Chocolate Butter Cookies

When I discovered my girl Paula Deen's 12 Days of Holiday Cookies on Twitter, I knew I'd fine something great... and I did! Day 5 was Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies. Delicious! They are very cake-y so you need to be prepared for that. But Saucy Diva and I decided they would be divine warm, with a scoop of ice cream, maybe some hot fudge and definitely whipped cream.... I want one now. Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

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. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.