Tasty Treats Thursday

This week's Tasty Treats Thursday is an easy recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Now, I had an option to go for more of a traditional chocolate chip cookie, but I opted for the cake-like cookies. And let me tell you, they turned out spectacular!! Since Betty Crocker generally has a coupon during the month for a box of her cake mix, and one of the grocery stores usually have a sale on Betty's mix, I pair the two together and stock up. We've got birthdays, anniversaries, and parties through the year so those boxes of cake mix will NOT go to waste. I found out that cake mix could be used for cookies a year or so ago, found this particular recipe and LOVE it. It meets my criteria (easy and delicious) and I hope you enjoy as well! I guess the only thing that makes it "Mexican" is that there is cinnamon in the recipe. Leave it out if you like, or add a little bit more for some real spice. And remember that you can use ANY type of cake mix- so if you have white or yellow, game on!! German Chocolate? No problem (you'd simply have to rename it... ;) All's fair!

Mexican Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 package cake mix (chocolate for this specific recipe, but any will do)
2 large eggs (I only had small/medium from my aunt's farm, so I used 3)
3/4 cup butter, softened (margarine is fine)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I like the minis)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (totally optional... my husband hates nuts in sweets- weird, I know)

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. You can use ungreased cookie sheets or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl beat half of the dry cake mix, butter, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until well-blended and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Stir in the remaining dry cake mix, chocolate chips, and nuts (if using) with a spoon, just until combined.
4. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls approximately 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.5. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes (mine took 12), or just until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.

6. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

This is a fun and easy recipe with very little cleanup... and what needed to be cleaned, the girls were happy to help with!!




**Before you get too upset, the eggs were gathered this week by yours truly, so there is just virtually no chance that she could get sick from them. :) Oh, and the baby doesn't eat solids yet, so I just gave her the cleaned one. :)