Cookie and Brownie Mix In a Jar

In the geologic school, the ingredients are all layered in a clear glass jar separately so that each layer is distinct. This gives the container the look of strata (think of the rocks in the Grand Canyon in Arizona) or "sand art." The happy mixers toss everything together so that there is no need to go through the trouble of layering, thus allowing for greater variety in the choice of containers. A recipe from either school can easily be adapted to become a recipe of the other. Keep in mind that if you're going for the layered look, the ingredients need to have different colors and textures. A sugar cookie mix made with white sugar and white flour is not going to give you good strata!

Most of the cookie and brownie varieties of mix-in-a-jar recipes will fit into a 1-quart or 1-liter wide-mouth canning jar, as long as you pack the ingredients in as tightly as possible. One quart equals 4 cups; one liter equals just over 4 cups. Some of the mix-in-a-jar recipes may be a bit confusing: if you add up all the cups it equals more than the maximum amount of four! This is because the ingredients, if packed down properly in the jar, will lose volume and thus be able to fit. Careful packing is the key.

After placing one ingredient in the jar, press it down with a utensil with a fairly wide flat bottom (a long-handled tart tamper works especially well). Do this after each and every ingredient, especially after adding ingredients like brown sugar, flour, oats, nuts, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, shredded coconut and dried fruits.

• White sugar will seep down into layered items like colored candies, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. It's better to put white sugar below these ingredients.
• All-purpose flour and confectioners' sugar also have the same seeping problem, so follow the guidelines for white sugar.
• The layers will stand out most if you pack the highly contrasting items next to each other.

Why be limited to giving great mixes in glass jars when there are so many other options? You can also use heavy-duty plastic freezer bags. Once you've filled the plastic bags with the mix, there's an endless variety of ways you can fancy 'em up for gift-giving:

• Place them in a decorative tin or cookie jar
• Package them in a cloth-lined basket
• Have your kids paint pictures on lightweight cardboard gift containers (available at craft stores) or use leftover oatmeal containers
• Place them in a beautiful mixing bowl, and if you want to be extra nice, include a good-quality wooden spoon
• Make it a whole baking kit: include a cookie sheet, measuring spoons, cups and timer. College students love to receive this package in the mail!

Remember to include a card listing the recipe's ingredients and instructions. Hint: many of the recipes call for half an egg. How does one measure that? Simply beat the egg and place it in a glass measuring cup and divide that amount in half. (Or you can use a whole egg--this will just cause the cookies to rise a little higher while baking and be a little more cake-like.) If you include the recipe, your recipient can make the gift again and again!

Many people ask about the shelf-life of these mixes. If stored in a cool, dry and dark place, your gift can last for up to 6 months, as long as all of the ingredients used to make it were fresh. (Make sure your baking powder and baking soda aren't going to expire anytime soon.) If the mix contains nuts, it should be used within 3 months.