Spiced Shortbread Cookies Mix in a Jar

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Stir flour, salt and spices together in mixing bowl. Transfer mixture to a 1 quart wide-mouth jar.
2. Place sugar into small plastic zip-type bag and seal. Add bag to jar. Seal jar.
3. Decorate jar, and attach the following recipe on a gift tag:

Spiced Shortbread Cookies

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 jar Spiced Shortbread Cookies Mix

Beat butter on medium high speed in large mixing bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar from jar mix and cream together well.

Add flour mixture from jar mix in three batches, blending well after each addition.

Sprinkle bottom of 9 x 13-inch baking pan with flour. Transfer dough to pan. Using fingertips, press dough evenly into pan. With a ruler score dough into 1 1/4 x 2 1/8 inch bars. Pierce each bar on diagonal with fork in two places. Cover pan with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower thirds of oven. Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. Cut through score lines of bars. Transfer bars to baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between bars.

Bake for 15 minutes. Switch baking sheets on racks. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until cookies are pale and set.

Cool on racks. Store in airtight container between sheets of wax paper at cool room temperature for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage.

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen