Cake-mix brownies can help slice costs

Dear Heloise: Enjoy your column — it inspires me to clean and try new recipes. I love the cake-mix cookie recipe. It is a lifesaver when you are in a hurry. I have been looking for a brownie recipe that is made from a chocolate cake mix. Do you happen to have one?

Brownie mixes are so costly. What isn’t these days? Thanks for any help that you can give me. Jane, via e-mail

Brownies are a favorite treat, but with prices the way they are, we have to save wherever we can! You shouldn’t have to give up some things you really enjoy. With this recipe, you can have your brownies without paying an arm and a leg for them.

cake mix brownies

1 egg

3‚Ñ4 cup water, plus more as needed

1‚Ñ2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 (18.25 ounces) box devil’s-food cake mix

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray with cooking spray a 13-by-9-inch pan. Mix the egg, water and nuts in a large bowl, then add the dry cake mix (nothing else); stir well. If the batter needs more water, add a teaspoonful at a time. Don’t add too much, because the batter should be thick. Don’t overmix.

Pour into the pan, making sure to smooth the top evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for chewy brownies. If you like them a little drier, bake a few minutes longer.

For anyone interested in making cookies from a cake mix or other yummy desserts like No-Bake Cheesecake or money-saving Mock Apple Pie, you can find these in my new six-page pamphlet Heloise’s All-Time Favorite Recipes. Simply send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Recipes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or visit www.Heloise.com for ordering information. You won’t find the recipe for brownies from a cake mix in the pamphlet, so save this column. FYI: If you’ve accidentally overbaked brownies, place them in the microwave and cook for a few seconds right before eating, and they’ll be nice and soft. Heloise

Dear Heloise: When making biscuits or pie crust, I dampen the countertop, then place plastic wrap on the wet surface. I dust with flour and roll out the dough. When finished, I throw away the used plastic wrap and have no mess to clean up. Linda H., Texarkana, Ark.

Brilliant! A few seconds of easy preparation prevents a messy cleanup. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I recently thought of a fabulous way to store all the pesky wraps and plastic-bag boxes in a cabinet or pantry. In the office-supply section of a discount store, I found a magazine holder. If you lay it down on a shelf, one will hold at least four standard-size boxes. Mary Ann from Tucson, Ariz.

XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

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