In this series we have been talking about being the church in our community, out in the street, among the people, mingling with them and loving them where they are.  In Part 6 we discussed welcoming new people to our neighborhoods, churches or workplaces.  I suggested taking a plate of warm, homemade cookies to the newcomers, and promised a simple, but good recipe for cookies.  This is a recipe of my own creation.  There are probably similar recipes elsewhere, but I have not seen them.  The key to success in making these cookies is to follow directions and to make no substitutions for either the brand of cake mix indicated or for the butter.  Of course, you may need to bake a few batches first to see if you like them.

Secret Recipe Cookies

-One 18.25  ounce box Betty Crocker Yellow (or Butter Recipe Yellow) Super Moist Cake Mix (Absolutely no substitutions – no other brands work the same – You can pick these up on sale for about $1 a box)
-One stick butter (Again, absolutely no substitutions.  Do not use margarine.)
-2 large eggs
-One cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-One cup chopped nuts (I usually use walnuts)
-22 chopped small Heath bars (this is about half a bag) or 11 chopped snack size Heath bars (this is also about half a bag) – This makes about one cup chopped bars
-1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Chop the nuts and Heath bars.  Preheat the oven to 375.  Lightly spray two 12 x 17 heavy duty aluminum baking sheets with cooking spray.

Melt butter.  Empty box of cake mix into a large mixing bowl.  Add vanilla to melted butter and stir.  Add butter and eggs to cake mix and stir until completely mixed.  Immediately add chocolate chips, nuts and Heath bars.  Stir until completely mixed.

Evenly divide to make twelve cookies per baking sheet. (If you don’t eat half the dough!)  Drop by spoonfulls onto the baking sheets and flatten slightly with your hand.

Place cookies on two oven racks near middle of the oven.  Bake 8 minutes, then turn pans.  Bake five to seven minutes more, until golden brown.  Time varies according to your oven.

After you remove the cookies from the oven, cool one to two minutes max on the baking sheet and then loosen with a spatula, or they will stick.  Cool the pan a few minutes longer on a wire rack, then remove cookies and place on wax paper to cool.

Variations

Using the yellow mix, you can use chunky peanut butter (about 2/3 cup) instead of chocolate chips, walnuts and Heath bars (or use peanut butter and chocolate chips), or you can use raisins, oatmeal and raisins, oatmeal and raisins and chocolate chips, dates, M and M’s, chocolate chunks, pecans and dried apricots, dried cranberries (and bits of  candied orange peel if you like), dried blueberries, dried cherries or just about any combination of any of these extras, as well as other extras.

The other major variation I make starts with Betty Crocker Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (18.4 ounce box).  The basic recipe is the same.  Choose the extras.  Favorites are nuts, chocolate chips, Heath bars, and peanut butter.

Make the cookies using the yellow cake mix first, so you will know how long they take to bake in your oven.  (You can visually tell when they are golden brown.  The chocolate fudge cookies will take about the same amount of time to bake, if they have the same extras.)   Several extras make larger cookies, and may require a little more flattening with your hand after dropping the dough onto the baking sheets.

Baking time and cookie dough consistency will vary somewhat based on the extras you choose to add.  If you’re adding only chocolate chips, use one or two tablespoons less of melted butter, or add a couple of tablespoons of flour to thicken the dough.

The cookies really do not turn out well using any other brand or variety of cake mix.  I’ve tried dozens!  The cookies also do not turn out well at all using margarine.  Margarine is a completely different product than butter ( it is mostly water and oil), and makes the cookie dough thin, and the cookies tend to fall apart.