Recipe: Double Chocolate Chewies (cake mix cookies)

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHEWIES

"The chewiness of a brownie, the crunch of a cookie and incredibly fast and easy to make. Do not use a cake mix that contains pudding for these cookies."

Solid vegetable shortening for the baking sheets
1 (18.25 ounce) package plain devil's food cake mix
1/3 cup water
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 large egg
6 ounces (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) chopped nuts (optional)

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with the vegetable shortening.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, combine the cake mix, water, melted butter and egg, blending for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. The cookie dough will be thick. Fold in the chips and nuts, if using, and mix well.

Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Place the pans in the oven. (If your oven cannot accommodate both pans on the center rack, place one sheet on the top rack and one on the center rack and rotate them halfway through the baking time.)

Bake the cookies until they have set but are still a little soft in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Place the pans on a wire rack to cool for 1 minute. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.

May store baked cookies wrapped in foil or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes 48 two-inch cookies
Source: The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn