Homemade Cookie Mixes

During the past week I have been busy canning and freezing. So far I have made catsup and mild salsa. Today I am canning peaches. Another fruit truck came through town so we purchased another box of peaches. So far, we have not saved any money by doing our own canning. We have had to purchase jars and various other items, however, the satisfaction of knowing what is in our food is priceless. I am even wanting to make some bread, but that will have to wait until all the canning and freezing is done. We are running out of room in our freezer and shelf space in the pantry. I might have to convert an extra bedroom into a sort of mini store. My daughters tell me they will just come grocery shopping at my house.

You will need a large container for the cookie mix and a pastry blender.
8 cups flour; 3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon baking powder; 2 teaspoons salt; 3 cups sugar and 2 cups dried milk. Mix these ingredients well with spoon or pastry blender. Add 2 cups vegetable shortening and mix with pastry blender until it is very fine, almost like flour. You can keep the cookie mix for 1 month without refrigeration or 3 months in the refrigerator or freezer.

Basic drop cookies:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put 2 1/2 cups cookie mix into a bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon orange zest. Mix 1 egg with a fork and stir in 1/4 cup water. Stir into the cookie mix. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a cooky sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
Other cookies made from the cookie mix:
1. Vanilla--add 1 tsp vanilla in place of the orange zest.
2. Nutmeg--add 1/2 tsp. nutmeg in place of the orange zest.
3. Spice--add 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves and 1/2 tsp. ginger in place of orange zest.
4. Orange--to make it more "orangey" add 2 Tablespoons orange zest.
5. Raisin--add 1/2 cup raisins and 1 Tablespoon orange zest.
6 Nut--add 1/4 to 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts.
7. Date, Nut--Add 1/2 cups chopped dates and 1/4 cup chopped nuts.
8 Fig, Nut--Add 1/4 cup cut small figs and 1/4 cups chopped nuts.
9. Chocolate Chip--Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
10. Cinnamon, Butterscotch--Add 1/2 tsp to 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 cups butterscotch chips.

Basic freezer cookies:
Put 2 1/2 cups cookie mix into a bowl. Mix in 1 egg. Shape into 1 inch diamater cookie "log." Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate or freeze overnight; until firm enough to cut. Bake cookies at 400 degrees for approximately 8 minutes.
Make these cookies by adding various ingredients to the "basic cookie" recipe.
1. Vanilla--add 1 tsp. vanilla.
2. Nutmeg--add 1/2 tsp. nutmeg.
3. Spice--add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves.
4. Orange--add 2 Tablespoons orange rind.
5. Nut--add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts.
6. Chocolate Chip--add 1/2 cup chocolate mini chips.

Peanut Butter Freezer Cookies:
Put 2 1/2 cups cookie mix into a large bowl. In a separate bowl add 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1 egg. Mix peanut butter and egg together with a fork. Stir in 2 Tablespoons cold tap water and 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil. Add peanut butter mixture to cookie mix and mix well. Divide in half. Mix and shape each half into a roll about 6 inches long and 1" in diameter. Refrigerate until set. Cut cookies in 1/4 inch increments and bake in 400 degree oven for 9 minutes. Let set on cooky sheet to cool before removing. These can easily crumble.