Originally Posted by
CM
You've probably made your own biscuit mixes at one time or another if you were on a budget.
This idea is somewhat different, in that you prepare a number of mixes at once for a favorite cake or brownie, etc., recipe that you prepare often.
Set out a few Ziploc bags or canning jars (I usually use about 5 or 6 at once). The next time you're making brownies or a cake, measure into your bowl as you normally would, but at the same time measure the same amount of each dry ingredient into the jar or bag.
When you're done, print out a copy of the recipe you're using and circle the ingredients you've added to the jar. Seal the jar and put it on the shelf with the recipe held onto the jar with an elastic.
You can also add Crisco to the dry ingredients to eliminate another step (but not butter). If you're not adding Crisco, and you're sticking strictly with dry ingredients, you can also add dry milk, or dried eggs to the mixture. You can buy dehydrated eggs on amazon or at honeyvillegrain.com.
When adding dry milk, add the amount you would need to make the measurement of the milk called for in your recipe. For example, if your non-fat dry milk powder box says you need 1/3 cup dry milk to make 1 cup (when added to water) then add that amount to your mix.
When it comes to making up your brownies, add the liquid, the eggs (if you didn't add powdered eggs), etc. Bake as usual.
No measuring cups to wash, etc. and you'll be able to throw together your favorite baked goods with all the ease of using a store-bought mix. Assembling your own mixes in this way makes it easy for kids to prepare an afternoon snack without the mess. This is a wonderful method when doing assembly-line baking as you would when baking many small items for a bake sale or preparing many batches for freezer storage. Or cut a round of pretty fabric and tie a raffia bow around the jar top; attach the recipe as a fancy label and you're got a special gift for a friend.
Home made cake mixes vs. store-bought:
Remember that the reason that store-bought cake mixes are often more tender than ones you make at home is because the commercial mixes use cake flour (like Swans Down) in their mixes.
When all purpose flour is used to make a cake, you won't get the same light and tender results. The solution is to use cake flour! And when making cakes at home you can beat the egg whites to add to the lightness of the cake, which is something you can't get from a store-bought cake mix.
The next time you've got a few spare moments or are baking a favorite stand-by, you'll find that this easy make-a-mix method is a real budget and time saver!
--CM
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