My brother, sister and I all have "twin" cousins. Meaning we are the same gender and same age. My sister's twin cousin also has a website redflycreations. I love her quality posts. You can read more about her on her website. She recently had a post on Mixes that I thought would be a wonderful compliment to our Meal Swaps and Once a Month Cooking. She is graciously sharing with us!!Take It Away, Melissa:
In my attempts to save money and streamline my meal planning I decided to investigate homemade baking mixes. I decided that I was going to invest the initial costs and see if it saved me money in the long run, hoping as well, that all the mixes once baked, tasted good.
I decided that I would invest $20 and purchase these containers at Walmart. I am very thankful I did. I believe they were each about $3. All but one of the mixes did not fit in the 1 gallon containers. The baking mix was about double. So, I put the remainder of the mix in a tupperware and stored it in the freezer.
Because these mixes were to put together to make baking quicker and easier, I decided to also print out the recipes for each one on these tags and hang them on the back of the mix jar. Then I would also have the recipe handy, and wouldn't have to take the time finding the recipe each time I wanted to use it.
Brownie Mix:
8 cups sugar
6 cups flour
2 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp salt
To Make:
(this is the recipe that is on the tag)
(just lightly mix the ingredients, if you beat them a lot it gets too much air in the eggs and gives more of a cake-like texture.)
2 1/4 cups brownie mix
2 eggs beaten
1/3 c melted butter
2 tsp vanilla
Pour into an 8x8 " pan. Bake for 30-35 min at 350*
All Purpose Quick Mix:
5 lbs flour (20 cups)
4 c. dry milk
3/4 cups baking powder
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar
5 cups vegetable shortening
(you should not use margarine or butter in substitution for the shortening unless you are going to refrigerate your mix)
To Make:
Biscuits3 cups quick mix
3/4-1 cup water
Bake for 10-12 min at 450*
Shortcake
3 cups quick mix
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup water
Bake 10-12 min at 450*
Coffee Cake
3 cups quick mix
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
(optional: add 1/2 cup sour cream to make it creamier)
Filling1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine quick mix and sugar. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Prepare filling by mixing dry ingredients then cut in the butter. Spread half of the cake mix, half of the filling, then the other half of the cake mix, then the other half of the filling in an 8x8 pan. I used a 2" deep pan and it filled the pan to the top. So, you could probably use a larger pan and the cake would be just a little thinner. Bake for 40-50 min. (mine was done in 30 min.)
The original recipe I found only had half the filling recipe and used it only in the middle. The coffee cake really needed some sweetness sprinkled on the top though. So I double the filling and sprinkled the other half on the top----much better!!
Homemade Tortilla Mix: (I just made half of this recipe)
16 cups flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp salt
1/2 cups shortening
To make:
2 cups of tortilla mix
1/2-3/4 cups of water
Divide dough into 15 little balls and cover with plastic wrap. Let them rise 10-15 min. Roll them out as thin as you can get them. Fry on a dry, hot griddle, about 2 min. on each side or until little brown spots begin to appear.
The consistency you are looking for in the dough is almost like play dough. If it is too crumbly they will not roll out well. That is why the water amount is so varied. Depending on the humidity of the day, you will need more or less.
Perfect Pancake/Waffle Mix:
6 cups flour
2 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp salt
To Make:
(this is the recipe that is on the tag)
(just lightly mix the ingredients, if you beat them a lot it gets too much air in the eggs and gives more of a cake-like texture.)
2 1/4 cups brownie mix
2 eggs beaten
1/3 c melted butter
2 tsp vanilla
Pour into an 8x8 " pan. Bake for 30-35 min at 350*
All Purpose Quick Mix:
5 lbs flour (20 cups)
4 c. dry milk
3/4 cups baking powder
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar
5 cups vegetable shortening
(you should not use margarine or butter in substitution for the shortening unless you are going to refrigerate your mix)
To Make:
Biscuits3 cups quick mix
3/4-1 cup water
Bake for 10-12 min at 450*
Shortcake
3 cups quick mix
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup water
Bake 10-12 min at 450*
Coffee Cake
3 cups quick mix
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
(optional: add 1/2 cup sour cream to make it creamier)
Filling1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine quick mix and sugar. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Prepare filling by mixing dry ingredients then cut in the butter. Spread half of the cake mix, half of the filling, then the other half of the cake mix, then the other half of the filling in an 8x8 pan. I used a 2" deep pan and it filled the pan to the top. So, you could probably use a larger pan and the cake would be just a little thinner. Bake for 40-50 min. (mine was done in 30 min.)
The original recipe I found only had half the filling recipe and used it only in the middle. The coffee cake really needed some sweetness sprinkled on the top though. So I double the filling and sprinkled the other half on the top----much better!!
Homemade Tortilla Mix: (I just made half of this recipe)
16 cups flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp salt
1/2 cups shortening
To make:
2 cups of tortilla mix
1/2-3/4 cups of water
Divide dough into 15 little balls and cover with plastic wrap. Let them rise 10-15 min. Roll them out as thin as you can get them. Fry on a dry, hot griddle, about 2 min. on each side or until little brown spots begin to appear.
The consistency you are looking for in the dough is almost like play dough. If it is too crumbly they will not roll out well. That is why the water amount is so varied. Depending on the humidity of the day, you will need more or less.
Perfect Pancake/Waffle Mix:
8 cups of unbleached flour
2 cups nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
To Make Pancakes
2 cups nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
To Make Pancakes
2 cups mix
1 3/4 cups of water or milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
To Make Waffles
2 1/2 cups of mix
2 cups of water
3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Corn Bread Mix:
1 egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
To Make Waffles
2 1/2 cups of mix
2 cups of water
3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Corn Bread Mix:
4 cups flour
4 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups dry milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking powder
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
To Make:
1 1/4 cups Cornbread Mix
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup water or milk (butter milk is even better!)
2 Tbsp oil
Pour into 8x8" pan. Bake 12-15 min at 425 *
Muffin Mix:
12 cups flour
4 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cup sugar
To Make Plain muffins
4 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups dry milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking powder
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
To Make:
1 1/4 cups Cornbread Mix
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup water or milk (butter milk is even better!)
2 Tbsp oil
Pour into 8x8" pan. Bake 12-15 min at 425 *
Muffin Mix:
12 cups flour
4 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cup sugar
To Make Plain muffins
2 3/4 cups mix
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
Bake 15-18 min at 400*
Optional Streusel Topping
Optional Streusel Topping
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
Cut the butter into the flour/brown sugar mix. Pour half of muffin mix into half of muffin cups. Sprinkle half of the streusel, then cover with the rest of the muffin mix, and finally top with the rest of the streusel.
To Make Blueberry Muffins
2 3/4 cups of muffin mix
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
Cut the butter into the flour/brown sugar mix. Pour half of muffin mix into half of muffin cups. Sprinkle half of the streusel, then cover with the rest of the muffin mix, and finally top with the rest of the streusel.
To Make Blueberry Muffins
2 3/4 cups of muffin mix
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp vanilla
Bake 15-18 min at 400*
The final cost:
The final cost:
$20 for the containers @ $3 each
$ 6.36 for the 20 lbs of flour
$2.38 for a large container of Baking Powder
$2.19 for 4lb sugar
$4.00 for shortening
All the other ingredients I already had on hand. Probably the most expensive item, if you don't already have it in your pantry, is the powdered milk.
So about $35 total. Only about $14 if you take out the containers. Not bad considering you have the equivalent of about:
8 brownie mixes
6 muffin mixes
8 cornbread mixes
5 pancake/waffle mixes
8 tortilla recipes that make at least 15 tortillas each
8-9 shortcake/biscuit/coffe cake mixes
So, let's say I spent a total of $20 (because of counting in the cost of the items I already had on hand) then it would be about $.46 a mix. Not bad!
How about you? What mixes have you used? Are there many that you continually make?
$ 6.36 for the 20 lbs of flour
$2.38 for a large container of Baking Powder
$2.19 for 4lb sugar
$4.00 for shortening
All the other ingredients I already had on hand. Probably the most expensive item, if you don't already have it in your pantry, is the powdered milk.
So about $35 total. Only about $14 if you take out the containers. Not bad considering you have the equivalent of about:
8 brownie mixes
6 muffin mixes
8 cornbread mixes
5 pancake/waffle mixes
8 tortilla recipes that make at least 15 tortillas each
8-9 shortcake/biscuit/coffe cake mixes
So, let's say I spent a total of $20 (because of counting in the cost of the items I already had on hand) then it would be about $.46 a mix. Not bad!
How about you? What mixes have you used? Are there many that you continually make?
Thanks for featuring my post!
ReplyDeleteMelissa
It's our pleasure, Melissa! :)
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