DIY edible festive gifts

DIY Christmas cookie décor jar

The kids will absolutely love these jars!

More than 1 hour | Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (250g) softened butter
• 1 cup (250g) brown sugar
• 1¼ cup (310ml) maple-flavoured syrup or molasses 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence
•  5 cups (750g) cake flour
• 1 Tbsp (15ml) ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp (10ml) ground ginger
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tsp (5ml) each bicarbonate of soda and salt 
• ½ tsp (3ml) ground cloves

Extras:

• 1 large glass jar
• Sprinkles of your choice
• Small piping bag filled with icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C and line about 2 baking trays with baking paper
2. Cream butter, sugar and maple-flavoured syrup or molasses until pale and fluffy. 
3. Gradually whisk in eggs and vanilla essence. 
4. Combine cake flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
5. Whisk wet mixture into dry ingredients until it comes together to form a dough. 
6. Roll out to about 2cm thick and allow to rest in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. 
7. Cut out dough using a gingerbread man cookie cutter. 
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes and cool completely.
9. Fill a jar with 2-3 cookies, sprinkles of your choice and a small bag of icing sugar. 

Cookie Butter

Enjoy this decadent butter over flapjacks or waffles – and you can even bake with it!

Less than 30 minutes | Makes about 1 (500ml) jar

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (125ml) butter 
• ½ cup (125ml) condensed milk
• ¼ cup (60ml) evaporated milk 
• ½ packet (60 – 100g) each Oreo and shortbread cookies, crushed

Method:

1. Heat butter over medium heat until melted. 
2. Add condensed milk, evaporated milk and stir until well-combined. 
3. Mix crushed cookies with about ½ cup (125ml) of butter mixture. 
4. Gradually add more of the butter mixture to the crumbs until it is moist enough to hold together. (If it is still too thick at this stage, add a little water until desired consistency.) Spoon into a 500ml jar.
5. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Infusions Jar

A punchy kit of flavours. You can add your mix straight to the jar!

More than 1 hour | Makes 2 (350ml) jars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (250ml) each water and sugar 
• 2-3 variety Citrus, sliced (lemons, limes, grapefruit and oranges) 
• Cinnamon sticks
• Juniper berries
• Star anise 
• Black peppercorns

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 100°C.
2. Combine water and sugar and simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add citrus slices and simmer for another 5 minutes.
3. Remove citrus from syrup and spread evenly onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
4. Dehydrate in the oven for 40-60 minutes or until completely dry.
5. Divide cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, star anise, black peppercorns and the dehydrated citrus between two 350ml glass jars. 
6. Add to your favorite gin or vodka with a mixer (like tonic water).