I first encountered an "Ooey Gooey Butter Cookie" back in 2005 while my church partnered with another to help with the cleanup of Hurricane Katrina.

It was a member of the partner church who brought them. But once we tried them, all of us were hooked. So much so that even though we first had them in 2005-2006, a few of us still celebrated finally, finally getting the recipe many years later in 2011. That's how long the memory of those cookies persisted.

Since then, I've made and served them up to others, including co-workers, and I can't stand remaining a gatekeeper for it. It deserves to be free.

So here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup real butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• an 8 oz package of cream cheese
• 1 box of butter recipe yellow cake mix
• powdered sugar for dipping

Directions:

1. Beat butter, vanilla, egg, and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in dry cake mix and mix well. Chill for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven at 350F.
4. Drop batter by teaspoon into powdered sugar. Roll into balls. Place onto a greased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on pan.

And enjoy.