Baking on a Budget: Three Easy Desserts Without Breaking the Bank.

Want to make amazing desserts without putting a dent in your wallet? Baking on a budget should not mean plain old cookies or muffins. There are many amazing recipes that you can make with ingredients that you may already have in your pantry. It does not hurt that these recipes are affordable and easy to make! So, head on over to your local grocery store and get ready to make desserts that will blow your mind!

Quick Chocolate Biscotti

Prep/Total time: 30 mins

Makes: About 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 tube (18 ounces) of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• ½ cup of white chocolate chips
• ½ cup of coarsely-chopped macadamia nuts

Directions

1. Combine the dough, white chocolate chips, and nuts in a large bowl; knead until well combined, and divide the dough in half.
2. Shape each piece into a 13-in. x 2½-in. log on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Remove from the oven; cut diagonally with a knife into 1-in. slices, separating each piece about ¼ in. After cutting, bake 5-6 minutes longer or until firm. Cool for two minutes before moving them to wire racks.

Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Prep time: 35 min.

Bake time: 15 min.

Makes: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 package (17 ½ ounces) of peanut butter cookie mix
• 36 miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cookie mix according to the package directions. Roll the dough into 1-in. balls, and place them in greased miniature muffin cups. Press the dough evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of each cup.
2. Bake 11-13 minutes or until set. Immediately place a peanut butter cup in each cup, pressing down gently. 
3. Cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing them from the pans.

Cake Mix Bars

Prep time: 5 min.

Bake time: 20 min. + cooling

Makes: About 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup of the milk of your choice
• 1/3 cup of canola oil
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup of sprinkles or your choice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, egg, milk, and oil (mixture will be thick). Stir in the white chocolate chips and sprinkles. Spread into a greased 15x 10×1-in. baking pan.
2. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, then let them cool completely in the pan.
3.  Cut them into bars.          

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Enjoyed these recipes? Check out Taste of Home for more!

Written by Petra Owusu