This post is brought to you in partnership with our friends at Woolworths.
There is nothing like the feeling of receiving a Christmas Gift that has been hand made with love.
And these mason jar gifts are perfect – but we have a bit of a secret – we have cheats for all of them. So you can look like a crafty diva superstar, even if you are not craftily gifted.
Plus, with a couple of my Mason Jar Christmas Gifts, I’ve taken on Woolworths challenge to give the gift of fresh this Christmas – hoping it will inspire more Aussies to the same and show support for our growers. Look out for the Christmas Berry Cherry Fruit Salad and Fresh Veggie and Hummus Nibble Jar below.
You can pick up Mason Jars from the kitchen section of your local Woolworths Supermarket or you can upcycle any glass jar condiments you buy – just wash them really well (even better, put them through the dishwasher) and make sure they are totally dry and clean before using them.
1. Christmas Berry Cherry Fruit Salad
The best thing about this time of year? The fruit! Oh I just love stone fruit – to me – it is what makes Christmas so special. Especially fresh mangoes – they really taste of Summer. And the cherries…. hmmmmmm
Perfect for:
Anyone and everyone that loves stone fruit!
What you will need:
A selection of fresh seasonal fruit – we got ours from Woolies. For this I used:
- Mangoes
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Kiwifruit
- Cherries
- Strawberries
Cut all the fruit into uniform sized pieces, and stack them straight into the clean mason jars and refrigerate. Make sure you give the gift on the day you make it as fresh is best! If you like, add some toasted muesli or coconut yogurt to make it extra special – but I like the fruit to shine on its own!
2. Funfetti Whipped Fruit Mince Pie in a Jar
Funfetti is just damn delightful. If you haven’t heard of it – it is all rainbow colours mixed together. Although for this recipe, I just used ivory and pink. It is bright, fun and very pretty – perfect for those who love unicorns! Although simple, this gift is really thoughtful and serve it with a fork so the person you are gifting it to can open up the mason jar and get stuck into it right away! Just a note though – make sure you get a big enough mason jar to fit the fruit mince pie in – something I wished I’d done before embarking on this recipe!
Perfect for:
- That little old lady next door
- A friend that needs cheering up during the Silly Season
- A little girl or boy that loves all things unicorns
- A school or kindy Mum
What you will need:
- A packet of Woolworths Fruit Mince Pies (we used the Summer Berry Fruit Mince Pies – they are just a lovely variation on the traditional version)
- A short mason jar
- A tub of pre-made icing (or use the recipe below for mock cream icing)
Pop the Fruit Mince Pie in the mason jar first (again – a problem I wish I’d known about before starting!). Then place your icing or two different coloured icings into a piping bag side by side (this allows for the ‘Funfetti Rainbow Effect’. Carefully pipe the Fruit Mince Pie through the open mason jar. Once you have finished, decorate with some sprinkles and then pop the gift in the fridge so that the icing remains firm.
Grab some of those tiny forks (I got mine from Woolworths) and tie it with twine – and gift away! They last in the fridge for ages if they are sealed well.
If you want to make your own Mock Cream icing at home – here is a recipe.
3. Salted Caramel Christmas Pudding Parfait in a Jar
Woolworths releases brand new Christmas Pudding flavours every year, as well as all the traditional favourites. My personal favourite is the Salted Caramel Christmas Pudding, but because my husband is gluten intolerant, we buy the Woolworths Free From Gluten Fruit Pudding – which is just as delicious!
Perfect for:
- The woman who has everything
- Anyone with a sweet tooth.
What you will need:
One of the following Christmas Puddings from Woolworths:
- Woolworths Matured Fruit & Cognac Christmas Pudding (700 grams)
- Woolworths Salted Caramel Sponge Pudding (500 grams)
- Woolworths Rich Chocolate Pudding (500 grams)
- Woolworths Gold Mocha Espresso Martini Pudding (500 grams)
- Woolworths Gold Panettone and Orange Pudding (700 grams)
and the Gluten-Free Christmas Puddings:
- Woolworths Free From Gluten Chocolate Sponge Pudding (110 grams)
- Woolworths Free From Gluten Fruit Pudding (400 grams)
- Chocolate Buds
- Vanilla Mock Cream
To Make:
Open up the Salted Caramel Pudding and use a fork to break apart the pudding into crumbs. Grab large spoonfuls of the mixture and place into the bottom of the mason jar. Top with a teaspoon of chocolate buds, and using a piping kit, pipe in some of the vanilla frosting. Add another layer of the pudding, and keep stacking in this fashion until you reach the top. Pop the lid on and refrigerate until gifted!
Add a spoon or fork so that it can be enjoyed right away! I ate this very one and I can say it was DELICIOUS!
4. Fresh Veggie and Hummus Nibble Jar
This is the sort of gift that needs to be eaten right away – but it is pretty, healthy and damn delicious!
Perfect for:
- A teacher gift
- The ‘I snack at work’ person (aren’t we all!)
- The busy Mum or Dad
What you will need:
- A yellow capsicum
- A green capsicum
- A red capsicum
- A carrot
- Fresh broccoli
- Fresh hummus
- Pesto
Spoon the hummus into the bottom of the jar. Add the pesto on top (or leave it out – up to you!). Wash all the fresh produce well and cut into long strips. Cut the broccoli into small bite-sized florets. Stack the veggies into the jar – seal – and refrigerate until gifting!
5. Lemon Meringue Pie in a Jar
I do love a good Lemon Meringue Pie (and make quite a mean one myself can I just say!)….but putting one in a mason jar? Sooooo much easier to do and makes for a spectacular gift!
Perfect for:
- Everyone! I mean, who doesn’t love a good Lemon Meringue Pie!
What you will need:
- 1 premade jar of Lemon Curd
- 3 shortbread biscuits
- 1 teaspoon of melted butter
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
To make:
- Make the biscuit base first – just crush the biscuits and add the melted butter. Then use a spoon to press the biscuit base into the bottom of a large mason jar. Use the back of a spoon to press it into place.
- Next, pour in the premade lemon curd.
- To make the meringue, beat the caster sugar and egg whites together until peaks form. Add the cream of tartar (this just gives the meringue a bit of ‘stiffness’). Spoon the meringue onto the top of the lemon curd. Use a kitchen blow torch to very gently brown and caramelise the meringue.
- Place in the fridge. Try and make and deliver this gift on the same day!
2020 has been hard and I can’t wait for Christmas this year..my favourite time of year!
