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.
My favorite cookie recipe is my great-grandma’s gingersnap recipe- soft, spicy & goes perfectly with a mug of hot tea or a glass of cold milk!
Oh gosh, how to pick one fave cookie…..that’s difficult! I love a simple sugar cookie with a thin layer of buttercream frosting on top. Oh, and almond thumbprint cookies, oh gosh and russian tea cakes…. please don’t make me pick just one. LOL :o)
Lemon sugar cookie with a merengue icing!
Just one type? Oh, goodness, that’s nearly impossible. We’ll just say it changes minute by minute and in this particular minute I want mocha crinkles more than any others.
I love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
My fave coolie is a toffee chip. I make the standard toll house dough, but substitute the Bits o’ Brickle chips for the CC. Heaven on a plate!
Sure would love to win a copy of your book!
My favorite is chocolate and butterscotch chip cookies.
I would luv to win this cookbook! I regularly can home made jam and give it as small gifts to my stairwell neighbors. This would add a new fun dimension!
Snickerdoodles! This was the one cookie our daughter, nieces, nephews and now our granddaughter wanted to make whenever we were all together.
I love a plain chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven!!
My favourite cookie would have to be Monte Carlo’s, especially my home made ones with cream! Perfect for Christmas aswell because of the red and white colours, but in my opinion they’re just perfect all year round!
my all time favorite is white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.. YUMMM
thnaks for the chance to win this awesome book
I recently made eggnog cookies from a pinterest recipe and they are sooo good! Definitely my current fave! 🙂
Just one? 🙂 I’ll say the Oatmeal Cookies I make with cranberries & pecans.
Snickerdoodles have the most memories as a kid.
My favorite cookie is pumpkin chocolate chip! A fall and anytime favorite!
My favorite cookie peanutbutter with a kiss!!!
Oh my goodness this is adorable! I would love to enter the contest and win this book! What a cute idea for Monster Cookies – one of my favorites! My all-time favorite has to be the Chocolate Marshmallow cookies that are covered with frosting to boot!
Thanks!
I love chocolate chip cookies with pecans!
Can’t go wrong with chocolate chip!!!!
My favorite cookie is the family’s Scottish shortbread!
Can’t go wrong with chocolate chip! Although I love many different types of Christmas cookies as well 🙂
Pretty sure my favorite is a just a good oatmeal raisin cookie! Yum!
I love Monster cookies!
Ginger cookies and oatmeal raisins.
Peanut butter chocolate chip!
I love to make chocolate chip cookies, and then turn them into ice cream cookie sandwiches by spreading hot fudge on each inside of the cookie, and then putting any flavor ice cream inside! – usually a chocolate or rocky road flavored ice cream.
One? lol…guess that would have to be chocolate chip chunk.
I love good old fashion chocolate chip cookies
Oh I love peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip, and sugar cookies. Sorry i cannot say just one..lol.
White chocolate macadamia nut!
Above all I just love a classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie 🙂 Can’t be beat!
So hard to pick just one……snowballs have to top the list this time of year.
Can’t beat chocolate chip cookies.
Rainbow cookies are my favorite.
Ginger cookies or lemon shortbread!
My faviroute cookie is double choc and cherry!! So yummy!
My favorite cookie is a soft gingersnap.
Monster cookies. It’s like the best of all my favorite cookies rolled into one.
Chocolate Chip cookies are my all time favorite.
I would say hands down without a doubt say chocolate chip cookies are the best cookies EVER! It is my number one pregnancy craving right now. !
My favorite cookie right now is anything that can salted. I am addicted to the sweet and salty combination in desserts. My latest cookie was a chocolate whoopie pie with salted caramel buttercream. YUM!
My favorite kind of cookies are chocolate chip with walnuts! =)
Oatmeal chocolate chip!
Not sure if this counts as a cookie, or cookie bar, maybe, but caramelitas are my current favorite!
I tested the Monster Cookie recipe last night & I was blown away. They were scrumptious! I would be delighted to win a copy of the recipe book. For me, baking is the best way to brighten an otherwise blue day, & I think the best gifts are the ones that spread the love. (:
I LOVE gifts in jars. Whether it’s cookie mix, hot cocoa, pancake mix or soup ingredients. Great post!
Do you know how many cookies the monster cookie in a jar recipe makes?
My love classic sugar cookies with icing!
Chocolate chip cookies are always a first choice for our family:)
I love Peanut Butter Blossoms!!!