taste of tuesday: cake mix cookies

I love cookies from scratch, but when I don't have all the ingredients, I have a few go-to recipes that I can whip up with just a 3 or 4 ingredients that satisfy my sweet tooth. Here are some of my favorite cake mix recipes-all in my favorite flavor, CHOCOLATE!

Homemade Oreo cookies
(from my mom)

Ingredients:
Cookies:

• 1 box Devil's food cake mix
• 2/3 c- 3/4 c shortening
• 2 eggs

Filling:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3 cups powder sugar (add to taste-I usually use about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 T. vanilla extract

Directions:

for the cookies:
1. Mix all ingredients until well blended-dough will be THICK
2. roll into balls about the size of a quarter
3. Bake 8-10 min @ 350 degrees
4. Remove and completely cool before frosting

for the filling:
1. mix all the ingredients together until well blended. add 1/2 c. powder sugar at at time until desired sweetness is reached. spread b/n 2 cooled cookies to create sandwich.

*store in air tight container-better if left over night to soften the cookies.

* * * * * * *
Rolo Cookies
(from my cousin Brin)

Ingredients:

• 1 chocolate cake mix
• 1 stick of butter softened
• 1 egg
• 1 large package Rolo Candy, unwrapped

Directions:

1. Mix cake mix, butter and egg together--will be dry at first but keep mixing until well blended. You may want to use your hands for this.

2. Wrap batter around unwrapped Rolo. Just enough to cover.

3. Place on very lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 7-9 minutes or until cookie edges start to crack.

*store in air tight containe

* * * * * * *
Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies
(from Paula Dean)

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.

2. In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls.

4. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

*store in air tight container.