Vanilla Cake Mix Cookies: Recipe

I have a sweet tooth, it is no secret.  I love pretty much anything with sugar and fat (which might explain the 30 lbs I've already gained this pregnancy). Sometimes though, I just don't have the ingredients on hand to make something sweet.  So, I love recipes that can be made with just a few ingredients.  Cake mix cookies are one of those things.

Today I mixed up a batch of these cookies so that my husband would have something to throw in his lunch tomorrow.  They mix up so quickly, and don't require any extras.  Cake mix, oil, and eggs.  Pretty basic.

Vanilla Cake Mix Cookie Recipe:

Betty Crocker Super Moist Vanilla Cake Mix
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean paste
Powdered sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.  Using an electric mixer, mix on medium speed until combined.  The dough will be soft and a bit sticky.  If overly sticky, and flour 1 tbs at a time.  Form 1" balls and roll in powdered sugar.  Place on  parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

These cookies are nice and soft on the inside.  They really are delightful, even though they aren't filled with all of the extras.

I've even had success with Betty Crocker's Gluten Free cake mix.  You can find their recipe for gluten free cake mix cookies on their website.

Also, you can use any flavor of cake mix: red velvet, devils food cake, etc.

Do you have a favorite simple recipe?  Do share.

A Chocolate Chip Cookie Week

I don't know what it is about freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, but they are therapeutic.  With my gluten intolerance I don't often enjoy freshly baked cookies.  The gluten free flours are expensive, prepared cookies never satisfy, and all in all I usually end up disappointed.  Over the years I've found one combination of flours that usually results in pretty tasty cookies, but I hate spending ten dollars just on flours.

 This week we were all sick.  Again, I know.

This week I made a couple of trips to the store.  The first trip occurred on Tuesday night, after a day of fighting off fevers and runny noses.  I stocked up on kleenexes, hand sanitizer, tylenol, cough drops, and boogie wipes.

The second shopping trip was on Friday.  Friday I filled my cart with apple cider, herbal tea, ice cream, and chocolate chip cookie ingredients.

My first trip was an attempt to treat our illness, and the second was an attempt to  heal my emotional state.  Can I tell you that I probably should have stocked up on comfort foods on the first trip...it was a much more effective treatment.

I'm happy to report that I mixed up a full batch of cookies, and still have half of the cookie dough in my fridge.  We're not all healthy yet, and I plan on running Miles into the doctor's office tomorrow, but I'm happy to have some emotional medicine in stock.

Today at church I was able to teach a lesson to the young women of our congregation about our attitudes about our divine roles as women.  It was just what I needed.  In preparation for my lesson I found this video about the role of a mother.  I'm so grateful that I was able to slow down this week and snuggle and soothe my sick babies.  What a blessing to be a mother, and have little ones that love and need me.

So, go ahead, make yourself some delicious chocolate chip cookies.  Eat the whole pan if you need to!

Favorite Things: Thrifty Finds and Cookies

A couple of things that you should know about me are that 1-I have a major sweet tooth, and 2-I love a good deal.  Today I am going to showcase a bit of both.  I recently found a couple of cream colored serving platters at a local thrift store. They weren't a set, but I think that they complement each other nicely.   I was able to purchase each platter for $2.00 a piece (a pretty good deal in my mind).