Gormandize: Chilli Cornbread in a Jar (Edible Christmas Gifts)

December has arrived yet again and it's time to get seriously organised about Xmas! A bit of planning now can save you plenty of stress later, so let's talk about edible Xmas gifts. I make edible Xmas gifts every year. They're a win/win, because they work out cheaper for me and the person getting it doesn't risk getting something they don't actually want or need. They also work well if you're put in a position where you have to buy something for someone you don't actually know very well (teachers, neighbours, work colleagues, in laws, girlfriends/boyfriends that family members are bringing to Xmas, the cousins that you only ever see at Xmas). An edible gift means you don't risk cluttering up their lives/houses with something they don't want/need. It also means you don't risk wasting your money on something that they might just re-gift or throw out.

In the past I've done plenty of cupcakes and biscuits for people, which is lovely. But sometimes it's good to go a little bit healthier. Maybe your mum is trying to lose some weight, maybe your grandmother isn't in the best of health, maybe your cousin is diabetic or maybe you know that they all eat way too much junk anyway and they don't need more chocolate and biscuits. Or maybe, you just want to do something a bit different.

People who love chilli are great to buy for. You can always hand over a bottle of fancy chilli sauce or some home made chilli jam or chilli vodka and you know they'll be thrilled. If you have a chilli lover in your family or friends then this chilli cornbread is a great and unique gift! The jar contains all the dry ingredients for a hot chilli cornbread, with a tag attached explaining a simple recipe for cooking it up. They don't have to be a cooking enthusiast to make it, it's as easy as A, B, Chilli!

Here is what you'll need:

1 x empty 500ml jar with a lid
1 cup plain wholemeal flour
1/4 cup baking powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup polenta
1-3 tsp chilli flakes (depending on how hot they like it!)

You'll also want:
A funnel to get everything into the jar in neat layers
Cardboard tags or Xmas tags
Ribbons for decorating and tying the tag on.

Assembly...
Using a funnel, layer the ingredients into the jar. Start with the flour, then the baking powder, then the cayenne pepper and then the polenta. Add the flaked chilli on top so that they get a surprise when they open the jar (more chilli!). If you find that your jar is slightly bigger and not completely full, just add a bit more polenta to fill it up, it should work out fine.

Now: Here is what your label should say:

Chilli Cornbread
To Make:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Empty contents of jar into a large bowl.
3. Add 1 cup soy milk, 1/3 cup canola oil and 1/3 cup water. Mix.
4. Grease a loaf tin or small/medium baking dish. Pour in batter.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Eat!