Lemon Cool Whip Cookies

OK, so, it's official: I am addicted to Pinterest. There, I said it, it's out and we're all going to have to deal with it. And when I say, "deal with it", I mean, in the next couple of weeks, you are probably going to see a lot of Pinterest inspired, Pinterest derived, and straight up Pinterest recipes on this here blog. I can't help it. I collect recipes and Pinterest is like my street pusher dealer of recipes. I'm hooked.

To start things off I wanted to try the "Cool Whip Cookies" that are all over Pinterest and the internet these days. Even though, I'm kind of "luke warm" on the whole "semi-home made" type recipes. The ones that use prepackaged mixes, doctored up freezer and canned foods, etcetera. And, yes, you've seen some of those kinds of recipes here on the blog. I didn't say I didn't like them, I just try to be cautious that they don't become a crutch. That being said, you also know, if you've been reading this blog, that I do like cake mixes. So cookies, ones that profess to be "low fat", made with cake mix, piqued my interest. Here's how it went. . .

Just four simple ingredients: 

a cake mix (any flavor), Cool Whip, an egg and powdered sugar.

Start by mixing together the cake mix, Cool Whip and egg. The original recipe called for 1 cup of Cool Whip but it didn't seem like enough so I put in a "heaping" cup. It was probably about 1-1/4 cups.

This is really stiff dough. I started out using a whisk but quickly gave that up and went with a wooden spoon. At the end, I just had to get my hands in there to get it all mixed together. Just work at it until it's a smooth uniform dough.

Scoop out 1 tablespoons sized portions. Use your hands to roll them into a ball then roll them in powdered sugar.

Line the balls up, about 2 inches apart, on a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet. Then flatten the balls slightly with your hands or the bottom of a glass. (I didn't do this with the first batch and the cookies didn't spread at all and were a bit doughy in the middle.) Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container to keep them soft.

My review of this recipe was that they were super, I mean SUPER, easy to make. The texture stays soft, like a dense cake, which I really like. They do have a bit of a "cake mixy" taste to them, which again, I like. Probably because I like cake, and cupcakes and cake balls, and cake. Did I say I like cake? I also like that I can keep all the ingredients on hand and whip up a batch in a matter of minutes. Or the kids can. Easy, quick, tasty . . . love, love, love. Next time I'm going to try Devils Food, fo show!

Below is the version of this recipe that worked for me. After a bit of trial and error and checking several of the literally millions of recipe versions of the web, I found that this ratio of ingredients and cooking time worked best for the kind of cookie I wanted. I hope you'll try it out.

Cool Whip Cookies
Adapted from the Tasty Kitchen Blog

1 (16-18 oz.) box cake mix, any flavor
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 C. Cool Whip Topping
1 egg.
1 C. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F

Mix cake mix, 1-1/4 cups Cool Whip and egg into a stiff dough. Add and additional 1/4 cup Cool Whip if dough is too dry and won't hold together. Scoop dough into 1 tablespoon portions, roll into a ball and then roll in powdered sugar. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with your hand or the flat bottom of a glass. Bake 10-12 minutes until edges just start to brown. Cool completely and then store in an airtight container.
Makes 2 dozen
Each cookie: 95 calories, 2.5 grams fat