10/29/14 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser
Cake mix cookies for goblins of all ages!
Boo! If you live in the city, it’s almost time for ghosts
and goblins to show up at your door. Out here in the country our
trick-n-treaters are few and far between. But just in case some show up I like
to have candy for them and homemade cookies for us. For me, baking cookies is a
labor of love. Emphasis on the labor.
Cookies are a pretty simple treat to make. The basic batter
is usually flour, sugar, eggs, butter, salt and baking soda. But most cookies
have any number of other things added to the batter: coconut, chocolate, nuts,
and so on. The problem is that all of these things have to be measured and that
means I have to pay attention and that takes time.
And then there’s the baking. My oven is not cookie friendly.
It seems to sense the minute I put a cookie sheet of raw dough inside. And then
it goes haywire. It is either too hot and the cookies burn or too cool and they
are soggy. I’ve had it checked and the service guy tells me it’s fine. So I
have to stay nearby and watch them!
I thought about these frustrations as I sorted through
recipes. I had just about talked myself out of baking anything when I came
across an old recipe from my kids Auntie Gloria. She gave me this Duncan Hines
box-cake-based cookie recipe at least 30 years ago. I knew that I could quickly
put my favorite chocolate-chocolate chip cookies together and be out of the
kitchen in an hour.
But then curiosity got the best of me. It had been years
since Gloria gave me this recipe. Are there new recipes out there? Of course
there are! I googled “cake mix cookies” and dozens of references came up. All
of the recipes are very similar. Some call for added water, some don’t. Hint:
if it says “ungreased” pan, use parchment paper or lightly grease the pan. Most
recipes don’t give a quantity. If I were you, I would count on about 2-dozen
cookies per batch. Extras are a bonus.
Today’s first recipe is a basic plan to build from. The
others add frosting, cream cheese, peanut butter, oatmeal, etc. to give you a
few ideas. For-instance, if you’re looking for a Fall flavored cookie, try a
spice cake mix and frost it with a cream cheese frosting. The possibilities are
endless. See what works for you. Enjoy!
AUNTIE GLORIA’S CAKE
MIX COOKIES
1 cake mix—any kind
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 tablespoons water
Mix and add 1 cup of anything!
Bake @ 350°
Note: Gloria didn’t fill in details:
Before
baking, add chocolate chips, nuts, or flavorings if desired. Drop on a cookie
sheet. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes then sit down with a
glass of milk and enjoy a warm, homemade
treat.
CAKE MIX FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES
www.sixsisters.com
1 (15.25 ounce) box
vanilla cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable
oil
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs and oil until well
combined. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until slightly golden.
Let cool completely.
HALLOWEEN FROSTING
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted (more or less depending on how thick/runny you like it)
A couple of drops of orange food coloring
Chocolate sprinkles
Chocolate frosting to
spell BOO and EEK!
Combine all
ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies. Circle the cookie
with sprinkles and write Boo! in the center.
CAKE MIX CREAM CHEESE
COOKIES
www.justapinch.com
1 box white cake mix
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cups butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips or something similar
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add egg and vanilla;
mix until blended.
Stir in cake mix a little at a time until blended. Add any
chips, candy or nuts you like.
CAKE MIX PEANUT
BUTTER COOKIES
Betty Crocker
1 supermoist yellow cake mix
2 tablespoons water
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening or vegetable oil
2 eggs
Sugar (to crisscross cookies)
Preheat oven to 375° F.
In large bowl, beat all ingredients (except sugar) with
electric mixer until smooth. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated
sugar and place 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross
pattern with fork dipped in sugar.
Bake 10-12 min. or until golden brown. Cool 1 min.; remove
from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Store covered.
CAKE MIX OATMEAL COOKIES
Southern Living
1 18.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup raisins
1 cup pecans, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Combine oil and
eggs; add to dry ingredients, stirring well. Stir in raisins, pecans and
vanilla. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2” apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 12 min. or until lightly browned. Cool as above. Yield 48.
Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!
Betty Kaiser’s
Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes
that are delicious,
family oriented and easy to prepare.
