East Squeezy Cool Whip cookies

I love giving homemade Christmas goodies out to friends and neighbors, but sometimes the ingredients can really add up to be a lot of money. When I’m already spending plenty of money this time of year, between the RV damage and my daughter’s braces this year it can sometimes be hard to fork over the extra for specialty ingredients. I had a list of about a dozen people who were eagerly awaiting my Christmas cookies (mother doesn’t bake, my father has a sweet tooth, The Husband’s family love homemade goodies) and almost no money to make them. Reluctantly, I decided to utilize my coupons and a sale at Kroger’s to get a good deal on some pouches of Betty Crocker cookie mix. Don’t judge me; I’m short on time and cash. Yes, I shy away from this sort of thing but nobody wants to spend the holidays with a woman crying from exhaustion over sifted whole wheat flour. I deserve a little holiday joy too.

So I took those pouches of Betty Crocker cookie mix that I normally snub and I placed a chocolate kiss in the middle of each to give them a special touch. Nobody was the wiser and I got to watch the Hallmark Holiday Special so I could still cry of I wanted to. (I didn’t.) And ya know what? They all liked them same as if I had spent way more time getting cranky in the kitchen. Just goes to show that it is the thoughtfulness of a gift of baked goods that is far more impressive than the “fanciness” of the product. Since I’m slumming it with pouches of Betty Crocker cookie mix, why not just go full tilt? I might be broke but I have a snappy looking RV and someday my oldest darling child will have straight teeth. This time of year cake mix is at most $1.00 per box and Cool Whip is also usually $1. You can make 2 dozen cookies for $2 so sink yours right into a batch of Cool Whip cookies!

Cool Whip cookies:

• Box of 18.25 oz. cake mix, any flavor
• 8 oz. of Cool Whip
• 1 lg egg
• powdered sugar (couple cups in a shallow dish)

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cake mix, cool whip and egg.
Put in fridge for a bit to decrease the sticky factor.
Take a spoon full and roll it in the powdered sugar.
Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on cookie size).