American Heritage Baking—Let’s Bake and Learn
Bars-in-Jars—A Gift from the Kitchen and the Heart
by Nancy Baggett
I was raised in a family that baked at every holiday,
but especially at Christmastime. Invariably, we gathered in the
kitchen to ready favorites for our own meals and to serve to drop-in
guests. Like many other households in the quiet Howard County, Maryland,
farming community where I grew up, we also prepared seasonal kitchen
gifts for neighbors and friends. While people rarely gave out expensive
presents, they were generous in spirit, so it was the custom to
remember acquaintances with a tin of special homemade cookies, fruitcakes,
candies, or loaf of quick bread.
Due to Baltimore-Washington urban sprawl, the farming country I
remember is now a bustling, congested suburb, but my impulse to
give homemade food gifts lives on. In fact, no matter how many presents
I buy, I don't feel ready for the holidays till I prepare some edible
gifts. Originally, sugar cookies were my standby, but gradually
I've broadened the repertoire to include a variety of sweets. (A
number of my favorite recipes, including fudge, homemade marshmallows,
soft sugar cookies with strawberry icing, and chewy peanut-caramel
bars are featured in my new book, The All-American Dessert Book.)
The last several years I’ve been making and
giving out “bars-in-jars” mixes—ready-to-use jars
of attractively-layered bar cookie ingredients that recipients finish
simply by stirring the contents together in a bowl with butter and
a fresh egg or two. The jars of mix look a little like the eye-catching,
stratified sand art creations of several decades ago, and the batter
yields a convenient pan of brownies, bars, or other cookies. (Each
jar includes a card or tag telling the recipient how to make up
the bars.) The jars of mix are a great gift for busy families, who
can whip up a deliciously fresh, home-baked treat as needed and
with almost no muss or fuss.
The jars of mix are also convenient for the gift
giver because the ingredients can be measured out and put in the
jars and the
accompanying
instruction tags can be created and added well in advance. The ingredients
will stay fresh unrefrigerated for 1 month, and refrigerated for
2 months.
Readying the jars makes a fun family activity—younger
children can help fill the jars, and older youngsters can prepare
the gifts on their own. Recycled Christmas cards, purchased tags
and labels, squares of colored construction paper, and decorative
index cards all work well as instruction tags. The necessary how-to
details can be quickly printed out with a computer and printer,
or handwritten, if desired. Plain and fancy ribbons, yarns, raffia,
and even twist-ties can add a unique decorative touch to the tags
and jars.
It’s fine to use new or recycled 1-quart canning
jars, 32-ounce glass mayo jars, or decorative European 1-liter jars,
but not the typical 26-ounce pasta sauce jars; the latter are too
small. To obtain new jars, try canning suppliers on-line or cookware,
hardware, grocery, and craft stores. Some craft shops and internet
merchants sell handy “layered mix kits” containing jars,
attractive lids, recipe cards, tags, and gingham or calico fabric
rounds to use as jar “bonnets.” The kits usually provide
materials for completing one or two jars with a “country”
look. Whether new or recycled, the jars need to be clean and completely
dry when filling begins.
This mix recipe yields a quick batch of festive,
wonderfully fragrant bars for the holidays. Notice that the recipe
suggests using “Brownulated” sugar. Often stocked with
other sugar in supermarkets, this granular brown sugar lends mellow
flavor but is less likely to lump or cake during storage than regular
brown sugar. If you can’t find Brownulated, substitute ordinary
light brown sugar.
The recipe also calls for dried orange peel. Some
spice companies sell this in little bottles, but you can also make
your own. Simply grate the colored part of an orange skin onto wax
paper, then let the peel stand, uncovered about 8 hours, until dry
to the touch. Measure the dried homemade peel just before adding
it to the flour.
Tip: “Bars-in-jars” recipes are specifically
designed to layer attractively and to fit into 1-quart or 1-liter
jars; regular bar cookie recipes usually won’t work.
1 cup all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon dried, bottled orange peel (or 1/2 teaspoon dried homemade
peel)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Generous 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Brownulated sugar or packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
On a large sheet of aluminum foil (or wax paper)
thoroughly stir together the flour, dried orange peel, cinnamon,
allspice, baking powder, and salt. Using the foil as a funnel, pour
the mixture into a 1-quart jar. Shake the jar, then rap on the counter
to even the layer. On the same sheet, stir together the sugars until
very well blended and smooth. Using the foil, add the sugar mixture
to the jar. Shake and then rap the jar on the counter several times
to even and compact mixture. Wipe down the jar sides, if necessary.
Continue the layering, adding the cranberries, nuts, then the chocolate
morsels, shaking and rapping the jar after each addition.
Secure the lid firmly. Attach a tag or card with
the following recipe mixing instructions to the jar. The mix will
keep up to 1 month unrefrigerated, 2 months refrigerated.
Makes 1 quart of mix.
For the Hanging Tag
on the Jar:
Cranberry and Chocolate
Chip Bars (Makes 12-16 bars)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg
1 1-quart jar Mix
Mixing instructions: Set oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 7- by 11-inch
(or 9-inch square) baking dish. In a large bowl, using a fork, mix
together cooled butter, water, and egg until well blended. Gradually
stir in jar contents until evenly blended. Spread evenly in dish.
Bake on center oven rack 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned and
a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely
before cutting. Store, covered, 2-3 days; or freeze, airtight, 3
weeks.
