Holiday treats and using up cake mixes

I came across the most interesting recipes, and I just had to share with the holiday season quickly approaching.  These are some ideas to use up those cake mixes you purchased because they were on sale, or you had more then you thought you would need.  There are three recipes:  one for cookies, one for a sort of fruit crisp, and one for fudge.  I know what you are thinking...but yes, I am going to tell you how to do all three with only a few ingredients.

Ok, the first recipe is the easiest cookie recipe you will ever make.  It requires only three ingredients, but you can add others that you wish to it.


This recipe is my personal favorite of the three, because the possibilies are endless to what you can add to a variety of different flavor cake mixes with a little imagination.  You just have to watch the liquid content.  But if it isn't too wet, you should be able to add it to the mix.  For example: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peppermint pieces, heath pieces, reese pieces, reese cups pieces, hershey kisses, spices like cinnamon, flavorings like almond, strawberry, peppermint, vanilla, lemon.  You can also add nuts, jams, or roll in cornflakes (don't laugh it's good).

Cake Mix Cookies

1 cake mix any flavor
1 egg
1 stick of butter

Mix the three ingredients.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes ( I baked for 12 minutes for a chewy cookie).  You can also add chocolate chips, butterscotch morsels, carmel bits, cookie bits, reese's pieces, bits of thin mints, various types of flavorings.  The sky is the limit.

Note:  My personal favorite is Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix (Duncan Hines) with chocolate chips.  But I have only begun to test out different recipes.  I want to try White Cake mix with almond flavoring added and make a type of thumbprint cookie with raspberry filling.

I do offer one piece of knowledge that I suffered (oops, I mean gained) by experimenting.  If you want caramel with your cookies, do not place a carmel on the cookie dough as it bakes clear through the cookie onto the cookie sheet and becomes very hard.  I would just melt caramels and drizzle over the cookie.  Just ask me how I know this...heavy sigh!  I tried to make turtle cookies with the dark chocolate fudge and place my caramel on top of the cookie dough thinking it would melt over the top (NO).  So I would may place my pecan on top of the cookie and bake and then drizzle with the caramel. Oh well, how do you know if you don't try, right.

The second recipe is for fruit crisp:

Cake Mix Fruit Crisp

1 Box Cake Mix
Fresh fruit or 2 cans Pie filling (enough to fill the bottom of a 9x13 pan)
1 stick of butter

Put fresh fruit or pie filling in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Pour dry cake mix over the top of fruit.  Slice the butter up into thin slices and place on top of the cake mix.  You may need to sprinkle on a little water or add a little more butter if you notice the cake mix is to dry after some baking.  You can also spice it up with some cinnamon if you like.  Or throw on some pecans.  Or maybe add some pineapple to your fruit.  Mix and match fruits.  You could use blueberries and raspberries.  Apples and pecans.  Let your imagination run wild.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.  The top should be browned and the fruit soft if you used fresh fruit.

I may try tweaking this one with a little Oatmeal and brown sugar  sprinkled on top.

Fruits to use include: apples, blueberries, peaches, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.

Oh, I just now thought of caramel apple or caramel pear...yum.


Cake Mix Fudge

3 cups cake mix

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 stick butter or margarine, cut into small squares

1/4 cup milk

sprinkles or nuts(optional)

Line a 8×8 glass pan with foil and grease with butter. Mix cake mix and icing sugar in microwave-safe bowl. Add butter and milk. Don’t stir.

Microwave for 2-3 minutes, until butter is melted and bubbly. (Baking time might be slightly lower or higher depending on your microwave’s power.)  Stir immediately until completely combined. Add sprinkles. Do not overmix as sprinkle colour may bleed.

Spread into greased pan. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Here is another that I wasn't going to add because it wasn't cake mix related, but oh well it is easy enough:

Peanut Butter Quick Fudge

1 cup Peanut Butter
1 stick of Butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pounds powdered sugar

Place peanut butter and butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat JUST until the mixture is melted.  Try not to get it any hotter then you have to.  Stir in vanilla.  Slowly mix in the powdered sugar until it forms a fudgy consistency.  Place in a greased 8x8  pan. Cool in the refrigerator until firm.  Hey, I didn't say it was healthy.

Now, I don't want to hear anyone say that they can't create some type of holiday treat with this knowledge at their fingertips.  Make and enjoy.  And Happy Holidays to you all!