Emergency Chocolate Chip Cookies
…when you absolutely, positively need to have cookies right away.
Secrets revealed! I, Ms-Anyone-Can-Cook-From-Scratch, sometimes bakes from a mix.
I don’t use cake mixes, and rarely brownie mixes (although I have a fond memory of after-school bake sale brownies made from Duncan Hines mix), but cookie mixes, I discovered by accident can be good. Really good.
The Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix surprised me with its delicate, cakey cookies rich with a caramel flavor.
I use the Betty Crocker mix on occasion. Mostly because my kids clamor for it (as you do, I suppose, when your mom only cooks from scratch. Irony, luckily, is something I am used to.) The ingredients meet with my seal of approval (although as with Nutella, I make an exception for the palm oil in it).
Everyone from preppers to those of us Who Need Cookies Right Now should keep a bag or twenty in the pantry (depends on how long you’re planning on being in the bunker). It takes about 5 minutes max to whip these together and if you follow my instructions and bake these all at once in a large pie pan, you will have a cakey-cookie within 25 minutes.
But, as I can’t leave well enough alone, I decided to fancy these up and gave them a northern Indian twist with the addition of roasted pistachios and garam masala (not chai masala, but that would be very nice too). Oh, and I always add more chocolate chips because….I hope I don’t have to explain why.
A note on garam masala: For savory dishes I would recommend making your own garam blend, here, however the jarred stuff works better because by its nature, it’s milder.
Ingredients:
1 bag Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon garam masala
3/4 cup roasted, chopped unsalted pistachio nuts (method for roasting below)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
How to:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (bag says 375 F, but I’m a rebel).
Open the bag of cookie mix. Pour it into a large bowl. (Are you with me so far?)
Add the butter, egg (tip: without the shell) and vanilla extract and using a stand/hand mixer or a wooden spoon and sheer raw power, mix until well blended.
Add the pistachios and chocolate chips. Mix until blended.
Smoosh all of the dough into a 9-inch pie pan (glass if you have it) and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool until you can’t stand it any longer, but don’t get upset with me if you burn your tongue on a still-liquid chocolate chip.
Method for roasting pistachios:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour the shelled nuts onto a baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn light brown. I recommend you hover nervously around your oven with a mitt ready to take them out before you burn them all. Just experience talking.
Let cool. Chop.
If you decide to keep it simple and just bake the bag as written, I’d still add vanilla and chocolate chips.
