Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

That Paula Deen lives in a special place in my heart...right next to butter. *This recipe does need to refrigerate for 2 hours. Nothing worse then starting a cookie recipe, you have it all mixed up & ready to bake and then you see "refrigerate"so here is a heads up...it's in there.


8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (used reduced fat & couldn't tell)
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (18 oz) box moist chocolate cake mix
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls.

2. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon size balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes.

3. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more sugar, if desired.