I think it’s probably a common American experience, to grow up thinking that all baked goods come from a box, from the freezer section, or the bakery aisle of the grocery store. Perhaps it’s just us folks in our late 30’s and 40’s, but all the kids I grew up with had the same experience.
Someone else did the baking. We opened boxes and bags.
It wasn’t until I went to college that I realized that making baked goods from scratch were better and more importantly, cheaper than the commercial alternatives.
Make homemade baking mixes.
Once I became a parent, I started making my baking mixes in bulk and storing them to use over the coming weeks. Nowadays, mixes are a pretty foreign concept to my kids.
Baking mixes are very easy to make yourself. Label a bag or jar with the wet ingredients list and baking instructions. Fill it with the dry ingredients. Seal and store until you’re ready to use.
That was pretty easy, wasn’t it? Check out our favorite recipes to make into mixes:
This is part of the DIY Convenience Foods series.
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Janet says
I vacillate between paying for convenience and doing it myself. I cannot remember the last time I purchased a spice mix. I save my empty spice jars and re-label and use them for my spice mixes. On the other hand, I often purchase muffin mixes when they are on sale and I have a coupon. I will not pay more than 25 cents. Likewise, I will not pay the extra cost for shredded carrots, but will purchase shredded cheese when it is on sale for a low price. I make my own salads. I do not like the taste and will not eat bagged salads. It really comes down to a combination of which cooking tasks I do and do not enjoy, the cost difference of doing it myself and differences in taste.
Sarah @ Economist at Home says
I love this idea. Every time I make muffins I think about the effort I’m duplicating by not having a huge batch of dry ingredients pre-mixed and waiting for me.
Have you ever tried making the muffin mix using whole wheat flour for half or more of the flour called for? If so, does it need extra wet ingredients to keep it moist? Just wondering if you’ve tried it. Thanks!
Jessica Fisher says
I’m pretty sure the muffin mix if half ww pastry flour…
Katha Pierce Horton says
There are only 2 of us and we don’t like to cook and freeze (who knows when they would surface in the freezer again). Any suggestions for preparing 2-4 muffins from the mix?
Jessica Fisher says
The best I could suggest would be to half the batch. You’d get six large muffins that way. Maybe share with friends?