Choco Berry Nut Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

There is nothing wrong with taking short-cuts when baking. These chewy, moist, and delicious cookies start with a cake mix and are loaded with dried berries, pecans, and chocolate chips. They are incredibly easy to make. Feel free to adapt with your own additions to the basic recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 ounces) vanilla or French vanilla box cake mix, dry
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried berry mix fruit, chopped to 1/2 inch pieces, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, and thoroughly drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

PREPARATION:
Using a large dinner fork, combine cake mix with vegetable oil and eggs. Mixture will be thick. Fold in drained dried berries, pecans, and miniature chocolate chips.

 

Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

Scoop dough by the teaspoonful and use your hands to roll and compress into small balls. Place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Do not over-bake.

Cool on racks. Store leftovers in a covered container.

Pina Colada Rum Cake

Fix up yellow cake mix by adding pineapple juice, oil, pineapple, and coconut. Drizzle the baked cake with rum and cream of coconut, then top with a tropical-tasting whipped topping.

 

Ingredients:
1  2-layer size yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter
2  Eggs
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple with juice
7 oz flaked coconut (1/2 of 14 oz package)
1/2 of 15-oz can cream of coconut
1/3 oz golden rum (optional)
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 8-oz container frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed

Method

In a large mixing bowl beat first 5 ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the pineapple with juice and half of the coconut, stirring until combined. Pour batter into glass 13 x 10 baking dish (or a bit larger). Bake at 350 about 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool 30 minutes, then prick top all over with large fork, wiggling a little to enlarge holes. Drizzle 1/2 of the cream of coconut and 1/4 cup golden rum over the top. Refrigerate cake while making topping. For Topping, mix together remaining pineapple, pudding mix, remaining golden rum, remaining cream of coconut, whipped topping and half of the remaining coconut. Spread topping on cake and sprinkle remaining coconut on top. Store in refrigerator but taste improves when served at room temperature.

Notes: A smaller can of cream of coconut can be used for a less sweet, less moist cake. The rum may be omitted along with the word "Rum" in the title.

 

Number of servings: 15 to 20

Submitted By: GinaMia

Chambord Raspberry Brownies Recipe

Start with a cake mix to make these fast and rich raspberry brownies. Chambord is a French liqueur made of black raspberries, vanilla, and honey. If you don't want to purchase a full bottle, look for the single serving bottles. This recipe uses raspberry-flavored chocolate chips which may not be available in your area. You can substitute fresh or frozen raspberries, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or raspberry jam in the mix.

INGREDIENTS:
1 devil's food cake mix (18.25 ounces)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Chambord liqueur
1 cup raspberry-flavored chocolate chips
1/4 cup (about) confectioners' sugar

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil.

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and Chambord liqueur.

 

Fold in raspberry chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan and smooth.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature before cutting. Dust with sifted confectioners' sugar before serving.

Yield: about 24 to 36 bars, depending on cut size

Chambord Brownie Bites

Ingredients

For the Brownies:
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 pkg (21.2 ounces) brownie mix (tested with Betty Crocker Triple Chunk)

 

For the Filling:
2 pkg (3 ounces each) raspberry-flavored gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup Chambord (raspberry liqueur)

For the Topping:
2 cups mini-marshmallows
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped
3 Tbsp heavy cream

 

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with non-stick foil.

Cream butter and cream cheese together; add egg and mix until smooth. Combine creamed mixture with dry brownie mix, stirring by hand. Mixture will be thick. Spread evenly in foil-lined pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely. Using a wooden skewer, poke holes at 1-inch intervals halfway down into brownies.

Combine boiling water and both boxes of gelatin. Stir until no more sugar or gelatin granules are visible and liquid is clear. Cool to room temperature. Add Chambord. Pour cooled Chambord gelatin mixture over top of cooled brownies. Top evenly with marshmallows. Refrigerate for two hours.

Cut brownies into squares and place on glossy side of freezer paper, parchment paper, or foil, spreading each square slightly apart to allow topping to dribble down sides.

Melt chocolate and heavy cream slowly in microwave or double boiler, stirring until smooth and creamy. Cool to room temperature, but still liquid enough to drip. Scatter-drip chocolate over cooled brownies. (Re-warm chocolate slightly as necessary.) Refrigerate to harden chocolate topping. Serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: 24 to 36 pieces

Recipe from: Peggy Trowbridge

Pear-Cardamom Coffee Cake

This pear coffee cake is perfect for breakfast or brunch. A cardamom-pear syrup is baked on top of the cake batter.

 

Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced peeled pears
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Method

Prepare the cake by combining the first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until syrupy, stirring frequently; set aside to cool. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Beat together sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well-blended; add egg and vanilla, beating well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition. Spoon the batter into an 8-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange pear mixture over cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Submitted By: mistrycook

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake

A white cake mix is made with maraschino cherries and their juice, then covered with a frosting of cream cheese, powdered sugar and melted chocolate bars.

 

Ingredients:
1 Package White Cake Mix
1 Bottle Maraschino Cherries (reserve juice)
2 Bars of Ghirardelli Chocolate
1 8 oz. Package Cream Cheese, Softened
1/2 Cup Butter, Softened
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Cups Confectioners' Sugar, sifted

Method

Mix cake as directed on package substituting juice for water (if not enough juice to meet water requirements, then substitute remaining with water.) Fold in cherries. Bake in a 9x13" pan as directed on package. Cool thoroughly. Frosting: Melt chocolate over boiling water. Cream softened Cream Cheese and Butter. Add Vanilla, mixing well. Add Confectioners' Sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until well blended. Add melted Chocolate, mixing well. Spread onto cooled cake immediately after preparing.

 

Submitted By: Teri Powdrill

Caramel Mousse Mini-cups Recipe

Ingredients
1 box brownie mix (tested with Betty Crocker Chocolate Supreme Brownie Mix with Hershey's Syrup, 1 pound, 5.3 ounce box)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/8 cup water

1 bag (14 ounces) Kraft caramel squares, unwrapped and cut into 6ths

Chocolate Mousse Frosting:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 Tbsp cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup cold whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper muffin cups in mini-muffin tins.

Combine brownie mix (including chocolate syrup pouch), eggs, melted butter, and water. Mix only until combined. Fill muffin cups half full. Bake for 10 minutes. Immediately place pieces of caramel on top of each hot muffin to melt slightly. Let muffins completely cool to room temperature before frosting, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare mousse frosting.

For the Mousse Frosting:
In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear. Cool slightly.

In small mixer bowl, stir together sugar and cocoa. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of electric mixture, scraping bottom of the bowl occasionally, until stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture and beat until well blended. Chill in refrigerator about 15 minutes to firm up.

Fill pastry bag with mousse frosting and form a swirl on the top of each mini-cup (or spread on by hand). Refrigerate mini-cups in a covered container overnight. Best when served at room temperature, but refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: about 6 dozen mini-cups