One of the finest treats in the entire world is a fresh baked cookie. Keeping that in mind, it is no wonder that you are looking for great cookie gift ideas. Here is an idea that will bring your recipient fresh baked warm cookies for the special occasion and even on the hottest summer day, will not heat up your kitchen.

Jar cookie gifts are made by placing all the dry ingredients for your favorite cookies in a canning jar. Typically, a quart jar is required for gift cookies.

You will want a recipe that has a total dry ingredient volume of about four cups. You can ignore the volume of the ingredients such as baking soda, salt or spices. If the recipe does not quite add up to four cups, but includes brown sugar, add the brown sugar last. It can be packed and form a plug that keeps the other layers in place until the gift is opened.

Recipes with multi-colored ingredients work best for these types of gifts. Sugar cookies, for example would not work well since all the dry ingredients are white.

There are so many occasions throughout the year for gift giving, besides the regular holiday events. Birthdays, congratulatory events, a friend recovering from illness, a thank you to a party host, or even a just-because are all occasions in which you can demonstrate thoughtfulness. Cookie gift baskets are perfect for any of these events. It’s a fun way to say thanks or I-love-you, is easy on the budget and doesn’t take much time at all.

If you’re not into baking, you can just pick up a nice assortment at the bakery and fill up your basket. If you enjoy baking, you can whip up some cookies and bars in just a couple of hours. The cookie gift basket idea works even for diabetics! All you do is use Splenda(TM), which tastes just like sugar. Visit the Splenda(TM) website for plenty of suitable recipes. Use whole grain flours, oats and other grains which are in the complex carbohydrate category. Avoid dried fruits, as these aren’t on a diabetic patient’s allowed list of foods. You can make chocolate icing with plain unsweetened cocoa and the Splenda(TM) product. Here, it’s also a nice touch to include the recipes, making it easy for your cookie gift basket recipient to reproduce your product of love.