Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from a Cake Mix

I absolutely love all the baking that goes on around the holidays. Remember these and these?   Well, on Christmas Eve I was in charge of bringing a dessert to my in-law's house. I thought I'd make Pignoli Cookies like a good Italian daughter-in-law. But, one batch of Pignoli batter only makes about 2 dozen cookies, so I wanted to make something else.   I've always wanted to make whoopie pies. They're touted as being like cupcakes (which I happen to LOVE even more than cookies) but there's a better icing-to-cake ratio. YUM!    If you know me and my baking by now, you know I love to check out a dozen different recipes for the same thing and then take bits and pieces of each one to create the perfect recipe. The whoopie pies were no different. I wanted to make red velvet ones because they're red and I thought it would be cute for Christmas, and I wanted to start with a cake mix to make the whole thing a bit easier. I knew I'd do a homemade frosting though, to give it that "real" feel.   So, here's my awesome Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from a Cake Mix  

1 cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil.  Beat together for approx. 2 minutes.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, scoop out batter into round mounds.  I used a teaspoon and heaped my scoops.  Use the back of a spoon to round out scoops of batter into perfect circles.

Bake for 7 minutes.  Cool completely.

Icing 1 stick of butter, softened 8 oz of cream cheese, softened 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

 For the icing, in your KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and sugar (start with 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, then add more if necessary for thickness).  Whip for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Scoop into a ziptop bag with the corner cut off to a 1/2 inch opening.

To fill, pipe icing onto the bottom cookie (wrong side up), then top with another cookie (right side up). Be generous with the frosting! It makes all the difference.

Award Winning Pistachio Cookies

So, here are the cookies that won me the "Best Cookie" Award at my Christmas Cookie Swap 2 years ago.  Wait, that's not a real award, you say? Well, make these cookies and I promise you'll be singing a different tune. They are that good. I'm sure they'd win actual awards in a real contest, if I entered them.     Pistachio Cookies  

2 1/4 c. unsifted all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. butter, well softened

1/4 c. granulated white sugar

3/4 c.  light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

1 (4 oz.) pkg. pistachio instant pudding (used dry)

2 eggs

2/3 cup chopped pistachios

6-7 drops green food coloring

1. Mix flour and baking soda in medium bowl. 

2. Combine butter, both sugars, both extracts and instant pudding powder in large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. 

3. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

4. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Batter will be very stiff; mix well with floured hands. 

5. Cover bowl; If time, chill several hours or overnight for easier shaping. Form into smooth balls by teaspoonfuls. 

6. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. 

7. If desired, drizzle with confectioners' sugar icing mixed with a few drops green food coloring or melted chocolate.

So sorry for the delay in posting this recipe. It's been a rough few days here at our house. Last week Gia not only dipped her toothbrush in the toilet, she also licked the floor at my mom's house and then she licked a mirror when we were at Macy's. Of course she got a fever and a cold from it. And now I have it too, only 10 times worse. I have felt horrible for days. I didn't even make it to the cookie swap the other night. I didn't win with my Oreo Cheesecake Cookies ; the winner was a salted caramel thumbprint cookie that totally deserved the win. I'll get that recipe soon!

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Every year I'm invited to the best cookie swap. My cousin's friend hosts and, in order to get invited, you have to be a serious --and creative -- baker.    The first year I made heath oatmeal cookies and while they were good, they were not as unique or delicious as the other cookies there. The following year I stepped up my game and compiled a bunch of recipes and came up with Pistachio Cookies (I'll post that recipe tomorrow). They were a huge hit and I won BEST COOKIE! I was so excited! Last year I did a peanut butter, pretzel, chocolate chip cookie and did not win. This year, I'm determined to win again, so I worked my tushie off and did my compilation thing again. And, voila! We have the best Oreo Cheesecake Cookies ever. Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs (the finer the crumbs, the better)

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, and cream cheese until they are smooth. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, and then add the flour and mix on low. Mix in the chocolate chips. (Batter will be a little sticky still, but that's ok.)

3. Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls. (I used a medium cookie scoop from Bed Bath & Beyond). Drop the dough balls into a bowl of oreo cookie crumbs and roll to coat. Arrange the dough balls  an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

4. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until the edges just start to brown and the tops are set. Cool for a minute or two on the sheets, then transfer the cookies to wire racks and cool completely.

They are delish! The swap is tomorrow and I hope I win!