Gluten Free Cookie Nirvana

I came across THESE cookies over at Cookin' Cowgirl. My first thought was..."Wow. That girl's a genius. Those. Look. DELICIOUS." My second thought? "But...not gluten-free...better not let LBB see these."


And then it hit me.


Why can't they be gluten free? I've got a box of gluten-free cake mix sitting right in my cupboard, waiting to be used...why not use it for something that looks this delicious.


So, I went out on a whim, like most GF cooking and baking is for me. I figured, what's the worst that can happen? I waste a $5 box of cake mix. Deep breath. Be brave.


But guess what? They turned out.

And they were ever so easy to make.

I followed her original recipe pretty closely, but since the cake mix was smaller, and made of different flours, I kind of experimented as I went. So, here's the recipe:

GLUTEN FREE CAKE BATTER COOKIES

1 box cake mix, 15 ounces (I used Hodgson Mills yellow cake mix)
1 tsp baking powder (for best results, I suggest Rumford)
2 eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil (or more as needed)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C color sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350*F. Mix cake mix and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, mix together the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix into dry ingredients. 

Now, here's the tricky part with that tricky GF flour...it took a little bit more oil to make the batter the right consistency. I just added a few drops at a time until I got the dough to look like this:

It should be kind of crumbly but there shouldn't be any dry ingredients left. Translation: if you can mush it together no problem, you're good to go.

Next, add in the sprinkles. This is when it gets fun. :)

Scoop dough by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, about 1-2" apart. Press dough down slightly with your fingers (otherwise you may end up with domed cookies.) Bake 8-10 minutes until slightly golden brown on the edges.

 Let sit for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy with a nice cool glass of milk!

I just have to say thanks to Cookin' Cowgirl for the wonderful, delicious inspiration. :)