Most of my recipe are for grownups and recently a young friend asked me why I didn’t put up easy things that kids could make, especially around Christmas and make the recipe simple enough that mums and dads didn’t have to help other than the oven. Well, that gave me food for thought.
It’s been a long time since I had young ones and my grands are 10,000 miles away so I don’t get to cook with them very often.
Then I saw Bakerette’s post for Chocolate Crinkles and I knew I was on to a good idea. My execution wasn’t 100% but I’ll know better next time. I pushed the M&Ms in too far and that messed with the icing sugar and they didn’t look so crinkly. Keep the ball shape as much as you can.
I used red velvet cake mix (because it was holiday red) and I used red & green Christmas M&Ms for the top. I don’t know that they needed the candy on the top but kids like adding things so I used them.
Dump the cake mix in a mixer, add 2 eggs and half a cup of butter nearly melted (just pop it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds depending upon how cold the butter was) and some vanilla extract. Mix until it all comes together, about 2 minutes.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (if you can last that long) and then take a teaspoon of dough in your hands and form into balls and then roll in icing sugar. Place on cookie sheet on baking paper and bake for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies are set. They are cakey, not crunchy cookies.
When you take them out of the oven, slide the baking paper on to a cooling rack and see who burns their mouth first having the first bite. Remember the M&M is going to be really hot right out of the oven.
Notes:
Red Velvet cake mix goes straight through – you’re not dying, it’s the food coloring. Best not to peek after you poo. It’s like eating too many beets, you’re sure you’re dying of something.
Use a devil’s food cake mix and make the same way and turn them into whoopie pies Or spice cake crinkle cookies.
- 1 box cake mix, any sort
- ½ cup butter, very very soft
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or other flavor extract)
- ½ cup Powdered sugar (icing sugar) for rolling
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C
- In a mixing bowl combine the cake mix, butter, eggs and vanilla until the dough comes together.
- Chill for 30 minutes
- Roll into balls and then into icing sugar and place on cookie sheet lined with baking paper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the center is just set - don't overcook.
- Store in a tightly covered container.
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YAY I love easy recipes 😛 Is it a big sad that I got excited when I read the ‘kids can make part’ hahaha it means I can DEFINITELY make it without failing!
Happy holidays i can’t believe only a couple of weeks till the BIG XMAS DAY!
I know.. and the other day I found out the inlaws are coming for Christmas. They’re a million and need constant entertaining. Who has time?? I’ll let them make these cookies. 🙂
This recipe is so easy even I could make them. I’m stil a kid at heart. 🙂
I am too when it comes to cookies, Roberta!
Love the look of these Maureen! I didn’t know you could make cookies with a cake mix! I guess that means you could adapt cake recipes to cookies. Oh the possibilities!
You can, Claire, but they are cake like – more like whoopie pie cookies than say a choc chip or sugar cookie.
These definitely look kid-friendly. Now I need to find me a kid to make some so I can eat them! 😉 Fun post – thanks.
I don’t have any kids either.. come over, I have some left. 🙂
Very festive looking cookies as well as being kid friendly.
I don’t normally have cake mixes in the house but I had ordered a red velvet cake mix from the USA food store and figured this was a good way to use it. 🙂
I don’t have a problem with cake mixes … they’re handy and taste good too. 🙂 I’ve never actually tasted either red velvet cake (or a carrot cake) for that matter.
Oh you have a treat with either red velvet or carrot cake!
These are so cute for the holidays!
and so easy, Laura!
Glad you posted these today, I was able to include the link in my post tomorrow. 🙂 Cake mix cookies are so very easy and always a crowd pleaser! 🙂
You beauty!! I laughed at that post. 🙂
Great idea to post a kid-friendly recipe. I found a couple good ones that I’m going to make with the girls next weekend, because even though my girls are right here I don’t always make the time to bake or cook with them. I just made Eva’s crinkle cookies, otherwise I’d be pulling out the cake mix tonight! Will you see your grands over the holidays?
I think that’s great, Barb. My mother never cooked with any of us but she didn’t mind if we watched and all 3 kids are good cooks. I’d probably be better if I’d started younger. I still believe if you can read, you can cook.
I love these Maureen! I have chocolate crinkles on my list this year but I may need to add that M&M – have a wonderful week!
Thanks, Tricia, I really appreciate the visit. The M&Ms make them festive. At least that’s my excuse for the added chocolate.
These have my name written all over them my friend 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
They did? Come up and get them then. Nobody’s going to eat the ones with your name on them. 🙂
Thanks for the shout-out Maureen! Glad you enjoyed the cookies well enough to post about it. Your photos are fantastic! My mouth was drooling each time I scrolled down. I laughed hard at the pooping red! LOL. Too funny. Have a great day.
Hi Jeni and thanks for coming by. Your inspiration made a great holiday treat.
Maureen, I don’t have kids or grandkids in close proximity either… will have to make these for myself. 🙂
Maybe we could eat them together?
That note about the colouring, ahem, afterwards has really cracked me up 🙂
I guess I’m in the child category at heart which makes these just perfect!
One wouldn’t want to head to the doctor when it was only red velvet cake 🙂
It’s a shame the grandkids are so far away. They would love to cook with you, I am sure. I think those cookies look great just the way they are and I so love your styling – very Christmasy.
Thanks, Suzanne, I’ve been working on getting better photos and I have so far to go but at least I see *some* progress.
I love to eat these Cookies
me too! thanks for stopping by, Jolie!
Aw, I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas. This is the best time to hunt for xmas treats and after reading this gem, I’m set. Now, what to wrap them in?….
Did Christmas sneak up on you, Adrian? 🙂 There’s Christmas music everywhere up here, no hiding from the holidays.
There is no better way to have fun with kids than to make cookies! They look special and perfect for my son to make!
and no effort. Kids love to be able to say, “I did it all by myself.”
Alfie used to go to family day care. One day the woman looking after him was very alarmed and when I came to collect him pulled me aside and told me in hushed tones about what she found in his nappy. ‘It was reddy purple’ she said. ‘Not too worry’, I said, yesterday he ate beetroot salad for lunch and dinner’. I know what you mean! Great looking cookies xx
I knew I wasn’t the only one. When I did a 2 month juice fast last year with lots of beetroot I went to the doctor thinking I was in trouble 🙂
Will definitely make these with my nieces!
I think they’ll love it!
Thanks for the warning! I remember going out to eat the night before my 35th birthday and I had a huge bowl of roasted beets. I woke up on my 35th birthday and thought, OMG I am dying!? haha The cookies look tasty and I am all about easy.
I don’t have children (not to mention grandchildren!) so I have never thought about children-friendly recipes, but I am sure that it’s important to encourage children to bake and cook. These cookies look very tempting for adults too.
By the way, I have one cookery book for children (or maybe young teenagers) and I must say that all the recipes are 100% foolproof unlike most of adult cookery books.
Great looking cookies! When I worked as a pastry chef assistant, I learnt that only smarties don’t crack during baking. Cool huh?
Okay, I am an anal baker and my kids WANT to help and I shoo them away! But, Christmas time? They always help out!
I love baking with Tiffany. she’s so fun although she still has to learn to have patience :))
Love me some homemade chocolate crinkles, mmm
Well, now I can have kids over not just to eat cookies, but bake it first! I always look for a new ideas of how to occupy kids when they come to my house (not mine kids though, those have quite different interest at their age!) 🙂
A fun recipe for kids! What do I bet you they eat that Smartie in the centre first? I would!
These make such pretty cookies, and thanks for the reminder that I’ve been wanting to make crinkle cookies!
I laughed out loud at your notes. How many times have I been freaked out by beats consumed the night before! I love the look of a crinkle cookie, very festive.
Kids and cookies 🙂 a perfect combination.
I love the addition of the M&M Maureen and I love the picture with the cookie cutters..the colors and styling are just beautiful
Your photos are lovely, so Christmas-y! The sugar on top of cookies looks like snow!
I never put M&M on my crinkles, but that’s a lovely idea. Guess I am still a kid at heart.
Oh, what a lovely cheat, Maureen. Whenever I’ve made crinkles I do it from scratch – I had no idea there was a shortcut!
These are beautiful cookies and look SO tasty!
I need to steal some kids and make these—love the look and ease of these =)
Interesting! So are they look cookies or like little cakes? I always thought that crinkle cookies were quite crunchy but didn’t realise you could get crunchy with a cake mix!
You’re right my recipes are always very adult focused too. These look great and very crinkled to me. Love the Christmassy photos. GG
It’s a good idea to let the kids do some cooking/baking that they can easily do, since they’re always peeking into the kitchen anyway. My kids love crinkles. They just gobble them up. This will be a great project for them. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for the visit, Felix and I hope your kids have fun with these. Happy Christmas!
What a fun idea for the kids ( and the adults). Quick and very delicious looking
HA! Your note about red velvet food coloring going straight through killed me!! haahahahhaaa
yippee for grandchildren friendly recipes and so yummy and beautiful presented too xox
Looking at these cookies, I’d never think they were made from a box mix!! and really, who would guess!! In a pinch, I love this idea. The holidays are so very busy and even tho I don’t have little ones to bake with, I could certainly use a last minute quick and so beautiful looking cookie to bake!
So much cheer in this post! 🙂 I love the added chocolate with the M&M!
What a lovely recipe for the whole family!
I know some kids I can rope in to help me make these. Great crinkle on these cookies Maureen.
Oh these cookies look so delicious!!
i love them! I mean I know my kids will love them- its for the kids rigth? Can mom have one or two or three even? They look super fun to make and really delicious
Oh I love love fun recipes for kids. I try to save recipes on a board on pinterest of kid friendly dishes, ones that I could even make with my niece:-) I have been meaning to make a crinkle cookie forever, this recipe sounds delicious! Hugs, Terra
These cookies look so beautiful, I would never know that they were so easy to make.
Have a great week Maureen!
Kids would have fun making these gem studded cookies.
Love this beautifully simple recipe Maureen! Thank you for sharing – hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas x
Ag, these are so cute. I don’t have kids to cook for, but I might borrow some from friends for afternoon baking session. Just for fun 🙂
Ah, these are so cute. I don’t have kids to cook for, but I might borrow some from friends for afternoon baking session. Just for fun 🙂
There was a local show on TV last night showing kids making cookies. These would be perfect and you are right…kids like adding things.
Just wanted to stop back by and wish you a Merry Christmas.
I love baking with kiddos, they really just light up when they see the finished product THEY helped make. I’ll definitely keep these beauties in mind next time I’m baking with my nephews!
P.S. I have nominated you for a Reality Blog Award. Come collect! 🙂 x http://www.foodmyfriend.com/2012/12/reality-blog-award/comment-page-1/#comment-28013
Baking with children is one of the best parts of Christmas time I think. My daughters and I would do sugar cookies when they were little, so now I am going to pass your recipe on for Chocolate Crinkles . Yummy
Thanks for sharing
Thanks Christine and so nice of you to stop by.
Such fun cookies Maureen! You crack me up too, love your “notes”! 🙂
How clever. You always amaze me Maureen. They look so good.
I LOVE cookies that are made with cake mix!! So yummy 🙂 They look beautiful!
… cookies that grown-ups like myself can make too! 😀
These look great, I love the red and green middles too it gives them a definite festive feel!
I’m only a kid at heart, but as a not so great baker I really appreciate your recipe. Yay cookies I can make!! Lol. Thanks for sharing Maureen.
My family loves these cookies. They are fun to do with kids as you say; my fourteen year-old loves getting into the kitchen to bake them. They do make good Christmas cookies too!
Maureen, I have always wanted to try Crinkle Cookies….they look so fudgey and good! Love the M & M’s in the middle….very festive! I am certain, had I been in your kitchen, I would have been the first fool to burn my tongue on these scrumptious treats! I definitely have to bump these up on my must make list! : )
Great post, Maureen. I’m not sure I’d leave my kids alone with either the cake mix or the M&Ms though – I don’t think there would be any cookies to bake if I did! 😉
Love the coloured centers to these cookies which make them look so festive. Nice touch.
I will be making these with my little kiddies as soon as school breaks up!
Complete with red and green smarties! Thanks for sharing 🙂
What great cookies and so much fun! I could feel like a kid making these. 🙂 Fun pictures as well!
This comes at the right time, we have a cookie contest on Saturday which my children are entering, I am going to get Laith to make these. He’ll enjoy doing these. They look fabulous and easy too. Thanks for the idea Maureen!
Nazneen
A great recipe, Maureen. I had trouble finding something that would be simple enough for me and my niece to bake. And voila – I came across your blog. Thank you very much for your effort.
P.S. The smiling faces in the sidebars are absolutely positive and energizing.
These look so good Maureen and I’ll heed your advice about them going straight through! I think I saw a similar looking cooking on Just a Smidgen but she called them crackle mounting cookies! xx
my daughter loves helping me in the kitchen…cooking is indeed a nice activity to bond with the kids..thank god for recipes like this!
I’ll make my hubby bake this ones with me 🙂 thank you, I love easy recipes.
Happy New Year, Marta and thanks for coming by. I’ll check out your blog!
Hi Maureen! I found your blog via Minnie’s The Lady 8 Home and absolutely love your blog! Can’t believe I didn’t click over here sooner :). I love how easy this recipe is and think this might be a good school holidays activity to do with the kids that I sometimes look after! Thanks for sharing :).
Hi Ames and I really appreciate your visit and I hope to get to know you better! Happy New Year!
Maureen, how delicious… I’ve been wanting to make these for ages! Thank you for sharing this recipe. And may I take this opportunity to say what a joy it was to meet you this year… love your work and you’re a great lady too… keep in touch, best wishes for Christmas and the new year. Lizzy xoxo
my kid is way too little to be making cookies but maybe i can make these with him next year… i think he would have fun!
happy holidays maureen 🙂
I agree, the world needs easy and quick cookie recipes. Christmas time passes like a whirlwind! One more reason why I wished I could get ready made cake batters here.
Merry Christmas Maureen and John!
wow really that simple? good for newbies like me 😀
Latest: Thanks for being here in 2012!
Those cookies look really yummy and also easy! Perfect.
Happy holidays to you Maureen, hope you’ve had a blessed Christmas and many good wishes for the New Year, Chris
YUM! I am a huge fan of chocolate crinkles. These look so good.
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for the comment and Happy New Year!
These cookies looks really delicious 🙂 and so easy, perfect not only for Christmas but for any other occasion. My daughters are still too small to help me in the kitchen but will try the recipe for myself till then:)
Hi Ella and thanks for the comment. This recipe is perfect for quick whoopie pies too!
need to try making red velvet cookies, have only had the muffins. They look great even if you did squish them down a bit too much!
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I haven’t replied to this comment because I’ve been trying to think of a tactful way to say I’m not in the US, so I wouldn’t qualify but thanks for the invitation.