Bring out the homemade cookies and expect to see smiles on the faces of young and old alike. I have found that youngsters really appreciate finding some freshly baked cookies waiting for them when they get home from school.

Do you sometimes feel the need to offer an excuse for picking up a bag of “homemade” cookies from the bakery or perhaps some right off the supermarket shelf? Nothing wrong with that. There are some good commercially prepared cookies available, but they can’t compare to those that come from your oven.

Keeping in mind that not everyone enjoys baking, I have tried to find quick and easy ways to make cookies, so that cookie making is a pleasure and not a task.

Recently, while relaxing and looking at cookbooks, I noticed a recipe for cookies made from biscuit mix and instant pudding mix. I know. It sounds a little “iffy”, doesn’t it? I decided to try it anyway. It works great. Although the original recipe called for lemon pudding mix, my first biscuit-mix cookies were made with chocolate pudding mix. I opted for butterscotch pudding mix in the following recipe. Have fun and be creative.

One of my all-time favorite recipes for cookies is made with a box of pie crust mix. It is hard to believe that I developed these almost 40 years ago and still enjoy experimenting with the idea. After the cookies made with biscuit mix turned out so well, I decided to try using the pudding mix in my pie crust cookies. I was pleasantly surprised with the following soft, apple-brickle drop cookies.

EASY BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING COOKIES

1 cup biscuit mix (Bisquick)
1 small box (3.4 ounce) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the biscuit mix, pudding mix and walnuts in mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Add egg and oil. Beat until mixture clings together. It will be thick.

Shape the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.

Dampen the bottom of a glass and then dip it into sugar. Press the cookies to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove to rack for cooling. If desired, you can coat the cookies with confectioners’ sugar, but they are good plain also.

APPLE BRICKLE COOKIES

1 (11 ounce) box pie crust mix
1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2/3 cup peeled and chopped fresh apples (cut about the size of raisins or a little larger)
1/2 cup almond brickle bits (Heath’s)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or use silicone baking sheet in pan.

Combine pie crust mix, vanilla pudding mix, brown sugar and baking soda in mixing bowl. Mix well.

Add eggs, apples and brickle bits. Beat until well mixed. Drop from teaspoon onto baking sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove immediately to rack for cooling. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.