Give the Gift of Joy With a Quick Bread Mix

The act of gift giving originated centuries ago and continues today. Gift giving has become a common part of peoples’ everyday lives — from commemorating special occasions to expressing gratitude. Several cultures practice the thoughtful gesture, and it brings people from different backgrounds together.

Gift giving allows individuals to connect with one another. Gift giving is a year-round tradition that provides joy for the giver and the recipient. Spread the joy 365 days a year with a simple, thoughtful and homemade Quick Bread Mix. Give it as a birthday, anniversary, thank you or holiday gift.

Here are some ways to give the mix:

• In a May Day basket
• In Easter baskets as an activity that gets adults and children baking in the kitchen together
• As a random act of kindness to your neighbor, friend, co-worker or family
• As a way for people to connect with one another by sharing their baked good with others

Create your own recipe or use the following recipes for an easy, thoughtful and homemade gift idea. Cut out the recipe tag, place all dry ingredients in a jar and unleash your creative side when decorating the jar. Be sure to include a “use by” date on the recipe card.

For best quality, the mix should be used within about six months of when you assembled it, so write the
use by date on the blank line of the provided recipe card for six months in the future.

To use the mix, simply place the contents of the jar into a mixing bowl and combine with additional ingredients indicated on the recipe, then bake in an oven-safe bread loaf pan or muffin tins. These mixes should not be baked in the glass jar.

Key to Abbreviations:

• tsp. = teaspoon
• Tbsp. = tablespoon
• c. = cup
• oz. = ounce
• qt. = quart
• lb. = pounds
• g = grams
• mg = milligrams

Herb Quick Bread

2 c. all-purpose white flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 tsp. caraway seeds
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. dried thyme

Layer ingredients in a clean quart-sized jar. Cover the jar tightly with a lid, decorate and attach a copy of the recipe card.

Snickerdoodle Muffins (Muffadoodles)

1 c. sugar
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. cream of tartar
¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ c. all-purpose white flour
¾ c. whole-wheat flour

Muffin topping – 5 tsp. additional sugar and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon mixed together to sprinkle on top of muffins (½ tsp. per muffin), wrapped separately in jar

In a clean quart-sized jar, layer all ingredients except the 5 tsp. additional sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Place additional sugar cinnamon mixture in a small plastic bag and place on top of other ingredients.

Cover the jar tightly with a lid, decorate and attach a copy of the recipe card.

Cherry-Chocolate Scones

1½ c. all-purpose white flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ c. semisweet chocolate chips
½ c. dried cherries

Layer ingredients in a clean quart-sized jar. Cover the jar tightly with a lid, decorate and attach a copy of the recipe card.

Peanut Butter Bread

1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1¼ c. all-purpose white flour
¾ c. whole-wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt

Layer ingredients in a clean quart-sized jar.

Cover the jar tightly with a lid, decorate and attach a copy of the recipe card.

Photo Credit:

NDSU Photo

Herb Quick Bread

Herb Quick Bread

• 1 jar Herb Quick Bread mix
• Additional ingredients:
  • 1 egg
  • 1 c. fat-free milk
  • 1/3 c. canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the white and whole-wheat flour, baking powder, caraway seeds, salt, ground nutmeg and dried thyme. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk and oil. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Place mixture in a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan; remove from pan and place on a wire cooling rack.

Makes 16 servings. Each serving has 140 calories, 5 g fat, 4 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber and 180 mg sodium.

• For best quality, use by _______________

Snickerdoodle Muffins (Muffadoodles)

• 1 jar Snickerdoodle Muffin mix
• Additional ingredients:
  • 1 c. (2 sticks) margarine
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1¼ c. Greek yogurt (plain, nonfat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients (margarine, Greek yogurt, eggs and vanilla) in one bowl. Combine dry ingredients (sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, all-purpose white flour and whole-wheat flour) in a separate bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until dry ingredients are well mixed. Make sure not to overmix muffins; the batter may be lumpy. Scoop muffin batter into muffin tins until the batter fills roughly three-fourths of the muffin tin. Stir together additional sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle ½ tsp. on each muffin. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until they are golden brown. Enjoy!

Makes approximately 12 servings (one muffin each). Each serving has 180 calories, 9 g fat, 3 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber and 130 mg sodium.

• For best quality, use by _____________

Photo Credit:

NDSU Photo

Cherry-Chocolate Scones

Cherry-Chocolate Scones

• 1 jar Cherry-Chocolate Scone mix
• Additional ingredients:
  • 1¾ c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, chocolate chips and dried cherries together in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add in the heavy cream. Mix until all dry ingredients are combined. Form into a large circle and flatten.
Cut into 10 pieces and bake for 16 to 20 minutes.

Makes 10 servings. Each serving contains 320 calories, 18 g fat, 5 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber and 390 mg sodium.

• For best quality, use by _______________

Photo Credit:

NDSU Photo

Peanut Butter Bread

• 1 jar Peanut Butter Bread mix
• Additional ingredients:
  • 1 c. creamy peanut butter (not natural)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ c. nonfat milk
  • ½ c. plain Greek yogurt, nonfat
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, white and whole-wheat flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, eggs, milk, Greek yogurt and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, gently folding ingredients together. Mix just until combined; the batter may be lumpy. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 48 to 52 minutes. Check bread 10 to 15 minutes before the timer goes off, and if the bread is browning too much, place aluminum foil on top and continue baking for duration of time. Allow bread to cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and place on cooling rack.

Makes 16 servings. Each serving contains 200 calories, 9 g fat, 7 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber and 210 mg sodium.

• For best quality, use by _____________