Easy Bake Oven Cookie Mix

I've been experimenting with our Easy Bake Oven while making some mixes for a Christmas gift. I've seen this recipe for cookie mix in several places, calling for a short (5 minute) baking time that produces mushy, wet, sloppy cookie blobs, so I've adjusted the baking time for this post. I've also found that you have to be really skimpy with the distribution of the mix if you want to get the eight packages of mix that they claim, so I made seven packages. (Somehow three-and-a-half cups of ingredients doesn't yield the four cups of mix you'd need to divide one-half cupfuls into each of eight packages. Go figure. Sometimes I wonder if people try these recipes before they post them.)

I just love those cute Mason jar cookie mixes, so I used baby food jars for packaging these for giving. A 6-ounce (stage 3) baby food jar works nicely for this recipe. I included the raisins and chocolate chips in the jar and topped each one with a 5-inch fabric circle secured with a small, clear elastic hair band and tied with raffia. The directions for using the mix can be written on a tag or card tied to the jar or adhered directly to the glass using a glue stick.

Cookie Mix
1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
¾ cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup shortening
In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda and brown sugar. Stir to blend. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until evenly distributed. Spoon ½ cup of the mixture into each of 8 small containers or zipper bags and seal tightly. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 12 weeks. Yield: 7 packages of Cookie Mix. Each package makes 9-12 cookies. Individual mixes fit nicely in 6-ounce (stage 3) baby food jars.
Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies from mix1 package Cookie Mix
2 teaspoons milk (or water)
1 Tablespoon raisins
1 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips
sugar, optional
Preheat Easy Bake Oven 15 minutes (regular oven 350F). In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, except sugar. Stir with a spoon until mixture holds together in one big ball. Shape one teaspoon of dough at a time into a ball. Arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten gently with fingers, lightly sprinkle with a pinch of sugar, if desired. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool on a rack. Yield: 9-12 cookies.