cupcake in a jar can be the perfect treat to add to your gift.
- As a handmade touch to a gift card: There are those people who are too hard to buy for or they would really appreciate the gift card. Adding a little sweetness to the gift cards still gives them something to open and hold onto, without foregoing the plastic.
- A gift for the baker: A gift basket with Desserts in Jars, a set of jars, and a few other treats can be the perfect way to inspire your baking beloved in the kitchen.
- As the gift itself: A jar full of cookie mix or hot chocolate makes a great homemade gift on its own, too. Give something sweet to those who have been sweet in your life.
When we moved to a new neighborhood, monster cookies were the first things gifted to us by a neighbor welcoming us to our new home. They’re one of our favorite cookies, and they make the perfect holiday gift.
Table of Contents
Monster Cookie Mix
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup candy-coated chocolate candies or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Mix together the granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Pour into a 1-quart mason jar. Top with a layer of half of the oats. Add the candies in a layer, and top with a layer of brown sugar. Top with a layer of the remaining oats and then a layer of pecans. Seal with the lid, decorate the jar, and attach a label with these instructions for the recipient:
Monster Cookies:
- 3/4 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter (not natural)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl. Add the contents of jar. Form the dough into 2-inch balls and set on a lined cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops of the cookies begin to brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
To make this cute gift, I have included a FREE MONSTER COOKIE PRINTABLE for your jars! Because this gift in a jar is a mix, you want to be sure the recipient knows how to bake up a yummy batch! Click the image below to print a page of 5 labels.
click to print your FREE Monster Cookie Labels
GIVEAWAY!
To make your gift even sweeter…….I’m giving away 3 copies of my book, Desserts in Jars: 50 Sweet Treats that Shine available at Target, World Market, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local bookseller.
GIVEAWAY has ended. Congrats to #41 Emily, #192 Micky and #207 Dallas
Find more details on DessertsinJars.com
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post, telling me your favorite cookie.
Official Rules: No purchase necessary. Open to US residents only . Must be over 18. Giveaway begins on December 5, 2012 will end on December 12, 2012 at 5:00 pm CST. Prize value $16.95. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Three winners with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. Winners will be notified by email by December 15, 2012 and will have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be selected. TidyMom, and Harvard Common Press are not responsible for lost or undelivered emails. Winners will be posted on this blog post by December 30, 2012. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. By entering this giveaway, you have agreed to these rules. Giveaway sponsored by Harvard Common Press .
Good luck to everyone!
Shaina Olmanson is the cook, freelance writer, and photographer behind Food for My Family, which was named one of the top ten Top 100 Mom Food Blogs by Babble.com in 2010, 2011, and 2012. She is the author of Desserts in Jars: 50 Sweet Treats that Shine, has served as the food editor for LifetimeMoms and daily contributor to Babble’s Family Kitchen, and contributes regularly to FoodYourWay.net and SimpleBites.net. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her husband and their four kids.
Tidymom is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Please respect my work, recipes and photographs. If you do use a recipe in your own writing, please give proper credit and link back to the original post.
I really love peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips.
My favorite cookies are the old fashioned roll out teacakes I make iced with cream cheese icing. I still use the cookie cutters Mother used when she made them for me to take for school parties over 50 years ago.
My favorite cookie involves Peanut Butter and Chocolate but not necessarily in that order. My kids love Monster cookies!!
My favorite cookie is a home made sugar cookie.
My fave is good ole chocolate chip!
I <3 Molasses cookies!!
Snickerdoodles
chocolate drizzled coconut macaroons… yum yum
White chocolate macadamia nut is my favorite cookie. Yumo!
This is so fun!! Great to see Shaina here!
Kolacky cookies.
I LOVE cookies, but I always come back to chocolate chip.
My favorite cookie would have to be…soft frosted sugar cookies!! Yumm! But I will try them all if given an opportunity! What a fun give away! I have never gifted jarred mixes but I have received them and I think I might have to try it. Thanks for the opportunity. Blessings.
buttery shortbread cookies
Shortbread
Ranger cookies.
love a soft sugar cookie. With only frosting. No candies or other stuff on top. Just soft and chewy sweetness next to a glass of cold milk… yummm
My favorite cookies are chocolate chip pumpkin cookies. I found the recipe in a magazine years ago and, it has become a holiday staple at our house.
Favorite cookie is the NYT chocolate chip!
I love snickerdoodles!
My favorite cookie, hmmmm that is a hard question. My Grandmothers cookie. Any cookie she made. She has passed, I only have 4 of the many many years she baked cookies for us for Christmas. My favorite gift in an old animal covered coffee can. I aspire to be like her. If I have to pick one, Her cookie cutter sugar cookie. It is the best tasting, and makes 5 dozen. Then I make Royal icing and decorate. =)
Coconut chocolate chip! (The ones from Paradise bakery are one of my favs 🙂 )
My favorite cookie has to been chocolate chip.
Oatmeal raisin – such a comfort food.
I absolutely love snickerdoodles! I also love treats in jars!
It’s so hard to choose, but my fave cookies are Molasses and Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip.
I love homemade lemon bars the best.
My favorite cookies has to be Chocolate Chip Cookies! I have been making them since I was a little girl and I love the memories they bring back when I make them! MY second choice would be no bake cookies when I am in a hurry and want to make something yummy! :o)
My absolute favorite has to be Starlight Mint Surprize Cookies that won the Pillsbury Bake-Off a couple years before I was born, My mom used to make them then we couldn’t find the mint wafers for many years, Now we can make them and do as often as we can!! LOVE THEM!
Favorite cookie right now is chocolate cookie with melted Andes mint on top!
Favorite cookies…hmm, that would be a toss up between Turtle Cookies, Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies & Samoa Cookies.
Oatmeal raisin
I love coconut macaroons.
My main easy go to cookie is the loved peanut butter cookie. Thanks for the giveaway. Good luck everyone.
My all-time favorite is peanut butter cookies with mini-Hershey’s kisses mixed in the dough like big chocolate chips. It was the first thing I baked for my husband when we were dating.
Spritz Cookies!
Snickerdoodles or oatmeal chocolate chip.
I love a good ol’ fashioned tea cake
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
I love any cookie but a good soft oatmeal raisin is my favorite.
Fav cookies-tie between Peanut Butter or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. Can’t wait to try Monster Cookies!
My favorite cookie is plain old chocolate chip still warm and gooey fresh from the oven.
Must be my lucky day that I happened upon your website! I used to make these monster cookies when I lived in Georgia and lost the recipe. I have asked my old neighbors and friends and no one had a copy. So… thank you because I love these and they are the easiest and best for baking up for kids. Another gift problem solved.
Hands down – gingerbread from a Betty Crocker cookbook that’s about 20 years old. It creates great cookies and it’s vegan, a bonus with several friends. Plus it makes a lot!
CHOCOLATE CHIP!
I think my favorite is oatmeal chocolate chip. Such a yummy, but often ignored, combination!
My favorite cookies are molasses ginger crinkles!
GingerSnaps!
MY FAVORITE COOKIE IS WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES.
Oh wow…I would say either butter cookies or samoa cookies – either of those make me happy!! I hope I get the opportunity to win this book, I would love to add it to my recipe library!