BROWNIE JAR CAKES

BROWNIE JAR CAKES

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. unsweetened baking cocoa
½ tsp. baking soda
dash of salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine
¼ cup water
¼ cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp. good vanilla
¼ cup nuts, finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 325*. In a small bowl stir together flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a medium saucepan combine butter, water and cocoa; heat and stir until butter is melted and mixure is well blended. Remove from heat; stir in flour mixture. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla; beat by hand until smooth. Stir in nuts if used. Pour mixture into sterilized wide-mouth canning jars, filling no more than half full. Place jars on a cookie sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted deep into each cake comes out clean. Have hot lids ready. Take one jar out of the oven at a time and place a lid on, then tightly screw on ring. Repeat for remaining jars. Cool jars on a kitchen towel on countertop or a wire rack. Jars should seal and may be stored indefinitely. If one doesn't seal, use it immediately or refrigerate and use within a couple of days.

ZUCCHINI BREAD IN A JAR

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp. good vanilla
½ cups chopped nuts, ( optional)

Preheat oven to 325*. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg; set aside. Beat eggs until foamy. Add sugar, oil, zucchini and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture. Add nuts if used. Fill wide-mouth pint jars no more than half full and place on a cookie sheet. Bake about 35 minutes, checking after 25 minutes. When a pick comes out almost done, remove one at a time from oven and place a lid and ring on jar, then tighten. Repeat for remaining jars. Cool on a kitchen towel on countertop, or a wire rack. If a jar doesn't seal, use immediately or refrigerate and use within a few days. Keeps indefinitely.

PUMPKIN SPICE JAR CAKES

1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
16 oz. can pumpkin (not pie filling)

Preheat oven to 325*. Coarsely chop raisins and nuts and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, ginger and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add raisins and nuts; toss lightly to combine and set aside. In another large bowl beat eggs at high speed until thick and yellow, 2-3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar until thick and light. At low speed, beat in the oil and pumpkin; blend well. Gradually stir in by hand the flour mixture until well blended. Divide batter among 8 wide mouth pint canning jars. They should be slightly less than half full. Place jars on a cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until cakes test done. Have hot lids ready. Take one jar from the oven at a time and place a lid and ring on the jar and tighten. Repeat with the remaining jars. Cool on a kitchen towel on countertop or on wire racks. If a jar doesn't seal, use immediately or refrigerate and use within a few days. Keeps indefinitely.

APPLESAUCE JAR CAKES

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 cup shortening
2 2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups applesauce
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325*. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. Cream together the shortening and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and water. Blend the dry ingredients into the applesauce mixture. Fold in the nuts, if used. Fill sterilized, well-greased, wide mouth pint jars half full. Place jars on a cookie sheet and bake 35 minutes or until cakes test done. Have hot lids ready. Take one jar at a time from the oven, place a lid and ring on, then screw lid on tightly. Cool on a kitchen towel on the countertop, or on wire racks. If one doesn't seal, use immediately or refrigerate and use within a few days. Keeps indefinitely.


NOTE: I have made both the Pumpkin Spice and the Applesauce Jar cakes and they are both delicious. I haven't made the Zucchini Bread or Brownie Jar Cakes, but some friends have and they highly recommended them.