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I've made these Cake Mix Santa Cookies part of our family's December activities for years now. They blend the simplicity of boxed cake mix with fun holiday decorations and chocolate bits to create something pretty amazing. The sweet vanilla smell fills up our home whenever I make them, turning a regular baking day into something really special for everyone.
What Goes In
- White Cake Mix: This works as our shortcut base for soft, tender cookies.
- Egg Whites: A pair of these helps create that airy, light cookie texture.
- All-Purpose Flour: Just a bit helps nail the right cookie firmness.
- Vegetable Oil: This is what keeps our cookies nice and moist.
- Chocolate Chips: I like to save some for pressing on top.
- Holiday Sprinkles: The green, white and red ones bring that Christmas feel.
Let's Get Baking
- Prepare the Dough
- Get your oven hot at 350°F. Combine everything until you've got a soft, slightly tacky dough.
- Mix-In Time
- Stir in your chocolate chips and sprinkles with a spoon to keep everything just right.
- Shape and Top
- Try using a small cookie scoop for even sizes, flatten slightly, and put extra goodies on top before they go in the oven.
Baking Tips
- Perfect Timing
- They'll need about 8-10 minutes, just until the edges look done but the middle stays soft.
- Cooling Time
- Let them sit on the hot pan for a couple minutes before moving them to a rack.
Storage Secrets
They'll stay yummy in a sealed container for many days. I put parchment between layers so they don't stick together. Sometimes I freeze the finished cookies, but I really love freezing balls of dough so we can have warm cookies whenever we want.
Mix It Up
You can try different types of chocolate chips or throw in some crushed candy canes. A little bit of peppermint extract makes them taste extra Christmassy. My children love picking out new sprinkle colors each time we make them, so every batch feels a bit different.
Perfect Presentation
These cookies stand out on any holiday plate. They're great for cookie swaps or wrapped up as little gifts. Funny enough, they're always gone first from Santa's plate on Christmas Eve.
Kitchen Wisdom
- Make small batches for better results.
- Coat your mix-ins with a little flour so they spread evenly.
- Always bake one test cookie to check your timing and texture.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- → Why use egg whites only?
- Egg whites keep the cookies light-colored and soft, and the bright decorations pop better.
- → Can I switch up the cake mix?
- White cake mix is great for bright colors, but vanilla or yellow works okay too.
- → What’s the purpose of adding flour?
- It gives structure and stops the cookies from spreading out too much.
- → How can I tell if the cookies are done?
- Take them out after 8-10 minutes, while they look slightly underdone. They’ll finish baking on the tray.
- → Can I freeze them?
- Yep, they freeze perfectly for 3 months. Keep them in a sealed container with paper between layers.