Strawberry Cake Cookies

I have never heard of cake cookies. I came across a recipe the other day that talked about it, and I had to try it. I usually am about making my food from scratch, but something about this jumped out at me. Moist soft cookies with few ingredients, I just had to do it.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I thought I’d surprise the kids with a little pre V- Day treat. They loved it, I loved it and I am almost teetering on the fence as to make more! Scary right? Ok, I won’t apologize for making my life easier by using cake mix to create cookies, but I will apologize for not finding these sooner!

These cookies contain a whopping 4 ingredients 5 if you use the optional ingredient. I heart cake cookies and I’m not afraid to admit it. I am sure I will get some flack for even posting this on my blog, but it’s ok. We all need a quick and easy go to recipe, this is a perfect one! Enjoy 😀

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 box strawberry cake mix
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1.5 cups white chocolate chips 
• heart shaped candy (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine, butter, cake mix and eggs. Stir until well mixed.
3. Add white chocolate chips and stir until incorporated.
4. Chill dough for about 2-3 hours or until firm.
5. Take 1 tablespoon of dough and form a ball, roll in white chocolate chips or heart candies and place on cookie sheet. In between batches I keep dough in refrigerator to keep cold.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Cornbread Gone Wild…

I am convinced I was either Hispanic in my previous life or a poblano pepper. I just can’t get enough Mexican  food and the spiciness that goes with it! This recipe is an adaptation from another recipe I have. If you want to make it vegetarian omit the turkey meat, it is just as tasty! I love cornbread but also like nontraditional such as with butter and honey. So baking it this way makes it seem like you are having it an entirely new way, which essentially you are. You could add black beans in this recipe instead of corn or along with the corn to make it more tex mex. This is a spicy dish, if you want it less spicy omit the jalepeno and make sure all seeds are removed. I left some seeds in and used the jalepeno, 1 of my kids was in tears it was so spicy for them 😦 I also served this over my Chipotle Lime Refried Beans. Be prepared for >hotness<

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground turkey meat
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt/pepper to taste (for ground turkey)
2 tablespoons butter
6 large, fresh green chilies; such as Anaheim or poblano, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 jalepeno pepper; roasted, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 can corn, drained
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt (for cornbread batter)

 DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to Broil
2. Char peppers until bubbly, brown and aromatic; about 10-15 minutes.
3. Place in bowl and cover with saran wrap to “sweat” the peppers to be able to easily remove the skins.
4. Once skins removed, carefully slice open and remove seeds.
5. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
6. Cook turkey meat with garlic and salt/pepper until cooked thoroughly. 
7. Place the chiles in a layer on the bottom of the pan, sprinkle 1/2 the turkey meat, top with 1/2 half the cheese, add remaining turkey meat.  
8. Beat the egg whites until fluffy, almost stiff.
9. In another bowl, mix together the egg yolks, corn, cornmeal, flour, milk, sour cream and salt.
10. Fold egg whites gently into the cornbread mixture and spoon over the cheese and peppers.
11. Top with butter pats and add all remaining cheese on top
12. Bake for 25 minutes. 
13. Let set for about 5 minutes and cut into sections to serve.
14. Serve on top of my Chipotle Lime Refried Beans.
    

Prepping the peppers for charring

Peppers after sweating

Make sure your 2 year old has something to play with while you get hot pepper seeds on your hands!

Shredded cheeses

De-skinned & de-seeded peppers in baking dish

on top of peppers goes the turkey meat

on top of turkey meat goes cheese, then the rest of the turkey

fluffy egg whites

egg whites and cornbread mixture added to pan, topped with butter pats

top with remaining cheese and bake, bake, bake. Enjoy the wonderful aromas that arise from your oven.