Shortcut 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 both white and dark 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) devil's food chocolate box cake mix, dry
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

PREPARATION:
Using a large dinner fork, combine cake mix with vegetable oil and eggs. Mixture will be thick. Fold in white and semisweet 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. Do not over-bake.

Cool on racks. Store leftovers in a covered container.

Yield: about 5 dozen cookies

Note: These are best made small as bite-sized cookies.

 

From Peggy Trowbridge Filippone,

Black & White Chocolate Home Cake Recipe

 

Start with a plain vanilla cake mix and end up with a luscious layered cake of vanilla and chocolate with white and dark chocolate chips. This cake mix is beefed up with an extra egg, buttermilk instead of water, and butter instead of oil. The instructions are for 9 x 13-inch sheet cake, but may be adapted for use as a bundt cake or traditional layer cake. Easy to make and impressive on the table.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 ounces) package vanilla cake mix with real vanilla beans
1-1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk (see Note)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup white chocolate chips, divided use
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided use

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil or grease with butter liberally.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, buttermilk, softened butter, and eggs.

Beat on low speed only until combined. Some small lumps may remain. Pour half of cake batter into a separate bowl and set aside.

To one half of the cake batter, fold in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup for later use.

To the other half of the cake batter, add the cocoa powder, mixing until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1 cup for later use.

Pour the dark chocolate batter into the prepared pan and smooth to even it out.

Carefully spoon the vanilla cake batter on top of the dark chocolate layer. Gently spread to an even layer without disturbing bottom layer.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spread reserved 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of warm cake. Wait 5 minutes, then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate on the top as a frosting. Let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup white chocolate chips on top of chocolate frosting and gently press into the frosting.

Cut and serve at room temperature.

 

Notes:
If you don't have buttermilk or sour milk on hand, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1-1/4 cups whole milk. Let rest 10 minutes to thicken before using.

The cake may also be made in a bundt pan or traditional round layers. Adjust the baking time up to about 50 minutes for a bundt cake and down to about 25 minutes for round layers. Test for doneness.

Yield: 24 to 36 servings, depending on cut size

From Peggy Trowbridge Filippone,