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An often overlooked benefit to home canning and food preservation is the amazing time savings it can provide later on.  In today’s show I talk about using our Mason jars to pre-mix ingredients needed for pancakes, chocolate chip cookies, and Irish soda bread (commonly referred to as scones).

When thinking of jams and pickles, time savings aren’t exactly high on our minds.  But there’s a lot of time to be saved when it comes to meals that can be safely home canned, including stews, soups, and meats.   I found that’s the exact same thing when it comes to pre-mixing dry ingredients for use later on!

Pre-mixing dry ingredients needed for such common items as pancakes and chocolate chip cookies offers an amazing time-saver later on.  I even include a recipe from my later Grandmother McGovern for making Irish Soda Bread, more commonly referred to as scones.
Even if not for yourself, imagine what a wonderful gift it would make to give someone a mason jar full of cookie mix topped with brightly colored M&M’s!

But why stop there?  In future episodes, I’ll come back to this theme as I set aside the mix for blueberry muffins, apple crisp, and anything else I think of.

Teddy Tyson’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

These dry ingredients fit perfectly into a 1 quart Mason jar.  Put them into the jar in the order listed.  You add the wet ingredients when you’re ready to make the actual cookies.  Do NOT add any wet ingredients (including butter) to the jar.  They won’t store safely.

• 2 1/2 cups flour (I use 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of sale
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• Fill the balance of the jar with chocolate chips and/or M&M’s – you can always add more later too if you want!

Note:  It’s important you put the brown sugar into the jar last.  That way you can easily dump out the chips / M&M’s first and put them aside while you mix the rest of the batter. 

When ready to make the cookies, here’s what you do.  In a bowl, mix the following –

• 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• John’s Touch (optional):  1 teaspoon almond extract.

Mix all the wet ingredients first.  Then slowly add the dry ones, being sure to evenly mix.  Lastly, fold in the chips.  Make the cookies, or cookie bars, as big as you want.  Back at 325 F for 10-12 minutes.

Optional:  You can add one egg if you’d like a fuller, more cake-like cookie.  I like both.

Grandmother McGovern’s Irish Soda Bread / Scone Recipe

In a 1-Quart Mason Jar, add the following dry ingredients.  You add the wet ingredients when you’re ready to make the the bread/scones.  Do NOT add any wet ingredients (including butter) to the jar.  They won’t store safely.

• 1 1/2 cups flour.  I use equal portion of all-purpose and whole wheat flour.
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup raisins
• Optional:  2-3 teaspoons caraway seeds

Note:  These dry ingredients will not fully fill a quart sized jar so don’t worry if they don’t.  It’s okay if you mix the raisins into the dry ingredients.  For better visual appeal while storing, or gifting, put the raisins into the jar last so they sit on top.. 

When ready to make the bread, here’s what you do.  In a bowl, mix the following –

• 1 beaten egg
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Melt the butter and mix in the egg togehter in a your bowl.  To that, add

• 1 cup buttermilk

Empty the dry ingredients from your jar into the bowl with the wet ones.  Mix until the flour is moistened.

Pour the batter into a greased, small, loaf pan.  For a larger loaf this recipes can easily be doubled.

Bake in 350 F oven for about 35-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out without sticking.  Bake for an hour if you double the recipe. Remove from the pan immediately after removing from the over.  Cool thoroughly before slicing.

Plastic Lids for Your Mason Jars – Set of 8 (Amazon affiliate link)

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