Easy chocolate cookies (from a chocolate cake mix)

I'm not very organised, when it comes to saving recipes spotted online. Sometimes I come across an interesting recipe and bookmark it, but more often I hope I would remember where I've seen it, but of course, I don't.
Last week someone re-tweeted a recipe for quick and easy chocolate cookies made with a chocolate cake mix. I had a quick look at the recipe which was called something like 3-ingredients' cookies. Technically the name was wrong, as the cake mix includes several ingredients in it, plus she added candy of all kinds to her cookies. I knew the idea of making easy cookies from a cake mix would appeal to both of my boys.
A few years ago I asked on Facebook where to get a certain US cake mix, which is not available widely in the UK. There were quite a few responses along the lines "You buy cake mixes?", as if the idea itself was incredulous. Yes, I do, not often, but I usually have a box or two in the pantry for a rainy day, when I'm too tired to weigh and measure. I do add a few extras to jazz it up.

Anyway, back to that cookies recipe. I scrolled down my Twitter feed, trying to find if I have re-tweeted it. Nope. I knew the cookie dough was a chocolate cake mix (or was it brownies?), with 2 medium eggs and half a cup of oil (125ml). I believe the original poster added M&Ms to her cookies.

We didn't have M&Ms, but we had a small bag of Maltesers, and some packs of Sunny Fruit Mix-Ups, which were delivered with the latest Degustabox food box.

I would love to acknowledge the original poster, so if you do know who I'm talking about, please give me a shout.

You will need
1 box of chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Devil's Food cake mix, but Cadbury's would be nice too)
2 medium eggs
120ml mild olive oil
+
about 25 Maltesers, halved
2 bags of Sunny Fruit Mix Ups (raisins and dried strawberries)
a handful of mini meringues

You can use any mild olive oil, but I like Filippo Berio mild and light because it's neutral in taste, unlike the extra virgin olive oil. Of course, it's a matter of an individual taste, so feel free to experiment with another flavour.

In a mixing bowl tip in the contents of the cake box, beat in two eggs and olive oil. If using different add-ons, divide the dough into two bowls, then mix in any dried fruit and berries you like, or candy.
As mentioned above, I added halved Maltesers to one part, and Mix -ups and mini meringues to the other part. Roll the cookie dough into balls, then flatten into cookies and spread on the baking sheet.
Bake for about 11 minutes at 180C. Let the cookies cool lightly before transferring onto the cooling rack, as they are very soft and fragile at this point. Do not worry, they will get the right texture.
If you keep them in the oven for longer, they will be crispy, but if you like soft crumbly cookies, don't over-cook them.

They spread quite a bit in the oven, so don't cram them on the baking sheet.
You will get about 21 cookies.

These cookies are very easy to make, so invite your kids to join in. They will have fun adding their favourite sweets.

I used Sunny Fruit Mix-Ups in one half of the cookie dough. Sweet raisins and dried strawberries work great with the chocolate base. But again, this is just a suggestion - add dried banana chips, or dried cherries, cranberries, any nuts.

The cookies will keep well in a closed container for several days.

Easy Marbled Cake

Yesterday's Feast magazine was a five-ingredient special. It's a lovely idea to cope with the bare minimum, and I started making today's cake with an intention of keeping it to 5 ingredients. Reader, I failed. I wanted to use the chocolate hazelnut spread from NuttVia, but the cake batter still looked a bit pale, when I mixed it in, so I sifted in one heaped teaspoon of cocoa powder.
And since I "broke" the 5-ingredients' postulation, I thought I might as well add a tablespoon of the egg liqueur to the vanilla half of the cake batter.
If you want to keep it more austere, don't use the liqueur and swap the milk for water.

Funnily enough, as I was mixing the dough, Eddie came into the kitchen and asked what I was baking. I said: "The Marbled Cake". He heard it as a Marvel cake, and was quite disappointed, when the cake was out of the oven: "What is Marvel about it? Are you going to decorate it?"
Sorry, son, it's not a Marvel cake.

Easy Marbled Cake
Ingredients:
1 pack of Betty Crocker Velvety Vanilla cake mix (425g)
110g butter, softened
3 medium eggs
180ml milk (semi-skimmed)
1tsp cocoa powder
60g chocolate hazelnut spread (I used NuttVia spread)
1tbsp Advocaat (optional)

In a medium sized mixing bowl beat the soft butter into the cake mix, and add the eggs, one at a time. Add milk, and mix well. Divide the cake batter into two parts.
Add two heaped tablespoons of hazelnut chocolate spread and sift in the cocoa powder as well.
If using the Advocaat liqueur, add it to the second bowl of cake batter.

Using a spray oil, spread the oil evenly inside the bundt cake tin.
Add blobs of white cake batter and chocolate cake dough intermittently in the cake tin to create a marbled effect.

Place the cake tin in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 45+ minutes. Check readiness with a wooden toothpick.
Allow to cool before removing out of the tin, and dust with the icing sugar.

It's a lovely cake to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. It's also very easy and quick to make, basically less than an hour from beginning to end.

Once he was over his disappointment of not seeing a Marvel cake, Eddie ate a piece and pronounced it tasty.

In this recipe I used NuttVia Hazelnut Spread which was one of the products in the latest Degustabox. It is 97% less sugar, compared to sugar-based market products, and is also palm oil free. It's made with NatVia, a naturally sourced sweetener. I haven't tried it before. I would like a higher cocoa content, and a slightly less sweet taste.
Average values: 79kcal per 15g (1tbsp).

Dr. Oetker Bake In The Box

Easter holidays are starting tomorrow, and you might be making plans on what to do with children for 17 school-free days. If you travel far to warmer climes, I wish you a safe journey. If you stay at home like us, then we have to come up with contingency plans for any weather.
On a rainy day, how about a baking session with children? Either make a cake from scratch, or take it easy and use a cake mix.

Have you seen a new range of Dr Oetker Bake in the Box loaf cake mixes?
They come in three delicious flavours - Lemon & Poppy seed, Banana & Choc Chip and Double Chocolate.
They are top notch easy bakes and cakes. You just add milk to the cake mix which comes in a pouch inside the box, and bake in the box itself, so there is no need for any extra prep or washing.
The cakes are baked beautifully inside the cardboard boxes, and it takes just about half an hour from the start to finish.
Imagine you have surprise guests and would love to treat them to something sweet. What could be easier?

The first cake mix we tried was Banana & Choc Chip, as selected by my elder son, as he loves banana bakes and choc chips too.

You don't need to add anything but milk to the cake mix, but I always jazz up any cake mix I buy.
I added 1 egg to each cake mix and 1-2tbsp melted butter or oil, and a little bit of something like a few chopped chocolate buttons.
This is what a raw banana cake looks like, just before going into the oven.

You need to take the cake out after 10 minutes of baking to score a neat middle, but if you don't mind slightly wonky, off-side cakes, then don't worry if you forget to do it.
Here is the baked result. You need to carefully open the box to take the cake out.

The banana cake was sweet and fluffy. My children loved it. I still think that a banana bread made with fresh mashed bananas has a superior taste, but don't scorn this little bake. It's lovely with a cup of tea. 

The next cake mix to test was a Lemon & Poppy Seed. I love this combination of flavours, and this cake was my top choice of the three.

I added 1 egg, 1tbsp of mild olive oil, zest of 1 lemon and 1tbsp of lemon juice.
I also made a thin icing from the icing sugar mixed with lemon juice and decorated the cake with mini jellies.
As you can see, I haven't scored the cake in time, so it split in the middle on its own accord.

It was zingy, light, lemony and with a nice addition of poppy seeds. A real winner.

And finally the chocolate cake... I've added 1tbsp of oil, 1 medium egg and 1 heaped tbsp of chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella, only less sugary).

We've decorated the cake with Dr Oetker Unicorn Chips, which look very pretty. As we were putting them on top of a still pretty warm cake, the chips started to melt.

It was a moist, very chocolatey cake. Judging by how quickly it disappeared - it didn't last 24 hours - this was the best cake, according to my family.

Have you tried any of the new Dr Oetker Bake in the Box cakes?

Disclosure: I received three boxes of cake mix for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Red velvet almond biscotti

It felt like an Indian summer yesterday, it was sunny and warm, almost hot, a perfect September day. Our apple trees in the garden are groaning under the weight of fruit. I still have some pre-blanched apples in the freezer left from last year.
And as many gardens in the neighbourhood have their own apple trees, nobody wants free apples. Such a shame.
Today we woke up to an incessant drizzle and grey skies, such a difference with yesterday's mild weather. Today I feel like wrapping myself in a fleece blanket and having lots of hot drinks.

I was expecting friends for a late morning coffee, and realised that we've run out of all homebaked cookies and cakes. I rummaged in the kitchen shelves and found a box red velvet cake mix.
I didn't fancy baking a cake, but remembered seeing photos of red velvet biscotti on Pinterest.

Technically these are not proper Italian biscotti. I don't think I've ever seen red velvet biscotti anywhere in Italy.
This recipe, in many variations, appears mostly on American sites and blogs. But these biscotti are pretty good with a cup of coffee or tea. They are also very easy to make, and don't take much time either.

Red velvet biscotti
Ingredients:
1 pack of red velvet cake mix
2 medium eggs
125g butter, melted
125+g plain flour
50g almonds, chopped

In  a big mixing bowl mix together contents of 1 pack of red velvet cake mix and 2 medium eggs. Add melted butter, flour and chopped almonds (bigger pieces not crumbs).
Divide the cake dough into 2 parts.
Shape the cake dough into 2 flattened loafs on the baking sheet.
Place it in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 20 minutes.

Take the tray out and carefully transfer each baked rectangle on the cutting board.
Slice into separate biscotti with a bread knife. The dough inside is still quite uncooked and soft.

Place all the biscotti back on to the baking sheet, and back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

They are crispy and crunchy, and lovely to dip into coffee.
Typically I cannot stand dunking biscuits into tea or coffee. Biscotti is the only type of biscuit I would ever dunk.
Are you a biscuit dunker?

Strawberry cake

The spring is here, and there is no excuse to postpone the kitchen spring cleaning. This is quite a quest in my case. To make it less daunting I need to divide the task into smaller jobs, and do one cupboard at a time, or I will be forever procrastinating.

I should be particularly merciless with all the old jams and chutneys. I am usually over enthusiastic in autumn, and make too many jars. Some I manage to give away, but there is still a lot, we never eat all preserves I make, then the next canning season comes, and the circle is never ending.

Trying to find some space on the shelves for the honey I bought a few days ago, I discovered that I still had half of the strawberry cake mix, half of the tub of cream cheese frosting, as well as a jar of strawberry jam with just a few tablespoons of jam left. Plus there was a small pot of yogurt in the fridge which nobody fancied. If I dump everything into a cake mix, it might just work. 

Strawberry cake

Ingredients:

3 medium eggs

half a box of strawberry cake mix (e.g. Betty Crocker)

100g self-raising flour

100g Greek style yogurt

2tbsp strawberry conserve (I used TipTree Strawberry conserve with Champagne)

100g butter, melted

cream cheese frosting (half a tub) + sugar sprinkles for decoration

In a mixing bowl beat 3 medium eggs with the cake mix. Add the flour, yogurt, conserve and melted butter, and mix well. Pour the cake mix into an oiled spring cake tin. Place the tin in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 35+ minutes, check with a wooden toothpick if it's ready.
Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool before slicing into two halves. Spread half of the frosting on the first layer, cover with the second layer, and spread more frosting. Sprinkle some of colored sugar sprinkles on top.

This is a quick and easy bake, and I was pleased to finish a few bits and bobs in the kitchen.

Adding this recipe to #KitchenClearout linky run by Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

Dark chocolate & strawberry cake mix cookies

After spending almost a week in bed with a rotten cold-flu thingy, I'm slowly getting back into the world of the living. My guys had to live on sandwiches and soup, as I wasn't well enough to cook. Now that I'm feeling better, I thought it's time to bake something today, albeit very simple.
Cookies never last long in this house, but I'm a tad bored of making the same choc chip oat cookies.
For being a foodie, I have a strange fascination with cake mixes. It might be the association with childhood and baking cakes as a kid, I cannot explain why I have a fondness for them. It's not like I cannot bake anything from scratch. I even have a board on Pinterest dedicated just to recipes with cake mixes.
I also know perfectly well that they are not exactly health food, if anything, quite the opposite. Yet buy them I do, and often enough.

Having a rummage in my kitchen, I took out a box of strawberry cake mix, remaining half a bar of dark chocolate, mild olive oil and a small sachet of oats.

Dark chocolate strawberry cake mix cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 box of strawberry cake mix (220g)
45ml mild olive oil
1 medium egg
30g oats
50g dark chocolate, chopped

In a medium bowl mix together all the ingredients - cake mix, olive oil, egg, oats and chopped dark chocolate. Divide into walnut-sized pieces, roll into balls, then flatten them and place on the baking trays lined with kitchen foil or parchment paper.
Bake for 12+ minutes until lightly golden. They will still be soft when you take the trays out.
Cool on the wire rack.
Eat warm or cold, with milk, tea or coffee.

I always have a stash of chocolate bars in the kitchen, mostly dark, as milk and white chocolate doesn't last long here (my guys love white and milk chocolate). I enjoy just a little bit of dark chocolate at a time, and love different flavours, so you can find several opened bars in the kitchen at any given time.

Adding this post to #KitchenClearout linky run by Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

Orange flavoured cupcakes with lemon curd frosting

My boys and I stayed at home all day on Monday, only venturing in the garden. To cheer them up, we decided to bake cupcakes. I recently received a few jars of preserves from Hawkshead Relish's new Couture range, including a delicious lemon curd.
I love lemon curd, but none of my men are too keen on it. I knew that the best way to use it would be to add it as an ingredient to baking. In this recipe I used this delicately flavoured preserve to make a lemon curd cream cheese frosting. And I was right, the cupcakes disappeared faster than you can say "orange cupcakes with lemon curd cream cheese frosting".

Orange flavoured cupcakes with lemon curd frosting
Ingredients:
1 pack of Betty Crocker vanilla cupcake mix
2 medium eggs
45ml olive oil
50ml freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of 1 orange

for frosting:
115g icing sugar
60g softened butter
65g cream cheese
2tbsp lemon curd
chocolate sprinkles

Beat two eggs with the oil, orange zest and juice, add a pack of vanilla cupcake mix, mix well together. Divide the mix into 9 cupcake cases, inserted into a cupcake baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes or less, just check with a wooden toothpick if they're ready.
Take the tray out of the oven, and let the cupcakes cool before decorating with the frosting and sprinkles.

Make frosting by beating together the icing sugar, butter, cream cheese and lemon curd. Pipe onto the cupcakes and add some chocolate sprinkles (they were included in the kit).

These are light citrussy cupcakes, delicate and flavourful.

We used a cake mix from Betty Crocker as a base, but any basic vanilla cake mix will do, including supermarket own. In fact, sometimes supermarket own beats the brand cake mixes, for example, a carrot cake mix from M&S is much better than many other carrot cake mixes we have tried, but I digress.

Cake mixes are frowned upon by purist foodies, but if you are baking with kids, it's a great kitchen staple.
Cake mix could always be improved by added extras like lemon or orange zest, milk instead of water, added spices, grated apple etc etc, the possibilities are endless.

Whoop-whoop-whoopie pies (Betty Crocker Whoopie Pie mix review)

We were lucky to receive two boxes of Betty Crocker Whoopie Pie mix - in Double chocolate and Vanilla.

Ease of preparation: 5*

Taste: 5*

Earlier this morning Eddie and I decided to make some Whoopie Pies.

Here is Eddie helping Mummy to mix the chocolate icing. A happy child, a messy kitchen, lots of fun.

Whoopie pies were very easy to prepare, everything comes in a box in two packets: cake mix and icing mix, you just need to add an egg, water, oil and milk. Icing was a bit runny, though I measured milk and used a hand blender, so maybe a bit less of milk might be better. We also added a bit of jam to go with the chocolate filling to half of the pies, as suggested on the box, and that was lovely too.

Now for the most important part of the tester job:

And more tasting and testing. A hard job, but someone has to do it. :)

And the decision of the testing panel: excellent!

Daddy loved it, Mummy loved it, Eddie loved it, we left some for Sasha when he comes after school too.