Vacuum Cleaner Cookies

I know, quite an appetizing name, huh?

They don't look too exciting either.

Well this is one of those recipes that you gotta remember the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover" because these are ah-maaaz-ing.
Pam-I-Am on Food.com says, "This recipe was originally in the LA Times. The story is that they are so good that they get sucked up like a vacuum cleaner! My neighbor brought some over to us and they were so rich, delicious and different, that I had to have the recipe. You make them like a bar cookie."

First you make a simple cookie crust out of cake mix, an egg, and butter. It calls for an 18.5 oz box of cake mix, but I'm guessing most people are in the position I'm in with the ever-decreasing sizes of cake mixes. So you're going to want two 16.5 (or two of whatever size you have) boxes. Not because you're going to need two whole ones, it's just one isn't enough. (don't risk it. I did, and the dough was so wet it just slid around on the pan and wouldn't spread at all. I just scraped as much as I could out of the pan and wiped the remnant out with paper towels, re-sprayed the pan, and called it good. Then I fixed the dough and put it back in.) Just add the whole first box, mix, and start adding some of the second one in about 1/2 cup amounts. Tie up the rest of the bag of cake mix and save it for the next time you make these-- you will want to!

Then you pop it in the oven for 10 min.

You mix up the filling and add the coconut and walnuts, and

the mixture's going to seem and look weird. But trust me on this one.

Spread on your cooled crust,

and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden.

These are not a photogenic dessert, but they are so good. They're really easy, and my extended family loves them-- they're perfect for gatherings! It's hard to explain what they taste like because they're so different (in a totally amazing way) but they are definitely buttery, and have a crispy outside and a soft yummy inside. Please try these! You won't regret it, I promise.

Vacuum cleaner cookies

(recipe adapted from food.com)
INGREDIENTS

serves36YIELD3 dozenUNITSUS

• Crust

•             1⁄2 cup butter

• 1(18 1/2 ounce) box yellow cake mix (or two boxes of a smaller size)
• 1large egg

• Top layer

• 2large eggs
• 1(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1lb powdered sugar
• 1⁄2cup coconut, shredded
• 1⁄2cup walnuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, butter and 1 egg until moistened. If you have 2  smaller cake mixes, add the first one in, combine, and add the 2nd one in 1/2 cup additions until you have a soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands and forms a ball.
3. Pat mixture into a 15 x 10-inch greased jelly roll pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove and cool while you make the top layer.
6. In large bowl, beat 2 eggs lightly.
7. Beat in cream cheese and powdered sugar.
8. Add coconut and nuts.
9. Spread mixture evenly over crust in pan.
10. Bake at 325° for 40-50 minutes or until golden.
11. Cool in pan on a rack until room temperature.
12. Cut into small squares or bars.