Recipe - Gingerbread Baked In Jars

2 One fourth cup Allpurpose flour
Three fourths cup Granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Baking soda
One half teaspoon Baking powder
One fourth teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Ground ginger
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
One half teaspoon Ground cloves
Three fourths cup Margarine, softened
Three fourths cup Water
One half cup Molasses

Preheat oven to 325degrees (NO higher).

Sterilize 5 (12 oz) Ball Quilted Crystal (#1440081400) jam/jelly canning
jars, lids and rings by boiling them for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from
the water and allow them to airdry on your counter top; leave the lids and
rings in the hot water until you're ready to use them.

Once the jars are cool enough to handle, use a pastry brush to grease
them with shortening (DO NOT use butter, margarine, PAM or Baker's Secret);
set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt,
ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Stir in margarine, water and molasses until
well blended. Divide batter among the 5 jars (they should be about 1/2
full). Place jars onto a cookie sheet or they'll tip over.

Bake in preheated 325degree oven for 35 minutes or until cake tester
inserted in center comes out clean. Move the jars around in the oven while
they're baking, so they'll bake evenly.

Have your HOT lids ready. Using HEAVYDUTY MITTS (the jars ARE HOT!) Take
one jar at a time from the oven and place a lid on, then the ring. Tightly
screw on lidsdo it FAST because the lid gets REAL hot! Allow jars to cool
on your countertop.

Once the jars are cool, decorate with round pieces of cloth. Unscrew the
ring (the lid should be sealed by now) and place a few cotton balls or a
wad of batting on top of the lid (makes it poofy on top), then a piece of
cloth (about 3" larger than the lid) on top and screw the ring back on.
Decorate as desired. I used pinking shears to cut the cloth rounds out,
otherwise some material will start to unravel. A hot glue gun is
INVALUABLEglue on dried flowers, bows, ribbons, etc.

Posted in COOKING by: Sandee Eveland 8/31/93

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini