Gift Mix Recipes Needed!

[jkath]

What gift mixes do you like to make?

Coffee, muffin, cake, cookie, soup, chili............?
Recipes please!

Also, what's your favorite way to present them?

I made tons of coffee & cocoa mixes one year at our holiday boutique. I put each in a ziplock, and then into a pouch I'd sewn from gingham fabric. I tied each with raffia and attached a tag with the instructions on it.

I'll post some soon.

 

[marmalady]

I don't do much with mixes, although the idea has always appealed to me - mostly I do cookies for gifts.

But - just wanted to mention to keep your eyes open at the checkout counters - I just saw one of those little books (Pillsbury, Better Homes & Gardens, Land o Lakes - whatever!) - that was entirely devoted to gift mixes and packaging - some cute ideas for the packaging!

 

[merstarr]

Check out this great site with lots of cookie recipes for Christmas, along with ratings and reviews. Here's a direct link to their gift mixes:
http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/category.php?catid=28

 

[Yakuta]

Hi jkath your cocoa and coffee mixes sound really good.

Would you be so kind to share how you make them. I am always strapped for ideas for my co-workers and a lot of folks like hot chocolate (especially in the cold midwest). Last year I purchased some gourmet ones for about 8 dollars a small can but I love the idea of homemade stuff.

 

[jkath]

Yakuta -
I'll look for those recipes - will probaby write them out in the morning (it's almost midnight right now). It is a huge money saver! I sold each bag for $5 and made a large profit.

Merstarr - thanks for the site - I can always count on you!

 

[PA Baker]

I just got a Current catalog yesterday and they had two books devoted to recipies for jar mixes. I found links to their on line catalog for you.

Muffins in a jar:
http://currentcatalog.com/productDe...Cookbook+%3Ci%3EMuffins+in+a+Jar%99%3C%2Fi%3E

Cookies in a jar:
http://currentcatalog.com/productDe...%3Ci%3ECookies+in+a+Jar%99%3C%2Fi%3E+Cookbook

 

[crewsk]

In A Cup Recipe

Honeybun Coffee Cake Mix in a Cup

1/3C yellow or spice cake mix

Topping mix
2tsp. brown sugar
1tsp. finely chopped pecans
1/4tsp. cinnamon

1. Place cake mix in a zip lock bag
2. Place topping mix in another bag & lable "Topping Mix"
3. Staple bags together
4. Attach instructions as follows:

Honeybun Coffe Cake In A Cup
1. Empty bag if mix into a plain coffee cup(no metallic decorations). Use a standard ceranic/pottery coffee cup that holds 1 1/2C. liquid.
2. Add 2tsp. oil, 1Tbsp. water, & 1 egg white. Stir very well.
3. Sprinkle topping mix over batter.
4. Miceovave 2 minutes. Let cool 1 minute in cup.
5. Remove from cup & cut in half lengthwise. Serve immedietly.
1-2 servings.

 

[Audeo]

Man! All of these look good!

I make a short ton of baskets out of salt dough in a variety of shapes and sizes for "gift carriers". That's something that started when the boys were in elementary school and I guess I've never grown out of. Then line them with fabric, which I have way too much of. Usually, each gift follows a theme... "breakfast basket" of pancake mix (I'll be using Goodweed's recipe from now on!) and syrups I've made, along with some good coffee beans, etc. Speaking of coffee, a "coffee basket" with mugs, coffee beans and plastic spoons that I've dipped in chocolate (some mixed with various flavorings...hazelnut, almond, etc.). A "Brit basket" with my shortbread mix, scone mix, my lemon curd and other jellies, several tins of teas with strainers and a pretty tea pot and cups I've found, etc. All the mixes come with their recipes attached. Usually, the baskets get "wrapped" in white nylon netting (I buy the stuff by the bolt) and tied with ribbons or tulle that coordinate with the fabric/theme.

Thanks to you guys who introduced me to Penzey's and got me so easily hooked, I'll be making a "cook's basket" this year for a pal that will include a set of huck towels I personalized last weekend, a variety of Penzey spices that I'm going to order, a variety of vinegars and oils and a paella pan to replace the one she dropped and broke recently.

 

[crewsk]

Basic instructions for cake in a coffee cup.

1 box cake mix, any flavor
1(4 serving size)instant puddin mix(NOT sugar free), any flavor

1. Read all before beginning!!
2. Place dry cake mix & dry pudding mix in a large bowl & blend well with a whisk. This will be about 4 - 4 1/2C. dry mix & will make 8 or 9 cup cake mixes.
3. Place 1/2C. dry mix into zip lock bags. Shake mix into the corner of the bag & tie there with a twist tie.
4. Continue making packets until all the dry mix is used.
5. Use "glaze" recipe following this to make appropriate flavor glaze for the flavor of cake mix you have chosen. Make 1 glaze mix for each cake mix.
6. Place glaze mix in zip lock bags & tie into the corner of the bag with a twist tie. Lable this bag "Glaze Mix". Attach it to the other bag with a twist tie or ribbon.
7. Attach instructions below.

Bake A Cake In A Coffee Cup!

1. Empty bag if mix into a plain coffee cup(no metallic decorations). Use a standard ceranic/pottery coffee cup that holds 1 1/2C. liquid.
2. Add 2tsp. oil, 1Tbsp. water, & 1 egg white. Stir very well.
3. Miceowave 2 minutes. Let cool 1 minute in cup.
4. Whila cake is in microwave, add a very few drops of water to the bag containing glaze mix. Squeeze bag to moisten glaze. Add water drops 2 at a time until it is a glaze consistency. Push all glaze into one corner of the bag. Snip off a tiny corner of bag with scissors.(Use bag to squeeze galze over cake).
5. Remove from cup & cut in half lengthwise. Serve immedietly.
1-2 servings.


Good cake mix/pudding combinations are:
Lemon cake mix + Lemon or Pistachio pudding
Yellow cake mix + Banana Cream or Chocolate pudding
Orange cake mix + Lemon pudding
Strawberry cake mix + Chocolate, Vanilla, Pistachio, or Lemon pudding
Red Velvet cake mix + Cheesecake or Vanilla pudding
Spice cake mix + Butterscotch or Lemon pudding
Pineapple cake mix + Banana Cream pudding
Any chocolate cake mix + Chocolate pudding
Experiment with other combos!

Glaze Mix Recipe
Mix 1 glaze mix for each cake mix.
Use this glaze mix with the above cake mix recipe.

1/4C. powdered sugar
1Tbsp. dry flavoring*
Dry flavoring*:
Powdered Lemonade mix
Powdered Orange breakfast drink(like Tang)
Unsweetened Cocoa powder

Select the flavoring appropriate to the cake you are making. Lemon or Orange Glaze for Lemon or Orange cake. Cocoa glaze for cakes made with chocolate cake mix or pudding. For vanilla glaze, add 1Tbsp. dry vanilla powder(sold with the coffee flavorings)or just use the powdered sugar plain.

 

[jkath]

Here are some of my boutique recipes:

directions:
use 1-2 spoonfuls to one mug of hot water (or to desired taste)


TOFFEE COFFEE:
1 c. instant coffee
1 c. non dairy creamer
1-1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 scoop vanilla powder
mix in food processor or blender, till you have a fine powder.

ORANGE CAPPUCINO
1 c. instant coffee
2 c. nonfat dry milk
1-1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp dry orange peel
mix in food processor or blender, till you have a fine powder.


SWISS MOCHA
1 c. instant coffee
1 c. sugar
2 c. nonfat dry milk
4 tsp cocoa powder
mix in food processor or blender, till you have a fine powder.

VIENNESE COFFEE
1 c. instant coffee
1-1/3 c. sugar
1-1/3 c. nonfat dry mik
1-2 tsp cinnamon
mix in food processor or blender, till you have a fine powder.

GINGERBREAD COFFEE
1 c. instant coffee
1 c. dry creamer
1 c. nonfat dry milk
1 Tbsp cinnamon
12 shakes ginger
6 shakes nutmeg
(sorry about the shakes - that's how I think)
mix in food processor or blender, till you have a fine powder.

BUTTERUM CAFE AU LAIT
1 c dry creamer
1 c werthers candies (butterum hard candies), crushed
1/2 c powdered sugar
4 c non fat dry milk
1-1/3 c instant coffee

HOT CHOCOLATE
2 c. nonfat dry milk
2 c. dry creamer
2 c. sugar
1 c. unsweetened cocoa
mix in food processor or blender, till you have a fine powder.

BLACK FOREST COCOA
add cherry kool-aid to hot chocolate mix.
mix in food processor or blender, till you have a fine powder.

RASPBERRY MOCHA
add raspberry kool-aid and a bit of instant coffee.
mix in food processor or blender, till you have a fine powder.


I think I made these 3 years ago, and got all needed supplies at Costco.
At the time (from my notes) each bag, which held 2 cups of mix, cost me approximately $1.65, before the cost of baggies, fabric & raffia.

Good luck!

 

[buckytom]

a little off topic, but:

my wife and i are fans of breads and dipping oils, so in years past we made baskets of a few oils, along with flatbreads, breadsticks, and maybe a dip.
the oils included hot chili peppers, multicolor peppercorns, rosemary, garlic, and sage. we bottle them seperately in small portions in little fancy corked flasks, and include a couple of small dipping bowls. you can get the flasks and bowls at places like pier one and other crafty stores.

 

[jkath]

BuckyTom -
mind sharing some of your favorite dipping oil recipes?
(I love 'em too - it would be nice to make rather than buy!)

 

[Yakuta]

jkath these sound wonderful. I am going to print them out and keep them handy.

I wonder how you came up with these and all the yummy names.

Thanks a million for sharing.

 

[mudbug]

PuhleeeeEEZZZZ, all of you, put me on your Christmas lists!

 

[southerncook]

I have some recipes for cakes in a jar...you literally bake and seal them in a wide mouth jar, then the recipient just takes it off the shelf and pops it on a plate...the brownies are really good, and when I made them, they never made it out of the house. The kids discovered them in the pantry and ate them all for after noon snacks. There WAS a site for them, I found the original at allrecipes.com

 

[marmalady]

Bucky, please be careful with the flavored oil recipes - they can be a real breeding ground for botulism. The ones we buy in the stores are all pasteurized, so they're okay, but if you're going to make them for gifts, keep them in the fridge and be sure to let folks know to use them with a week or so.

 

[debthecook]

I don't make it, but I saw a lovely jar of "soup mix", bottom layer ziti, then beans, dried tomatoes, all sorts of dried vegetebles in layers, very nice looking gift. I recently made Habanero Jelly, I'll be giving this out during Thanksgiving week.

 

[buckytom]

Bucky, please be careful with the flavored oil recipes - they can be a real breeding ground for botulism. The ones we buy in the stores are all pasteurized, so they're okay, but if you're going to make them for gifts, keep them in the fridge and be sure to let folks know to use them with a week or so.

oh, i am marmalady, thanks for the warning. i usually use dried herbs from the garden that are bathed in a light bleach solution then washed thoroughly, before being dehydrated in an excalibur dehydrator. and i sterilize the bottles first and then seal them with red wax. but i do tell everyone to keep em in the fridge and use asap. that's why i make small bottles, also cause i'm cheap .

jkath, no recipes really. i just put the particular herb or spice in the jar and fill with a good evoo. it's best to grind some of the herb/spices into a powder to help infuse the flavor faster. my favs is the multicolor peppercorns (be sure to crack some of the black ones), and cayenne oils. actually, i really like the thyme one too, on a good rustic flatbread.

 

[jkath]

PuhleeeeEEZZZZ, all of you, put me on your Christmas lists!

Me too! I want SouthernCook's Brownies!!!

 

[crewsk]

I am getting some great ideas for gifts for my sons teachers! Thank you all very much! Now I just have to decide what to make. :?