Cookies from cake mixes! Also: BISCOTTI, BARS, now CUPS & POPS

[Imzadi]

Cookie balls, Cake balls and Cookie pops:

Here is a pictorial of making cookie balls:


(Picture from: http://www.acornadvisors.com/CooksWa..._Cupcakes.html)


Here is the basic recipe:

•For cake pops: Any cake mix, any flavor, baked according to regular cake directions.
For cookie pops: you can make any of the cake mix cookies, as usual, (or use up leftovers.) Crush up the cookies in a food processor. (You want a crumb, not a powder.) Or place the cookies in a resealable plastic storage bag and crush with a rolling pin or have your kid stomp on the bag.

•Half of a (16 oz) can of frosting, any flavor. Or 1/2-3/4 cup homemade frosting (Cream Cheese or chocolate frosting are great)

•1 package of chocolate chips or some chocolate bars or a candy coating that hardens when cooled (white or chocolate)

• Optional: Sprinkles, chopped nuts, or coconut, melted caramel, other decorative candies.
Lollipop sticks to make pops if desired.

Follow the directions in the Claudia1's quote below. Thanks Claudia1!

Originally Posted by Claudia1

Bake cake mix according to the directions on the package. [Or make cake mix cookies.] I made 2 round pans and froze the extra cake for another time. Let the cake cool completely.

Once cooled, crumble one cake into small crumbs. (Note: you may be forced to eat the edges if they don't crumble well..... yes.... just another sacrifice we make for the holidays..... )

Mix in 1/2 can of cream cheese frosting until it is like a soft dough.

This is the only hard part. Roll into meat-ball sized balls and let sit on a wax paper. They will be sticky and you will have to wash your hands frequently. Refrigerate. Let sit for 2-3 hours or so until they start to get a little crusty to hold their shape.

Melt about 1 pound of white dipping chocolate. Dip the cake balls in the chocolate and let set. For decoration, I grated a few white chocolate wafers to resemble snow and then sprinkled then on the wet chocolate to look like snow balls.

One cake made about 25 balls for me.

Just another way to have your cake and eat it, too, at Christmas!

(From this thread discussing them on the Community Board:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2611775

They aren't "cookies" anymore, but they are a great way to use up those cake mixes in a new, fun and easy way!







Attaching the chocolate disc ears before dipping chocolate.
Directions to make these: http://family.go.com/disney/pkg-disney-recipes/




Here are yummy variations of cookie/cake pops:
Try a lemon cookie with white chocolate chips, crushed, mixed with lemon frosting or cream cheese frosting and covered with white chocolate and crushed lemon drop candies for decoration.

Make a peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie HERE, (add in chocolate chips,) crushed into a pop, covered with dark chocolate and sprinkled with more chopped nuts. Or, try a chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips, covered with chocolate & sprinkled with more chopped nuts or white chocolate.




A chocolate fudge cookie ball covered white chocolate. Chocolate cake pop with sprinkles.

[Imzadi]

Fudge Cookie Cups:






Cookie cup:
Make a basic chocolate or yellow cake mix cookie dough according to the directions in the first post of this thread. This dough will be for the cookie cups instead of flat cookies.

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Spray 24 mini muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray, or grease with shortening or butter. Divide cookie dough into 24 balls. Press down 1 ball in bottom and up side of each mini muffin cup, forming 1/4-inch rim above top of cup (sprinkle fingers with flour if necessary, or leave a little cake mix aside for this). Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. With tip of handle of wooden spoon, press dough down in center of each cup to make room for about 2 tablespoons filling. Or, you can also try dropping the muffin pans down hard on the counter, a couple of times, right out of the oven. The middles will sink. Cool in pans on cooling racks 5 minutes.


Fudge Filling:
1 (12-ounce) package of baking chips (any flavor: see below)
1 (16-ounce) can Pillsbury* frosting, any flavor (NOT WHIPPED.) *Pillsbury stays softer than B. Crocker, for a soft center
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings, (optional,) your choice: chopped nuts, or crushed granola bars, crumbled graham crackers, sprinkles.

Try extra chips sprinkled on. Place back in oven for a minute or two so the chips will soften, yet retain their shape.) See right picture above.

Or, you can also add on a dollop of fruit preserves, like strawberry, raspberry, orange marmalade, lemon curd, to get a nice, layered fudge & fruit cookie cup.


Directions:
Put one 12 ounce bag of any flavor baking chips in a glass bowl, spread them out so that they are not all in the middle of the bowl and they will melt easier. Cook in microwave for 1½ minutes. Take out and stir, then stir in one can frosting, stir really well and put back in microwave and cook for 1½ minutes. Take out, add 1 teaspoon vanilla and pinch of salt, and stir. Optional: add in nuts.

Drop by spoonfuls into the cookie cups. If fudge cools too much, heat for a few seconds in microwave oven again.


Chips and canned frosting combinations:
(Any of these will also make a great, easy fudge. Just pour into a greased pan and let set.)

• Chocolate chips + chocolate frosting (this is for the die-hard chocolate-lovers)
• Chocolate chips + vanilla frosting (not as chocolately)
• Chocolate chips + chocolate fudge icing + pecans
• Chocolate chips + Cream Cheese frosting + chopped Macadamia nuts
• Dark chocolate chips + coconut pecan frosting (tastes like a Mounds bar.)
• Dark chocolate chips + coconut pecan frosting + chopped almond (tastes like an Almond Joy.)
• Milk chocolate chips + coconut pecan frosting (call it German Chocolate Fudge.)
• Caramel chips + chocolate frosting
• Mint chocolate chips + chocolate frosting (tastes like Andes mint.)
• Cherry chips + chocolate frosting (tastes like a chocolate covered cherry.)
• Cherry chips + White Chocolate Almond frosting. Top with toasted pecans.
• Butterscotch chips + coconut pecan frosting + any dry chopped fruit

• Vanilla chips + any flavor frosting
• Vanilla frosting + any flavor chips
• Vanilla frosting + peanut butter chips. Sprinkle crushed granola bars over top of each.
• Vanilla or white chocolate chips + white frosting + handful coconut and slivered almonds.

• White chocolate chip + cream cheese frosting and chop up red cherries and green ones for Christmas. You will need to drain the cherries very well and put them on a couple of paper towels to get the last drop of liquid out of them. Call this fudge Christmas Fudge Cup.

• Peanut Butter chips + chocolate frosting (tastes like Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.)
Make this in a peanut butter cookie cup. Recipe HERE.

• Lemon Fudge:
lemon frosting + vanilla chips +
Crushed lemon drops or grated lemon peel sprinkled on top
Lemon lovers: Try making this with a lemon (cake mix) cookie cup instead of yellow cake mix.

• Toffee Butterscotch Fudge:
butterscotch chips + Caramel Pecan Frosting
+ 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
+ 1/2 cup toffee bits or chopped Heath bar
Leave some nuts & toffee to sprinkle on top

• Rocky Road Cookie Cups:
Spoon in fudge. Top with a mixture of mini marshmallows, chocolate morsels and chopped nuts or crumbled graham crackers. Place in oven for a couple minutes. The heat will soften them slightly, yet they retain their shape. Pictured below.

[Imzadi]

More Cookie Cup ideas:




Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Cookie cup:
Make a chocolate chip cookie dough, according to the directions in the first post of this thread.

PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Paper-line 24 (regular size) muffin cups. Place one scoop of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup.


CHEESECAKE FILLING:

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling or strawberry topping or preserves

BEAT cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup.

BAKE for additional 15 to 18 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top each with level tablespoon of pie filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.



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Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookie Cups
These have a creamy center instead of fudge.





Cookie cup:
Make a yellow cake mix or chocolate chip cookie dough, according to the directions in the first post of this thread.

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Heavily grease 36 mini-muffin cups.

Roll rounded teaspoon dough into ball; press onto bottom and halfway up side of muffin cup. Repeat with remaining dough. Place 5 chips of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips of in each cup.


FILLING:

2 large eggs
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups total of Peanut Butter chips & Milk Chocolate chips

BEAT eggs in medium bowl with wire whisk. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Spoon into muffin cups, filling almost to the top of each cup.

BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until centers are puffed and edges are just beginning to brown. Remove from oven to wire rack(s). Gently run knife around edges of cookies. Let centers flatten. While still warm, top cookies with half of remaining morsels (they will soften and retain their shape). Repeat with remaining morsels. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. With tip of knife, release cookies from cups.


The two above (modified) recipes courtesy of NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE.



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Butter Pecan Cherry Cups





Cookie cup:
Make a Butter Pecan cookie dough, according to the directions in the first post of this thread. Mix in 1/2 cup dried cherries, finely chopped.

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Heavily grease 36 mini-muffin cups.

Roll rounded teaspoon dough into ball; press onto bottom and halfway up side of muffin cup. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Drop the muffin pans down hard on the counter, a couple of times, right out of the oven. The middles will sink. Cool in pan on cooling rack 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of cookie to loosen; cool 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from muffin cups; place on cooling rack to cool.

Spoon cherry preserves into each cooled cup.


Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 to 5 teaspoons milk
Powdered sugar, if desired

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, almond extract and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; let stand until set, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.


Alternate cookie combo: chocolate cookie cup with raspberry preserves. Use vanilla extract instead for the icing.



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Mini Ice Cream Cookie Cups



Just make any flavor cookie cups and fill with ice cream & toppings. Better than plain cones!

[Imzadi]

Cookie Mix in a Jar

Put your favorite cake mix cookie mixes in a jar. These are such an easy gift. Since you can use any flavor cake mix and different add-ins, you can make up completely different cookie mixes in each jar. If you don't tell anyone that the base is a cake mix, they'll think you did a lot of work.

Make sure you only put 1 whole box of cake mix and add-ins in each jar. Otherwise, the measurements won't be correct when they add in the eggs & oil.

You can get decorative glass jars and mason jars at dollar stores, hardware stores, or buy a few jars Classico pasta sauces. Toss the sauce in freezer bags and freeze, so you can use later.

Remember to include directions to add the egg and oil or butter to the mix, plus baking directions, on a cute card, tag or jar label.

[Imzadi]

Egg-less Cake Mix Cookies

Cake mix cookies you can make WITHOUT EGGS!!


1 Box Cake Mix (any flavor - check label to make sure there isn't already an egg warning.)

1/2 C Oil

1.5 Tbsp Baking Soda

1.5 Tbsp Vinegar

Milk as needed

Any add-ins you want (as in the first post)


Throw it all in a bowl and mix it up to the consistency where you can roll the dough into 1-inch balls and bake on a cookie sheet until lightly browned at 350 degrees.

If you want thinner, chewier cookies- you can thin out the dough and drop by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. I used milk to do this and mine turned out super chewy.

The regular recipe uses 2 eggs and 1/3 C oil.

[Imzadi]

Two different kinds of coconut cookies:

Lemon-Lime Crackle Cookies

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) lemon cake mix
1/2 cup flaked coconut
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
2 cups whipped topping
2 eggs
2 envelopes whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Confectioners' sugar


Directions

* In a blender or food processor, combine the coconut, lemon peel and lime peel. Cover and process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds; set aside.
* In a large bowl, combine whipped topping, eggs, dry whipped topping mix and lemon juice. Add dry cake mix and coconut mixture and mix well.
* Drop by tablespoonfuls into a bowl of confectioner's sugar. Shape into balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 3 dozen.

TasteofHome.com Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Dream Whip topping.


(Lemon-Lime Crackle Cookies published in Country Woman Christmas Annual 2003, p43
Reprinted courtesy of TasteofHome.com)



Orange Drop Cookies

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup flaked coconut


ICING:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted


Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, orange peel and extract. Fold in coconut. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
* Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies. Yield: about 5 dozen.

TasteofHome.com Editor's Note: Orange cake mix may be substituted for the white cake mix. Omit the orange extract.


(Orange Drop Cookies published in Country Woman March/April 2001, p35
Reprinted courtesy of TasteofHome.com)

[Imzadi]

Giant Spice Cookies





1 package (18 -1/4 ounces) spice cake mix
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup molasses
6 teaspoons Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract


Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, ginger and baking soda. Stir in water, molasses and vanilla and mix well. Roll into 10 balls.
* Place 3 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass coated with cooking spray.
* Bake at 375° for 13-15 minutes or until surface cracks and cookies are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 10 cookies.


The cookies will actually look like the picture, all crackly, so don't think you did anything wrong.

Make sure you have fresh baking soda so the cookies raise up fine and are moist, chewy, and gooey. Grease the cookie sheet really well.



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Apple Oatmeal Cookies





1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 egg
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup finely chopped peeled apple
1/2 cup raisins

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. In a small bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, apple and raisins. Stir into oats mixture and mix well.
* Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 5 dozen.



Above two recipes courtesy of TasteofHome.com

[leeannegoetz]

The recipes sound great - thanks for sharing!

[bas71873]

OK, that ice cream in a cookie cup, WOW. Those might be added to DD's bday party ice cream sundae party!

[tink_n_pooh]

I can't believe I have never seen this thread before... now I'm hungry

[natenapril]

I really want to try the mickey cake pops now! I think I will try this weekend with the kids.

[jbonnici]

sounds delicious!!!!!

[jbonnici]

looks so good!!!!

[bas71873]

Can someone share a good sugar cookie icing recipe. DD wants to bake & decorate with her friends over the holiday break and I have the royal icing recipe off the domino sugar website, but I would really prefer one that I could mix up in the morning and have separated and colored before the girls come over, but I like that their royal icing hardens.

Any tips to share? I usually avoid making sugar cookies all together, but this year, we'll try it.

[Suz D]

Originally Posted by bas71873

Can someone share a good sugar cookie icing recipe. DD wants to bake & decorate with her friends over the holiday break and I have the royal icing recipe off the domino sugar website, but I would really prefer one that I could mix up in the morning and have separated and colored before the girls come over, but I like that their royal icing hardens.

Any tips to share? I usually avoid making sugar cookies all together, but this year, we'll try it.

A Disboard member posted this website on another thread. Great cookie decorating tutorials and recipes.
http://www.karenscookies.net/