Ready-made mixes: Homemade goodness made simple, one jar at a time.
Welcome to the 4th post in my ready-made mix series! Right off, I'd like to say, you've probably noticed that this mix doesn't look the same as the others in this series! That's because I made these jars of cookie mix with my farm girl sister friends a while back as gifts to give away. Yet they're totally a ready-made mix in a jar, so they fit perfectly into this series. But, if you're not into the decorating and layering--no problem. Just mix everything in a bowl and place it in the jar as usual. At the bottom of this post, you can choose either my regularly offered blue and red labels, or the special giftable label you see above. Either way, you won't want to skip this mix, it makes amazing cookies!
An adaptation of the popular Cowboy/Cowgirl cookies, these nutty, chocolaty cookies kick it up with extra-special farm girl flare! Crunchy yet chewy, and full of melt-in-your-mouth toffee-like flavor and buttery crunch, this mix is worth keeping in your pantry. Yet, it's also perfect as a last minute gift idea!
Are you ready to make a mix that is as good to look at in the jar as the tasty cookies inside? I'm going to show you how to whip these up like you see here, but if you're inclined to simply make the mix the way you would the others (not layered), it's all the same in the end (it all ends up as cookie dough)! Whichever you choose, come on in, grab an apron, and let' get started!
How to make the mix
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup M & M candies (we used red)
1/2 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
To layer each independent ingredient into a jar, you'll need to use a tamping tool. This will help make the layers neat, as well as make everything fit into the jar. If you're mixing everything together in a bowl first (like any other mix in this series), you'll still need the tamping tool to make it all fit.
How to layer the mix into a quart-size jar
Layer 1: Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine them together first in a small bowl, then use a canning funnel to place the flour mixture into the jar. Tamp it down with the tamping tool.
Layer 2: Next, place the oats in on top of the flour layer and tamp it down.
Layer 3: Then goes the M & M candies. No need to tamp these.
Layer 4: Now put in the chocolate chips. Again, no need to tamp these.
Layer 5: The brown sugar is next. Be sure to put the brown sugar in before the white. The white sugar will tend to slip down like sand into the other layers, and the brown sugar helps create a barrier. Tamp the brown sugar down.
Layer 6: Now place the white sugar.
Layer 7: Finally, the chopped pecans go on top. Tamp them down. And you're done! (Except for the labeling and decorating, that is).
To create a giftable jar of cookie mix, you'll need the following supplies:
1. A smooth surface quart-size canning jar for each mix: You can click the link to Amazon.com for 2 flats of jars, or you can sometimes find these in craft stores. (Affiliate link leads to a set of 12 smooth surface jars for easy labeling, though the description on Amazon.com seems to be for only 1 jar).
2. Paper lace tags to go behind the farmgirl cookies label: We found these at Michael's Crafts. They're by Martha Stewart.
3. A 2-inch circular paper punch. When you print the farmgirl cookies labels, you'll use the punch to cut them out.
4. Cloth cut into 5 1/2 inch squares. We cut the edges of ours with pinking sheers.
5. Thin ribbon to tie the cloth on.
6. Enough farmgirl cookies labels and instruction labels for each jar. You'll find the link for these at the bottom of this post, along with the standard labels that are included with each mix in this series.
7. Double-sided scotch tape to affix the labels, or you can use this sticker paper.
Once you have your mix layered into a jar, place a lid and ring on the jar. Place the circular instruction label on top of the lid after the ring in screwed on. Then place the cloth over everything and tie it on with the ribbon. Print your labels from the link below and use the 2-inch punch to quickly cut them out. Stick them on with the double-sided tape, and you're done! How cute, right?!
How to use the mix
To make the cookies, you'll need to gather the following ingredients:
1 jar of homemade Farmgirl Cookie Mix
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, very soft
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, place the contents from the jar of cookie mix and stir them together to combine. Form a well in the center of the mix. Place the egg, butter, vanilla and heavy whipping cream in the well. Stir everything together, and if it seems too stiff, use clean hands to combine the mix into a softish dough. Form 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow finished cookies to cool on a wire rack before storing. Makes approximately 2.5 to 3 dozen cookies.
Adapted from: Bakerella
Now that's some serious cookie mix! Whether you make up a few mixes for your pantry, or as last minute gifts (or maybe to bake today :-), this recipe is a keeper!
FREE PRINTABLE LABELSDon't forget to label your ready-made mixes! Normally, each of my ready-made mix posts contains a link to a free downloadable page of 8 labels and baking instructions to attach to your homemade mixes. These are still available for you here if you prefer them for this mix, too. These labels are simple and easy to read, and done to look a bit retro (which I love) with their lettering and color scheme. You can print your labels onto white card-stock, cut them out, and use double-sided tape to stick them to your jars of mixes. Or, keep it super simple and print your labels onto this sticker paper by Avery. Just cut them out and stick them right to your jars.
If you want the farmgirl cookies labels, they're below. You'll notice the black circles look large. That's because there is some extra black so that when you center your punch to cut out the labels, you won't have any white around the edges (use the 2-inch punch and they'll be the right size--there's more instructions on the page of labels).
CLICK HERE to download the standard free labels for this series.
CLICK HERE to download the standard free instruction labels.
CLICK HERE to download the standard free instruction labels.
Don't forget! FREE PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD
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(You'll receive a PDF of a nearly 5X7 recipe card that will print out nice and clear!)
(To see all the recipe cards available on this blog, CLICK HERE.)
Until next time...
Joy--Fearless Farm Girl,
"Farm girl: it's a verb, because it's what you do."
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Can you use milk instead of cream?
ReplyDeleteYes, I think milk would work too, but maybe just a wee-bit less as milk is thinner. I'd start with 2 tablespoons, work it in and see if more is still needed to make a stiff dough.
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