If you follow my blog, you know I love to watch Bruin football.  While they are my team,  I enjoy just about about any football game as long as there is food involved, because  after all, good is half of the fun of a tailgate party.   I wanted to share a quick  and simple recipe that I use when I want to take a festive tailgate item, but do not have a lot of time.

These cookies are super easy.  All you need is a box of cake mix, eggs and butter.

Here is the recipe:

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix (chocolate or spice works best, but you could do white with food coloring too)

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened

Mix together cake mix, butter and eggs until thoroughly combined.   Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease a plain cookie sheet.

Now, the tricky part is instead of forming your dough into balls, you have to make them into oblong shapes.  They do not look very attractive now, but they will.

Before you bake them you have to press them down on the pan so that they spread in the shape you want them to, they should resemble a leaf shape.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes and let cool before moving.  Once cookies have cooled, decorate them with white frosting.  First make the strings.

Then do the side line stripes. The cookies are nice and soft and will keep well.  Store in an airtight container.  Makes about 2 dozen.

My recipe for simple butter cream frosting is below, but if you are really wanting to simplify you can use canned frosting, with a little  powdered sugar added to make it harden.

Buttercream Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons milk

3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter with an electric mixer on low speed.  Add sugar and milk slowly, by alternating.  Whip on medium – high speed until desired consistency is reached.  Use a decorating bag cut at the end to decorate your cookies.  Let cool completely before stacking.

Do you have a favorite football team (collegiate or pro)?  Which team is it?