Save on Cookie Mixes

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

There is no doubt that store bought cookie mixes are very convenient. They taste a bit more like homemade that boxed or bagged cookies do. But these mixes are very expensive, even when you count in coupons and sales. But there is a fun solution to those store bought cookie mixes, and it doesn't involve any baking from scratch.

(Of course, if you want to bake from scratch, that isn't a bad idea at all!)

Here is the secret to low cost cookie mixes. Take a cake mix and turn it into a cookie mix! Cake mixes are generally much less expensive than cookie mixes, and the amount of cookies you get is higher with a cake mix. Cakes mixes also seem to go on sale much more frequently than cookie mixes, and the generic bargain brands usually seem to work just fine.

How can you turn a cake mix into a cookie mix? Take any flavor of a boxed cake mix (18 ounces) and add 1/2 cup of oil, 2 eggs, a tablespoon of water and 1 or 2 teaspoons of extract.

Mix it well and roll it into balls, then flatten on a cookie sheet. Bake the cookies (or cakies, as I like to call them) for about 9 minutes at 350 degrees. Yum Yum.

I first ran into this idea while visiting my sister-in-law, who served us these unique and yummy cookies. She served us lemon ones, but you can easily vary the cookies by the type of mix and the type of extract. Some suggestions:

• Chocolate cake mix and mint extract
• Yellow cake mix and lemon extract (dust them with powdered sugar after they are baked and cooled)
• White cake mix and vanilla extract for sugar cookies

What combinations can you think up?

Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, online content manager, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania in the middle of the woods but close enough to Target and Home Depot.

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