Eggnog Loaves in a Jar

These loaves are baked right in mason jars! How cool is that?

2 eggs
1  1/2 cups eggnog
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2  1/4 cup flour
1 - 4 serving size box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg

8-10 - 1/2 pint mason jars (straight sides, not going in at the neck)

Sift flour, pudding mix, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together in a large bowl.

Mix the eggs, eggnog, sugar, vanilla and butter together in another. If your butter is not at room temperature here's a trick...fill a cup or bowl with boiling water for 3 minutes. Empty it then turn it over to cover the butter for 10 minutes and you will have room temperature butter.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. The butter will still be a bit lumpy and the batter is quite thick. Spoon into greased 1/2 pint mason jars. Fill only halfway. Make sure rims are clean.

Place jars directly on rack in a 325 F oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. If you find the jars to be tippy on the rack, simply place a cooling rack on the oven racks to add stability while baking.

Once the loaves are baked, wipe the rims clean again and while loaves are still hot place hot sterilized lids on and close just to finger tip tight. They will seal in about 5 minutes. Listen for the POP!

On reading about baking in jars I found out that you can store these on the shelf for one year!?! I'm not sure if this is true and besides cake won't last on my shelf that long.

This loaf pictured below was used 2 weeks after baking and it was perfect. Just run a knife around the inside of the jar and shake the cake out onto a plate.

Think I might try Banana Bread in a Jar next!