Spicy Muffin Mix in a Jar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Place in a pretty airtight jar.

Attach these instructions to the gift tag:

Spicy Muffins

Makes 1 dozen

Contents of jar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin tins.

In a large bowl, combine the muffin mix with the butter, egg, vanilla extract and milk Stir the mixture until the ingredients are blended. Do not over-mix. The batter will be lumpy. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full, and bake for 15 minutes.

Focaccia Mix in a Jar

1 package yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine and pour into an airtight container.

Attach the following instructions on a gift tag if giving as a gift.

Focaccia

Contents of jar
1/2 cup warm water
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt
Pesto

Blend contents of jar, warm water and 2 tablespoons olive oil with a dough hook or wooden spoon until smooth. If it is dry, add water by the tablespoon. If it sticks, add a bit of flour. Knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to oil all over, cover and let rise until doubled.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Punch dough down and roll into a 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Brush with remaining oil. Sprinkle with salt; bake 5 minutes. Pop air bubbles with a fork and continue baking until golden, about 8 minutes more. Remove from pan and cut into 3-inch squares.

Serve warm with pesto.

Mini Pumpkin Muffin Mix in a Bag

3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup raisins, sweetened dried cranberries, or chopped nuts (optional)
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin

Combine all ingredients, except pumpkin, in large bowl. Pour into 1-quart resealable plastic bag; seal. Set bag of muffin mix and can of pumpkin in a paper sandwich-type bag. Tie top of bag with raffia or ribbon.

Attach the following recipe:

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

Pour muffin mix into large bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup vegetable shortening with pastry blender until mixture is fine. Add 1 cup pumpkin, 1 cup milk and 2 large eggs; mix until just moistened. Spoon into greased or paper-lined mini-muffin pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes; remove to wire racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Makes about 60 mini muffins.

Texas Cornbread Mix in a Jar

12 wide-mouth pint (2-cup) canning jars with lids and rings
1/2 yard print cotton fabric
6 yards craft ribbon (for jars)

For 1 jar
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder

For 12 jars
12 cups yellow cornmeal
12 cups sifted flour
3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons salt
16 tablespoons baking powder

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all dry ingredients.

To package in jars: Wash, rinse and thoroughly dry canning jars, lids and bands.

Pre-mix ingredients thoroughly before filling wide-mouth pint canning jars with 2 cups each of the finished mix. Layering ingredients for this recipe will require larger jars.

Place two cups Texas cornbread mix in each wide-mouth pint canning jar.

Cut twelve 7-inch circles from cotton fabric. Top each jar with fabric circle, and tie with ribbon.

Attach the following instructions on a gift tag:

1 container (2 cups) Texas Cornbread Mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup soft shortening (Crisco)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease one 8-inch square pan, or 8-inch cast iron skillet, or cast iron cornbread mold.

Place cornbread mix into bowl, mix thoroughly. Add egg, milk and shortening. Hand-beat until smooth, about one minute. DO NOT OVERBEAT!

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for pan or skillet, 15 to 20 minutes for cornbread mold.

Dark Chocolate Chunk and Dried Cherry Scone Mix in a Jar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1cup (4 ounces) dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup dried cherries

Sift flour and baking powder together in mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt and toss together to blend well. transfer mixture to 1-quart wide-mouth jar.

Place chocolate in small plastic zip-type bag and seal. Add to jar. Place cherries in small palstic zip-type bag and seal. Add to jar. Seal jar.

Decorate jar and attach gift tag with the following instructions:

Dark Chocolate Chunk and Dried Cherry Scones

Makes 8 scones.

1 jar Dark Chocolate Chunk and Dried Cherry Scone Mix
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted gutter, chilled
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Egg Wash
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick liner.

Add flour mixture from jar mix to work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Cut butter into pieces and add to bowl. Pulse until butter is cut into tiny pieces. Add chocolate and cherries from jar and pulse three times.

Mix 2 eggs and 34/ cup cream together. Add mixture through feed tube with processor running. Process until dough forms ball.

Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Pat into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut out two 6-inch circles. Cut each circle into quarters. Place scones on baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons cream together. Brush tops of scones with wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 13 to 14 minutes or until light golden. Cool on rack.

Black Forest Banana Bread Mix in a Jar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in mixing bowl. Layer ingredients in 1-quart wide-mouth jar in following order: flour mixture, sugar, chips and nuts. Seal jar.

Decorate jar and attach a gift tag with the following instructions:

Black Forest Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf.

1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
2 eggs
1 jar Black Forest Banana Bread Mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Drain cherries, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Coarsely chop cherries.

Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. beat in bananas, eggs and reserved cherry juice until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour or until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Spicy Raspberry Tea Mix in a Jar

3/4 cup instant tea, unsweetened
4 (.23 ounce) packets raspberry-flavored unsweetened drink mix
2 tablespoons lemonade drink mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Stir all ingredients in mixing bowl with wire whisk. Transfer mixture to 1-pint wide-mouth jar. If jar is full, gently tap bottom of jar on palm of hand to settle mix. Seal jar.

Decorate jar and attach the following instructions on a gift tag:

Spiced Raspberry Tea

Makes 1 (6 ounce) serving.

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Spiced Raspberry Tea Mix
6 ounces boiling water
Fresh raspberries (optional)
Fresh orange slice (optional)
Sprig of fresh mint (optional)

Combine jar mix with boiling water. Adjust amount of mix to your taste. Stir to dissolve mix. Serve hot or add ice for refreshing hot weather cooler. Garnish with fresh raspberries, orange slice and mint sprig.