BISCOTTI * with sugar or sugar-free
1 cake mix (any flavor ~ best without pudding in mix ~ with sugar or sugar-free. The 3 photos were all done with sugar-free yellow cake mix)
1 cup all-purpose flour......................................................1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs..................................................................................1 tsp vanilla
Flavor variation add-ins (suggestions below)
Drizzle GLAZE * with sugar or sugar-free
about 1/4 cup store-bought frosting (I used vanilla and chocolate for these)
liquid (milk, coffee, flavored liquid coffee creamer ~ other flavor suggestions below)
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Preheat oven to 350 ~ Line cookie sheet with parchment paper (or spray).
Combine cake mix, flour, oil, eggs & vanilla (plus any add-ins) in a large electric mixer bowl. Beat until blended & stir in the chips/nuts. Divide dough in half & shape into a 12” log (I roll it into a log with my hands); place logs on the prepared baking sheet. Push flat with your hands until the log is about 6-8” wide (can roll over it with a rolling pin, if you want) ~ even up the edges with your hand.
Bake at 350 about 18-25 min., lightly browned. Cut the logs into 1/2" pieces (I use a long serrated bread knife); then gently flip each piece on it’s side. Put cookie sheet back into the oven for another 9-10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.
GLAZE:
In a small bowl, whisk whatever liquid you're using, about 1 tsp. at a time, into the canned frosting ~ until it's a smooth, drizzle consistency. Can drizzle glaze over them, or dip the ends into glaze if you want.
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Variations shown in photo ~ all were done with a yellow cake mix.
(1) MARBLE: divide the dough in half (after it's well beaten). To one half, add about 1 TB. dark unsweetened cocoa powder and a good squirt of chocolate syrup. Put chocolate & vanilla dough next to each other on a board, and roll them together to form a log. ** GLAZE: I used chocolate canned frosting, with a squirt of chocolate syrup and about 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder. I used brewed coffee to thin it out a little more.
(2) CARAMEL: I added about 1/2 tsp. caramel extract and a squirt of caramel ice cream syrup to the dough. GLAZE: I added a squirt of caramel syrup to vanilla frosting, and thinned it with Caramel Macchiato liquid coffee creamer.
(3) PEANUT BUTTER: I added about 2 TB. chunky peanut butter to the dough and another heaping TB of flour. GLAZE: I creamed 1 tsp. peanut butter into vanilla frosting, and thinned it out further with Hazelnut liquid coffee creamer.
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MORE VARIATIONS: Chocolate with crushed candy canes * Lemon with white chocolate chips * Spice with cinnamon chips * Vanilla with finely chopped maraschino or glazed cherries * butter pecan cake mix with chopped pecans & maple extract * golden cake mix with chopped dried apricots, toasted slivered almonds & almond extract * Vanilla cake mix with chopped dried cranberries, toasted slivered almonds & almond extract * Spice cake mix with chopped pecans & grated orange zest