M&M cookie mix makes a sweet gift

Why not give your friends and family a gift that doubles as an experience?  This recipe for M&M cookie mix in a jar is easy to put together and makes a thoughtful holiday gift.

Be sure to include instructions on how to turn the contents of the jar into a batch of cookies by adding butter, an egg, and vanilla extract. The recipient will love having this jar on hand to whip up a batch of homemade M&M cookies with minimal effort.

Ingredients for the mix:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup Holiday M&Ms or chocolate chips

⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1-quart mason jar

To assemble the jars:

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Pour into the bottom of a 1-quart mason jar. (You can use a rolled-up paper plate as a funnel.)

Top the flour mixture with M&Ms, dropping them in lightly using a spoon so they don’t sink into the flour.

Use a spoon to carefully scoop the brown sugar into the jar, lightly packing it in to form an even base.

Add the granulated sugar.

Seal with the lid and decorate with ribbon and fabric. The jar in the photo is decorated with a 6.5-inch circle of fabric.

Note: The cookie mix will be a couple inches shy of the top of the jar. You can increase the M&Ms by ¼ cup or add some tissue paper to the very top if you want to fill the jar.

Recipe to include with the jar:

In a large bowl, whisk ½ cup of melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1 large egg, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Add the contents of the jar and gently stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined (dough will be crumbly). Chill for 30 minutes.

Form golf-ball-sized portions of dough, pressing firmly as you form the ball, and place the dough balls onto lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers of the cookies are still slightly underdone. Place baking sheets on a rack to cool.

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