With Halloween out of the way, it's not too early to start planning for the holidays is it? Yes. The answer is obviously yes. You're probably still enjoying the occasional 75 degree picnic at the park and iced tea. I hear you - just bear with me. This isn't like that time your town lined the main drag with holiday lights and tinsel the day after Halloween. Except, okay, it absolutely is, but there's a good reason!
Alanna and I will be demoing how to make this brownie mix gift in a jar and a cookie mix layered jar gift at a pre-holiday event the new Walnut Creek Anthropologie THIS Thursday, November 10th from 6-8pm.
I'm bringing these brownies and Alanna will be selling autographed copies of her cookbook with cookies! There will be lots of other holiday cheer - with the host, Leslie from Spotted SF, taking photos, Elsie Green doing floral arrangements, and styling from A Fabulous Challenge. You'll also have a chance to win these baking gift jars with some other prizes.
So basically: you should stop by - all the cool kids are doing it.
Alanna and I are also celebrating our two year friendiversary. You know what's about 100x better than spending a day baking? Doing so with a friend. I feel pretty blessed this year that I've gotten to spend so much of my time in the kitchen with Alanna as my job. Pinch me.
Folks keep asking us how we met and the truth is, our friendship almost didn't happen because I was too nervous. We'd been following each other's blogs for awhile when I attended a pop-up dinner Alanna was hosting, super anxious/excited/giddy to meet her - THE Bojon Gourmet. I didn't want to seem over eager though (obviously), so I played it cool.
Too cool. Ice cold. According to Alanna, she left that night thinking, "gosh, I guess Sarah really isn't interested in meeting me."
It wasn't until a few weeks later when we ran into each other at another event and I showed her a video of me playing my orange cat like a bagpipe that I let my true colors show. Catpipes sealed the deal and we've been buddies ever since. Thank god for cats.
If you're not a cat person or you don't have a dorky cat video in your bag of tricks, another great way to woo your friends is to give them this gluten-free hazelnut dark chocolate brownie mix in a jar. Here are four reasons why it makes the perfect gift:
Argument 1: People have lots of desserts over the holidays, why risk giving them a plateful of brownies on the very same day they just baked a loaf of pumpkin bread only to have them go to waste?
Argument 2: You know that saying "give a (wo)man a fish and you feed (her)him for a day; teach a (wo)man to fish and you feed (her)him for a lifetime"? Well this little jar is a forced lesson in brownie making. Your friend will never go hungry again. Also maybe they'll let you bake the brownies together and you, too, can have your very own baking buddy like Alanna.
Argument 3: They're gluten-free but no one will ever taste the difference. Cross my heart.
Argument 4: Brownies are awesome. Who doesn't love a good crackly-topped, chewy, dark chocolate brownie that's got the perfect balance between cakey and fudgy and is studded with roasted hazelnuts? Think nutella in brownie form.
Also, if you really want to make good friends over the holidays, check out Alanna's Gluten-Free Oatmeal Teff Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Gift in a Jar and make both!
Hope to see you Thursday!
Gluten-Free Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix Gift in a Jar
Ingredients
For the Brownie Mix
- 6 tablespoons sweet rice flour (different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour")
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons hazelnut flour
- ¾ cup high-quality dutch-processed cocoa powder (I use Rodelle Organic Baking Cocoa
- 1½ teaspoons espresso powder
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ounces chopped dark chocolate
- Approximately 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, roasted
- Need: 1 quart-sized mason jar
Add-ins
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Brownie Mix
- Combine the sweet rice flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Use a wide-mouthed funnel to pour the mixture as the first layer in the quart-sized mason jar (1L). Tip: If you don’t have a wide-mouthed funnel, roll & tape a piece of paper into a funnel with an opening just slightly smaller than the jar). If you get any flour on the sides as you’re pouring, use a paper towel to wipe the inside edges before adding another layer.
- Use the funnel to pour the hazelnut meal as the 2nd layer, cocoa powder and espresso powder as the 3rd layer, and the sugar as the 4th layer. Use a drink muddler to pack the flour and sugar down.
- Fill the remaining jar with 2 ounces chopped chocolate and about 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, pressing down to squeeze in as many hazelnut will pack into the jar.
- Seal and attach the following directions to the jar.
Printed Directions for Tag
- Brown ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Mix contents of jar with cooled browned butter, 3 large eggs, & 1½ teaspoons vanilla. Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Let cool & enjoy!
Thanks for reading Snixy Kitchen! To stay up on what’s coming out of my kitchen, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bloglovin‘, Pinterest, or subscribe via e-mail to get new recipes right to your inbox.
Tori//Gringalicious -
Oh, yes!!!!! This is one of the best gift ideas I can imagine. Like, who wouldn't love brownie mix!!!! Thanks for sharing!
Joyce @ Sun Diego Eats -
A) Allllll about this brownie mix, specially with the sea salt and hazelnuts !
B) HOW COULD ANYONE SAY NO TO CATPIPES!!! Anyone who is not thoroughly charmed by catpipes is not worth being friends with at all. Period.
Sarah Menanix -
100% agree;)
Alanna -
Omg, I died laughing reading this post. Thank god for cats indeed! (Or as cats would say, Thank cats for cats!) I'm so grateful everyday that I have you as my office spouse, and not just because you feed me these DIVINE brownies. I love their chewy texture and super hazelnutty flavor - brownie perfection. I'm looking forward to giving these as gifts to my whole family this year. Thanks for being my baking buddy! <3
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life -
Yes for dorky friend stories! My bestie and I met on our first day at university. We were both so shy that we just sat next to each other to avoid everyone else. Ten years later and we are like sisters :)
And she's going to love these brownies. Knowing her though I'm going to have to drop off a plate of the baked brownies and a jar of the mix. She's a chocolate lover for sure :)
Have fun at your Anthro night!
Aysegul D Sanford -
I am so glad that you guys met, because thanks to you guys we are all learning gluten-free baking. :) These gifts are no different. What a great gift idea!
I wish I could come see you guys.. Best of luck.
Cheers!
Carla -
YOU GUYS ARE THE CUTEST. I can't wait to see you both tonight! Bring me brownies. K, thanks, bye.
Conni -
It was such a pleasure to meet you tonight! The brownies were a.ma.zing! Thanks for sharing your tips on making a beautiful brownie jar to give as a gift. Everyone is getting jars for Christmas this year.
Sarah Menanix -
It was SO great to meet you!! Thank you so much for being the best audience/fan/friend at the pop-up tonight! (Guess what all my friends are getting for Christmas this year too;). Hope to see you again!! <3
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado -
Food gifts are the best gifts! I always wanted to make my own brownie mix to give as gifts, so this recipe is the answer to my prayers!
Ellie | from scratch, mostly -
Slaps the keyboard obnoxiously***. Hahahaa you're too much, Sarah! Love this post and of course, your humor in it. I love your true colors and I can't wait to hopefully someday get to see them in real life!!! That sounds like such a fun event too. Why don't you girls just move down to LA????
Amisha -
You both are hilarious and super cute! You both are such a great team together and am so happy to see all your work together! and that you both bonded over cats haha! Cat ladies win :) Well done on the demos, and all the baking on kitchenaid too :) These brownies look ultra decadent and I sooo want to dig into them! Beautiful post and pics!
Anita Sabados -
I made this with 1 cup of sugar and 1/2cup butter and it was definitely sweet enough and moist enough. Tasty!