I don’t believe there is anything quite as homey as a cookie jar full of homemade cookies. I’m not a big fan of most store-bought cookies but I’m a sucker for a fresh-from-the-oven homemade version. With Aunt Hazel’s Cake Mix Cookies, it’s easy to always have fresh cookies on hand.
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Aunt Hazel’s Cake Mix Cookies
I’ve written about my Aunt Hazel before:
What Would Aunt Hazel Do ~ Southern Hospitality
She had a way of making everyone feel welcome and cozy in her home. She didn’t fuss over meals but everyone was fed. And one thing she always seemed to have was a full cookie jar. Her go-to recipe was extraordinarily simple but tasty.
One of the recipes I found when my mom gave me her recipe box was this one for Aunt Hazel’s cookies. Last week I decided to make them and I must say, it was lovely to have this little reminder of such a dear person. I miss her greatly but am grateful for the memories.
The ingredients are simple and few:
This is the written recipe in my mom’s handwriting. The paper is from my dad’s wholesale plumbing supply company that he owned in California before we moved to Oklahoma in 1980.
There are a couple of things to note on the recipe below. First, there is no mention of the chocolate chips I included yet I distinctly recall the version I so often ate at Aunt Hazel’s house had chocolate chips. So that is what I made.
I’m guessing that “pineapple (white)” is another potential flavor combination. White cake mix with crushed pineapple? I’ll have to give it a try someday.
My daughter makes a version with chocolate cake mix, white chocolate chips and peppermint extract. That sounds good, doesn’t it?
I want to try spice cake with butterscotch chips. Yum!
One other thing to note. It says “12-15 minutes” which I assume is the baking time. Don’t believe it. I found them to be perfectly baked at 9 minutes. Now, it’s possible that my oven isn’t properly calibrated. Here is a picture of my stove:
It’s probably 60 years old so I think we can forgive it if the temperature of the oven isn’t precise. Although, honestly, I’ve baked many things in it without a problem. So, to recap…start checking at 9 minutes.
Aunt Hazel's Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Combine first three ingredients, mixing well.
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Stir in chocolate chips.
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Drop by spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet.
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Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.
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Cool on wire rack.
Honestly, they couldn’t be easier. And while they don’t rise to the level of perfection of these:
Dee’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
…they are still pretty darn good. No wonder Aunt Hazel always had these on hand. I think I’ll keep an eye out for cake mixes on sale just for this purpose!
You may also enjoy…
Grandma’s Oatmeal Krispies Cookies
I’ve found oven temperatures can differ from stove to stove, even though they shouldn’t, and it makes cooking times change sometimes, so you need to be mindful of that and adjust cooking and baking time accordingly.
True. I’ve thought about getting an oven thermometer to check mine. Just out of curiosity.
I make Chocolate Crackles every Christmas for our family to enjoy. It is an old Farm Journal cookbook recipe and is almost the same as the recipe you posted. It calls for a box of Devil’s Food cake mix (my goodness, how the size of the packaging has shrunk!), the oil, a Tbsp. of water, 2 eggs and chocolate chips, just like your recipe. After blending the ingredients you roll the dough into walnut size balls, and then roll them in powered sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. I love them so much. If I made them year around I would eat them all! They are soft and so yummy!
Those sound tasty! I’ll have to give them a try.