Cookies from a cake mix-- fast and easy!

Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
(from Paula Deen)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting, about 1/2 cup
• 1 (18 ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature (I used reduced-fat)
• 1 egg
• 1 stick of butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner’s sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey. Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies



I have been waiting a while to try these because I usually don't like cake mix as a base for cookies!  I have a few exceptions, like my rolo cookies, but in general I don't like the box-ey flavor that is sometimes evident.  With these cookies the cream cheese took any flavor like that and wiped it away!  Sam had said he wanted "chocolate donut" cookies, which I sadly don't have a recipe for, but surprisingly when I tasted these I thought they had a very similar flavor!  All right!!