I save my candy canes for as long as possible. I buy in massive quantities from my nearest Dollar Tree because, for some reason, candy canes are not on sale throughout the year. That’s why I end up with boxes of leftover holiday treats in my cabinet, waiting for me to remember them. And they’re exactly what I needed for my latest recipe.

I adapted my delicious peppermint chocolate chip cookies from a chocolate chip cookie recipe found in the latest cookbook love of my life, “101 Things to do with a Cake Mix” by Stephanie Ashcraft. While the book is over six years-old, I still drool over the simplicity of making cookies with cake mix.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix

1/2 C butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

2/3 C chocolate chips

1/2 C crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes!) NOTE: Pieces can be whatever size you want!

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together your wet ingredients first, then add half the cake batter. Mix until smooth.

3. Stir in the chocolate chips, peppermint pieces. Then add the rest of the cake batter until completely absorbed.

4. Drop by the tablespoonfull onto greased or lined cookie sheets. It is necessary to line them because the sugar from the candy pieces will melt and spread underneath the cookie. Also, make sure that you use only a tablespoon of dough! These cookies spread easily, so put only about six to a pan, staggered.

5. Bake the cookies for 14 minutes, or until a lovely golden brown on top. Let them cool on the pan a minute before gently removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 – 3 dozen cookies.

My cookies never come out perfectly round, but that's okay!