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.

Banana Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Ingredients
Bottom
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
8 tablespoons butter, melted, but at room temperature (1 stick)
1 box (18.25 ounces) chocolate devil's food cake mix

Topping
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1/2 pound or 2 large bananas)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with foil.

For the Bottom:
Cream 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1 egg and butter together on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Blend in cake mix by hand until combined. It will be very thick, but piable like a soft dough. Press into bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

For the Topping:
Place cream cheese, banana, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Begin mixing on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase to medium speed and beat until smooth, at least 3 minutes or longer if need be. Add eggs one at a time, beating only until incorporated. Spread cream cheese batter evenly over bottom chocolate layer.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes. Cool completely. Carefully remove from pan, peel off foil, and cut into squares. Just prior to serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe from: Peggy Trowbridge, Home Cooking Guide