Just Baking

When I was well into my third trimester with my daughter Violet, I recall snarfing down a batch of these cookies. Lord help me, they tasted just as good, if not better, by the second and third day.

Paula’s Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies were a hit. They are moist, tangy (why hello, cream cheese!) and delicious.

It is important to note that a stand mixer should be used for this recipe. If you don’t have access to one, use a bowl and a wooden spatula. Avoid using a hand mixer at all costs. According to the reviews of this recipe at FoodNetwork.com, hand mixers were known to burn out after trying to mix the following ingredients.

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies
Makes about 24

1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
*I added about 1/3 cup of semisweet chocolate chips to the original recipe*
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl with a stand mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. (If you want to add more chocolate chips like I did, do so now. Mix them in with a spatula.) Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls.
3. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon-sized balls and then roll them in confectioners’ sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and “gooey.” Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Recipe from Paula Deen.