Cake Mix Cookies

It's been a busy week...well, I guess it hasn't been busy but I've been sick - so I haven't gotten much done. I was planning to make cute heart-shaped cookies for Valentine's day and share the recipe, but that didn't happen. Instead, I got to the end of the week and needed to make some cookies and share a recipe quickly. So, I turned to my easiest cookie recipe. Cake Mix cookies are fun because you use a cake mix (obviously) and very little else. I prefer the chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips, but you can also make a yellow cake mix with chocolate chips (it's supposed to taste like chocolate chip cookies, but it tastes too much like a yellow cake for my liking). Anyway, these cookies are so easy. Just mix everything together and bake them up. Then, they become soft, chewy and delicious cookies! Enjoy!

Only 4 ingredients - that's awesome!

Mix the cake mix, oil, and eggs together.

It doesn't take long before it looks like thick cookie batter.

Add in peanut butter chips (delicious!!).

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets (I used my fancy cookie scooper).

Try not to eat too much batter!

Bake them until they turn into delicious cookies!

EAT with a big glass of milk!

Cake Mix Cookies (I got the recipe from my friends little cake mix cookbook, but I can't remember the name of it)

1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate or yellow cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup peanut butter chips or semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
-Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until batter is smooth.
-Stir in peanut butter or chocolate chips and pecans (I didn't use pecans because I don't like nuts in my cookies!).
-Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 3 dozen.

The dirty dishes for these cookies.

Cake Mix Cookies
Taste: 5 out of 5
Dirty Dishes: 4 out of 5
Time/Effort: 4 out of 5
TOTAL: 13 out of 15

Week 43

October 23
Maggie came over for dinner. It was fun to chat with her one last time before she leaves me for good! We ordered pizza and it was really tasty.

October 24
We didn't watch the Amazing Race on Sunday night, so Abby came over to watch it tonight. It was fun to get caught up since we missed last week. Such a fun show and I love that Abby comes over to watch it with us!

October 25
I love penguins...they are my new favorite animal. Bill got me a penguin pillow pet for my birthday - isn't it cute? I don't have a name for her yet.

October 26
Today, at work, the kids trick-or-treated in the building. In honor of that, I wore my Halloween socks. We had a bunch of kids and gave away a bunch of candy. I think they had fun.

October 27
Another one of my birthday presents...I love Reese's. And this really smells like chocolate and peanut butter (with just a hint of coffee too, which smells delicious). I love it!

October 28
We're planning a surprise party for Abby next week and everything will be PURPLE. Here are some of the silly gifts we got for her. So much purple...she will love it!

October 29
This is another late night picture - when I'm about to go to bed and I realize I haven't taken one yet. Bill and the animals are coming up the stairs for bed - isn't it thrilling?!?!

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

I've had a couple people ask about the recipe for the cake I made last weekend. It was a Chocolate Peanut Butter cake modeled after the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Torte we had at our wedding. I cheated a little bit and used a regular chocolate cake mix for the cake part. So, really, the only recipe someone would need is the frosting. I decided I would go ahead and put the recipe here since it is one of my favorites. I think that peanut butter-chocolate is the best combination in the world...it just doesn't get any better than that. So, after making a chocolate cake, you should use this frosting:

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
10 oz. Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 cup Butter (at room temperature)
4 cups Powdered Sugar
2/3 cup Peanut Butter

Directions:
Beat cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and continue beating until smooth. Add peanut butter and beat some more...until creamy and smooth. Enjoy!