Betty Crocker wasn’t a real person, but I like to think there’s a bit of Betty in all bakers. General Mills now owns the Betty Crocker brand, which was created by another company back in 1921. The marketing folks who came up with the name thought “Betty” sounded all-American and cheerful, and I quite agree.
Throughout my childhood, my mom used both Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines (who was a real person, by the way) mixes to save time in baking. She gave me some Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix recently – probably purchased with holiday baking in mind – and I decided to use it as the base for some creative Easter sugar cookies. I don’t often bake with mixes, but they’re a great way to save time. These treats will be on their way to my darling goddaughter Maureen and her family in just a few days.
Ingredients
- 1 17.5-ounce package Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix
- 8 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes and softened
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Pink and green colored sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with foil or parchment. Place colored sugars into separate bowls.
Place cookie mix and softened butter into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for about 2 minutes, then add egg, increasing the speed to medium, and beat for another minute.
Add vanilla extract and almond extract; return to medium speed and beat until a soft dough forms.
Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into balls, then roll in colored sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are just golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 30 cookies.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 