It's Watermelon!

I saw this in a magazine in the supermarket as I was checking out. Just knew I had to make it. I baked and the boys iced the cake to celebrate Gammie's birthday at the lake.


Directions:

1. Using one box of mix, bake two 9inch round cakes. At the lake we only have one round pan, 10.5 inches so that's what we made.
2. Cut round cakes in half and stack with a layer of frosting in between. If using 9 inch rounds, stack three high. Cut remaining half into thirds to have three small pieces of watermelon.
3. Frost entire cake with white frosting.
4. Add red and green frosting where appropriate! Use a darker green to add some texture lines to the rind.
5. Add raisnettes cut in half for seeds.

More Sandwiched Cookies

Remember these? I had a box of red velvet mix just waiting to do this.


Never thought about making them for Valentines' Day.

But be warned, red velvet mix is....


...red.

Yummy. Easy. Make them now.

Ingredients:

• 1 Box red velvet cake mix
• 1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 Eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix ingredients until combined. **My butter was "room" temperature, but my room is only about 60 degrees today with it being so cold outside. The cookies didn't turn out as expected and I think it's because I wasn't able to get everything mixed properly with the butter still being a bit too firm.
   
3. Drop spoonfuls of cookie batter onto baking sheet about two inches apart. (I smash them down into patties or else they are very fat!)
   
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
5. Cool.

Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 8 oz. Package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 1lb. Box of confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Directions:

1. In a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla.
2. Gradually add sugar and mix until smooth.

Makes about 12 cookie sandwiches (24 cookies).

Brownie Candy Cups

I've seen this on a few blogs, but I think most of the variations can be linked back to Bakerella for the inspiration.


This recipe may mean I need to get a mini muffin pan! These were WONDERFUL and very easy.

Ingredients:

• 1 box brownie mix
• Eggs, water, and vegetable oil (in the amounts listed on your brownie package)
• Mini Reese's cups, frozen, then unwrapped
• Reynolds 2-inch aluminum foil mini cups for muffins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place foil muffin liners on cookie sheet. (About 25)
   
2. Combine brownie mix, eggs, water and oil according to mix directions.
3. Fill each liner with 1 tablespoon of brownie batter so that each is about 1/2 full.
4. Push a peanut butter cup into the center of each.
5. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.
6. Let cool completely.

Sandwiched Cookies

Think Oreo meets the Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie. Soft, chocolaty cookie with frosting in the middle. They are pretty yummy, and way too easy to not make more often. Sure, had I spent time on uniformity and icing in more accurate proportions they would have taken more time but looked prettier. Pretty is overrated when it comes to food. They taste good. They were easy to make.

(Source: The Crepes of Wrath, as seen on Annie's Eats)

Ingredients: For the cookies:

• 1 package chocolate cake mix (or other flavor of your choice)
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

For the frosting:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp. milk

For decorating:

• multi-colored non-pareils, or other sprinkles or candy of your choice

Directions:

1. To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, egg and butter. Beat on low speed until just combined and all dry ingredients have been incorporated.
3. Roll the dough into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls, place on the prepared baking sheets and press down to slightly flatten. (Really flatten them. I made 28, so I ended up with 14 sandwiched cookies.)
   
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheets.
5. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. If the frosting too thick, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk and beat until incorporated.
6. To assemble, pair the cookies based on size on a work surface. Frost the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Place the other cookie of each pair on top of the frosting, flat side down. Lightly press down so that the frosting reaches the edges of the cookies.
7. To decorate, place sprinkles in a small bowl. Dip the sides of each cookie in the sprinkles, pressing down gently and rotating to cover the sides completely.

Cake Mix Cookie Tip

I ended up having to make two batches of these tonight because the first batch just didn't turn out. Luckily, I've figured out the secret...use Duncan Hines mix. The Pillsbury was a disaster.

Kim's Lemon Glacier Bars

Here they are. The bars he loves.

Ingredients:

• 1 package lemon cake mix
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 8oz. package softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Mix cake mix, 1 egg, and oil in a mixing bowl, until crumbly
2. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture.
3. Press remaining mixture into a 9x13in pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Beat cream cheese, adding egg, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth.
6. Pour over baked crust.
7. Sprinkle with reserved cake mixture.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.
9. Let cool slightly.
10. Cover and chill.
11. Cut into 18 bars.

Speedy Little Devils

Ingredients:

• 1 18. 25 ounce package devils food cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 7 ounce jar marshmallow cream

Directions:

1. Combine cake mix and butter, stirring well (mixture will be crumbly)
2. Spoon and press 1/2 of cake mixture into bottom of a 13x9 inch pan
3. Combine peanut butter and marshmallow cream until well blended
4. Spread mixture evenly over pressed cake mix
5. Sprinkle remaining cake mixture over top
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (I added 5 minutes for the glass pan.)
7. Cut into 36 bars. (I only did 24.)
   

Another good cake mix recipe. I like bars better than cookies...easier.

Easiest Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Charlie commented a few weeks ago that he liked Kim's lemon bars better than mine. Hurrumph! Well, bring me the recipe, I said.

He got the recipe, and it's in a book filled with recipes featuring boxed cake mix as the main ingredient. Really not surprising that the man chooses those with preservatives and 1000 times easier than the bars I made from scratch!

I have to say a cake mix can do amazing things. This is the first recipe of a series of cake mix wonders I'll be trying over the next few weeks, including those lemon bars he so loves!!



Ingredients:

• 1 18.25 ounce package chocolate or yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Beat first three ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth
2. Add chips and nuts
3. Spoon heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes
5. Remove to wire racks to cool

The recipe says it yields 4 1/2 dozen. Evidently my teaspoons were a little too heaping because I only got 2 1/2 dozen, and they are on the chewy gooey side. Obviously I went with the chocolate mix, and I also used 1 cup of nuts. Never too many nuts, you know.

Easy, but it'd be easier if I had a few extra large cookie sheets and a few more wire racks for cooling. Hopefully the Easter bunny gets the hint!

Yummy.

Will do again.