Cake mix cookies are just what they sound like....cookies that you make using a cake mix as the base. Then you can make them different by adding your favorite "add-ins". I originally saw a variety that used a strawberry cake mix and added coconut to make a strawberry coconut cookie. The cookie looked really delicious.
Thoughts started going through my head as I read the recipe. Probably the first one was that I can't buy a sugar-free strawberry cake mix. (I do try to reduce the sugar amounts in recipes when I can. Anytime in my recipes feel free to use "regular" ingredients instead of the sugar free or substitutes that I use.) BUT I can buy a yellow cake mix that is sugar free. The second thing I thought of was the LEMON JELLO CAKE my mother always made. It was made with a yellow cake mix and then a package of lemon jello. What makes this cake so versatile is that you can use a different flavored (colored) jello to make the cake a different color for a special holiday or occasion.
So the wheels started turning in my head....why not make the strawberry coconut cookies using a sugar free yellow cake mix and adding a box of sugar free strawberry jello to it and I would get both the strawberry flavor and color that I would get if I used the strawberry cake mix?
And so that is what I did.
They were perfect in every way.....color and taste.
UPDATE: I made the cookies using the lime jello. The dough wasn't as green as I wanted them so I added about 10 drops of green food coloring.
I also kept out enough dough for 4 cookies and added a tablespoon of chocolate chips for my husband to take to Amanda in the tax office.... she doesn't like coconut.
For St. Patrick's Day, I am going to use a sugar-free lime jello mix and make (green) St. Patrick's Day Lime Coconut cookies. As I said the possibilities are endless. If you didn't want to use coconut, you could use any of your favorite add-in. Would love to hear your ideas.
1 box sugar-free yellow cake (regular yellow cake mix without pudding is ok)
1 (4 serving size) box of sugar free strawberry jello
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (unsweetened) coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl on low speed until well mixed. (Dough will be thick.)
Using a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size) place cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 - 9 minutes. Edges of the cookie will start to turn brown.
Cool 2 minutes on sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
Another variation I came up this morning was to use a sugar free Devil's Food cake mix and cherry pie filling. My hairstylist, Ali, requested sweets for Valentine's Day and since I had an appointment to get my hair cut today, I decided I would try them and take her some. She has been working out really hard to lose weight and has been very successful (looks great!) so I decided I would still use the sugar free cake mix, but the cherry pie filling had sugar as I didn't have a "no sugar added" one.
This produced a cake-like cookie but was very good.
I decided to call them Black Forest Cookies.
1 sugar-free Devil's Food cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup cherry pie filling,
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Place the cherry pie filling in a flat dish and cut through the cherries to chop them into smaller pieces.
Add all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix on low speed til combined and then increase speed to medium and mix til nice and smooth....about a minute.
Using a cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size) place cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
I hope this has been a good Valentine's Day for you. My husband took me out to lunch and we enjoyed a delicious lunch and a beautiful "coolish", but sunny day. Warmer days are in the forecast so we think all this snow on the ground will melt. That will help it feel warmer, too.
Thoughts started going through my head as I read the recipe. Probably the first one was that I can't buy a sugar-free strawberry cake mix. (I do try to reduce the sugar amounts in recipes when I can. Anytime in my recipes feel free to use "regular" ingredients instead of the sugar free or substitutes that I use.) BUT I can buy a yellow cake mix that is sugar free. The second thing I thought of was the LEMON JELLO CAKE my mother always made. It was made with a yellow cake mix and then a package of lemon jello. What makes this cake so versatile is that you can use a different flavored (colored) jello to make the cake a different color for a special holiday or occasion.
So the wheels started turning in my head....why not make the strawberry coconut cookies using a sugar free yellow cake mix and adding a box of sugar free strawberry jello to it and I would get both the strawberry flavor and color that I would get if I used the strawberry cake mix?
And so that is what I did.
They were perfect in every way.....color and taste.
I also kept out enough dough for 4 cookies and added a tablespoon of chocolate chips for my husband to take to Amanda in the tax office.... she doesn't like coconut.
For St. Patrick's Day, I am going to use a sugar-free lime jello mix and make (green) St. Patrick's Day Lime Coconut cookies. As I said the possibilities are endless. If you didn't want to use coconut, you could use any of your favorite add-in. Would love to hear your ideas.
STRAWBERRY COCONUT COOKIES
1 box sugar-free yellow cake (regular yellow cake mix without pudding is ok)
1 (4 serving size) box of sugar free strawberry jello
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (unsweetened) coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl on low speed until well mixed. (Dough will be thick.)
Using a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size) place cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Cool 2 minutes on sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
Another variation I came up this morning was to use a sugar free Devil's Food cake mix and cherry pie filling. My hairstylist, Ali, requested sweets for Valentine's Day and since I had an appointment to get my hair cut today, I decided I would try them and take her some. She has been working out really hard to lose weight and has been very successful (looks great!) so I decided I would still use the sugar free cake mix, but the cherry pie filling had sugar as I didn't have a "no sugar added" one.
This produced a cake-like cookie but was very good.
I decided to call them Black Forest Cookies.
BLACK FOREST COOKIES
1 sugar-free Devil's Food cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup cherry pie filling,
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Place the cherry pie filling in a flat dish and cut through the cherries to chop them into smaller pieces.
Add all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix on low speed til combined and then increase speed to medium and mix til nice and smooth....about a minute.
Using a cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size) place cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
I hope this has been a good Valentine's Day for you. My husband took me out to lunch and we enjoyed a delicious lunch and a beautiful "coolish", but sunny day. Warmer days are in the forecast so we think all this snow on the ground will melt. That will help it feel warmer, too.
I love the cake mix cookies. I send then to the kids for Christmas. Your version is more of a 'grown up' version of those cookies. Needless to say It's another recipe of yours I can't wait to try!
ReplyDeleteI love your inventiveness!
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