Cake Mix Cookies

Homebrand butter cake mix packets are fabulous, have many uses and at 67 cents each, from my local Coles, they are also a bargain. One of my favourite and easy budget recipes are these cookies. You really can add anything you want to the mix or you can leave them plain for some delicious buttery cookies. I added 1/2 a cup of little chocolate chips to these ones.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of budget butter cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 60 mls of oil
• 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celcius and lightly grease trays.
2. Mix cake mix, eggs and 1/2 a cup of choc chips (if using) together with a wooden spoon.
3. Place tablespoons of mixture 5 cm apart on tray and flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Yum!

Pizza Base Recipe with Tomato Sauce Topping and Basil Swirl

This easy, fresh and delicious pizza recipe is one of my family favourites. I make double the batch and freeze them to have a ready made light lunch or I add extra toppings to make a satisfying dinner. You will never be short of a meal with these in the freezer and they come in so handy on the school holidays. They are heaps cheaper than the bought pizzas or pizza bases and they taste better too! The recipe below will make 3 thin crust pizzas but if you want a thicker crust then divide the dough into two instead. Also, if you are going to freeze them, you will need something round and flat to freeze them on. Some thick cardboard circles (covered in cling wrap), round cake boards or even plastic container lids will do the trick. Trust me, a little bit of effort for a really big reward. Buon appetito ;)

Ingredients for base:

• 1 x 7 gram packets of dried yeast
• 200 mls of warm water
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 3 cups of plain flour (Home brand will do)
• 2 tsp of salt
• 2 tblsp of olive oil

Method:

1. Combine water, sugar and yeast in a bowl and sit aside in a warm place for 10 mins.
2. Place flour and salt in a large bowl and make a dent in the center. Pour the yeast mix and olive oil into the flour and mix until the mixture comes together into a dough. Add more warm water if needed.
3. Knead for 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and place in a clean greased bowl and put aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Knock down dough and remove from bowl. Knead a little and cut into 3 even size pieces (or 2, if you are making thicker crust).
5. Roll out pieces into a 25 cm across circle, one at a time and top with whatever you like or the tomato topping sauce, swirl of basil mix (recipe follows) and some grated mozzarella cheese. Yum! (Makes 3 thin or two medium pizza bases)

Tomato Sauce Topping:

• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 x 400 gram tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp of tomato paste
• 1/2 a tsp of sugar
• 1/2 a tsp of dried Italian herb mix or oregano
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Fry onion and garlic, in a little oil, in a medium saucepan until tender.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, paste, sugar, herbs, salt and pepper.
3. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until mixture is thick. Let cool. (Makes enough for the 3 thin pizza bases)

Basil Mixture:

• 2 handfuls of fresh basil
• 2 tblsp of Parmesan cheese
• pinch of salt
• Olive oil

Method:

1. Put basil, parmesan and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a blender or food processor and blitz. Add a little more olive oil, a bit at a time, if needed. (Makes enough for the 3 thin pizza bases)

Vanilla Custard Filled Cupcakes

Now before you click away thinking, 'I am not going to spend an hour filling cupcakes with custard! Is she crazy?' Well yes, yes I am but hold your horses because these cupcakes are not only cheap but they taste expensive and they are also very easy and quick to make with the custard baked right into them. This means that there is no need for messy icing and are fabulous packed in school lunches or shoved in your bag for work. In order to keep this cheap and easy, I recommend a budget butter cake mix and budget custard powder. No-name, Homebrand, whatever floats your boat. It doesn't really matter as the end product is fabulous and everyone will think you have been baking your little heart out ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 x cheap butter cake mix
• 60 grams of room temperature butter
• 2/3 of a cup of milk
• 2 x eggs

For the Custard Filling:

• 2 tblsp of cheap vanilla custard powder
• 2 tblsp of white sugar
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a 12 hole patty pan with papers.
2. Make the custard filling by mixing the custard powder, sugar, milk and vanilla (if including) and stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to stir for 30 seconds, remove from heat and leave aside.
3. Prepare cake mix by beating together the butter cake mix, soft butter, milk and eggs for two minutes.
4. Place a dessert spoon of cake batter in each patty paper then top with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of custard filling. Finish with another dessertspoon of cake batter over custard in each patty paper.
5. Bake in oven for around 15 minutes or until cakes spring back when lightly touch. 
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely and dust with icing sugar or cakes can be cooled a little and served warm. (Makes 12 very yummy cupcakes)