Cookies in a Jiffy

When a cookie craving hits and time is short, this is the answer. A box of yellow cake mix does the work of measuring out flour, sugar and leavening, so the dough comes together with just oats, melted butter and an egg stirred in.

The quick oats are a smart addition, giving these cookies a pleasant chew and a little heartiness that keeps them from tasting purely of cake mix. Then you make them yours: fold in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, M&M’s, or whatever’s in the cupboard.

Drop, bake until just lightly browned, and pull them while soft, since they firm up as they cool. Start to finish, you’re eating warm cookies in about twenty minutes, no mixer required.

Kitchen Tips

• Make sure the butter is melted but not hot, so it doesn’t cook the egg when you mix it in.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them at lightly browned and let them set on the pan, since cake-mix cookies dry out fast.
• Space them two inches apart, as they spread while baking.
• The dough is thick, so add any chips or candies you like, up to about a cup total for loaded cookies.

Variations

• Try a chocolate or spice cake mix as the base for a different flavor.
• Mix in chopped nuts, dried fruit or shredded coconut along with the chips.
• Press a few extra M&M’s or chips on top before baking for a prettier cookie.