Texas Cornbread Mix In A Jar

Ingredients

• 12 wide-mouth pint (2-cup) canning jars with lids and rings
• 1/2 yard print cotton fabric
• 1 round (6 yards) craft ribbon (for jars)?
• OR
• 12 holiday-colored paper lunch sacks
• 12 quart-sized zipper food storage bags
• 4 yards 1"-wide holiday craft ribbon (for bags)
• for 1 jar:
• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• for 12 jars:
• 12 cups yellow corn meal
• 12 cups sifted flour
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 16 tablespoons baking powder
• 3 pieces cardstock (for free printable gift tags)

Directions

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all dry ingredients.
To package in jars. Wash, rinse and dry canning jars, lids and bands.
Packaging note: pre-mix ingredients thoroughly before filling wide-mouth pint canning jars with 2 cups each of the finished mix. Mixing ingredients permits the finer flour granules to fill spaces between the cornmeal, and allows a single recipe to fit inside a pint jar. Layering ingredients for this recipe will require larger jars.
Place two cups Texas cornbread mix in each wide-mouth pint canning jar.
[Hint for FoodSaver brand vacuum sealer owners: use the jar sealing attachment to seal jars for longer storage.]
Cut twelve 7-inch circles from cotton fabric. Top each jar with fabric circle, and tie with ribbon.
Print three copies of Texas Cornbread Mix gift tag with recipe instructions. Cut gift tags apart and attach to ribbon.
Makes 12 gift jars.
To package in bags: Place 2 cups cornbread mix in each zipper food storage bag. Seal bags.
Place bagged mix inside holiday-colored paper bag. Fold down paper bag top, and tape or staple closed.
Cut 12-inch lengths of craft ribbon. Tape craft ribbon around paper bag.
Print three copies of gift tag page with recipe instructions. Cut gift tags apart and attach to ribbon and paper bag using double tape, glue or staple.
Makes 12 gift bags.
Recipe Instructions (included on gift tag):
1 container (2 cups) Texas Cornbread Mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup soft shortening (Crisco)
Preheat oven to 425. Grease one 8-inch square pan, or 8-inch cast iron skillet, or cast iron cornbread mold.
Place cornbread mix into bowl, mix thoroughly. Add egg, milk and shortening. Hand-beat until smooth, about one minute. DO NOT OVERBEAT!
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for pan or skillet, 15 to 20 minutes for cornbread mold.