In this crazy, hectic thing we call life there seems to be an ever-present challenge to find more time in our schedules, to do things faster, easier. As a single mom to the cutest kid ever (obvious bias here, folks…just go with it), Lord knows I’m always on the lookout for shortcuts.
Last year, at Christmas, I had the grand idea to bake cookies and give them away to loved ones and friends. It was wonderful – all the ingredients were lined jotted down, and the decorative little tins were ready to go. The only thing I didn’t have was, you guessed it, time. After scouring Pinterest for a quicker solution to my cookie conundrum, I stumbled upon Confetti Cake Batter Cookies.
Oh. My. Goodness.
Not only are these babies absolutely delicious, but they take next to no time to prepare, and are easy enough to get Connor in the kitchen with me to act as my little sous chef… or sous baker, rather. The recipe for vanilla confetti cookies (below) is fantastic and has stood the test of time. I’ve made these over and over again, and they never fail to disappoint!
Vanilla cake and sprinkles are just the beginning though! The best thing about cake batter cookies is that the sky is the limit! Not big on sprinkles? Vanilla cake too…vanilla for you? Why not whip up a box of spice cake mix with some pecans added in? Or cherry chip cake with chocolate chips? How about chocolate cake with almonds and coconut tossed into the mix? (Okay, I drooled a little for that last one.)Hey man, go nuts! Instead of sprinkles why not substitute chocolate chips or mini M&Ms?
Each and every time I have made cake batter cookies, they’ve gone like that *snaps*, and have been a massive hit!
Have you tried these before? What other combinations can you think of that are worth a try?
Until then, from Connor and I … Bon Appetit!
Confetti Cake Batter Cookies (courtesy of Sallys Baking Addiction, with thanks!)
Ingredients:
- 1 box (18.25 oz) vanilla/white cake mix
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sprinkles (I used ½ cup … less sugar, and Connor didn’t complain!)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and baking powder. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla by hand. Add the egg mixture to the cake mixture and stir to form a dough- stir vigorously until all of the pockets of dry cake mix are gone. Gently mix in the sprinkles – you do not want to dye the cookie dough by overstirring the sprinkles.
- Drop rounded 1-inch balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes – do not let the cookies get brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes; they will be very soft at first. As they cool, the tops will settle down so you will not have to press the cookies down yourself. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container, for up to one week. Cookies freeze well, up to 2-3 months.