Published 2013-03-13T06:00:00Z”/>
Alexandra Archuleta
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I was forced to kiss my carefree teenage years goodbye and enter adulthood when I turned 20 this Saturday.
How could I face such a horrible day with a blase attitude? I couldn’t. I laughed, I cried and I stuffed my mouth with cake and ice cream. But it wasn’t enough.
I’m still recovering.
After single-handedly devouring my birthday cake, I found a lone cake mix that had been pushed to the back of the cupboard. I turned to an old familiar friend, the Pillsbury Doughboy, for emotional stability. I knew exactly what to do.
If you could create the Ben & Jerry’s of baked goods, what would you put in it? Come on now, use those creative juices and think outside the cookie jar.
If you’re anything like me, you answered that question correctly: Cake, chocolate, potato chips and applesauce.
That’s right, I said applesauce. In any oil-based recipe, I substitute oil with sugar-free, all-natural applesauce. Since the cake mix alone has so much sugar and fat to begin with, I didn’t want to add any extra if I didn’t have to. The baked good will come out slightly more moist and a little bit sweeter, but do not change the bake time because low-fat foods dry out very quickly if overcooked.
It’s my birth week, and I’ll eat what I want to. I’m making birthday cake cookies. They’re colorful, light, fluffy and certifiably satisfying. You’ll have just as much fun making these as you will eating them.
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<strong>Alexandra Archuleta can be reached at </strong><a href=”mailto:[email protected]”><em>[email protected]</em></a>
<table style=”width: 500px;” border=”1″ cellpadding=”10″> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″><strong>WHAT YOU NEED: </strong></span>
<p class=”p2″>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1</strong></span> <span class=”s4″>box Funfetti cake mix</span>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1</strong></span> <span class=”s4″>teaspoon baking powder</span>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>2</strong></span> <span class=”s4″>eggs</span>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1/2 </strong></span><span class=”s4″>cup applesauce</span>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1/2 </strong></span><span class=”s4″>teaspoon vanilla extract</span>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1/2 </strong></span><span class=”s4″>cup colored sprinkles</span>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1/2 </strong></span><span class=”s4″>cup potato chips</span>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1/4 </strong></span><span class=”s4″>cup chocolate chips</span>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1/4 </strong></span><span class=”s4″>cup white chocolate </span><span class=”s7″>chips</span>
<p class=”p4″>
</td> <td> <p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″><strong>HOW TO MAKE IT: </strong></span>
<p class=”p2″>
<p class=”p3″><span class=”s3″><strong>1. </strong></span><span class=”s5″>Preheat oven to 350 F. </span>
<p class=”p4″><span class=”s3″><strong>2. </strong></span><span class=”s5″>In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and baking powder. In a small bowl, mix the eggs, applesauce and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the cake mix and baking powder, and stir to combine.</span>
<p class=”p4″><span class=”s3″><strong>3. </strong></span><span class=”s5″>Stir in the sprinkles, chips and chocolate morsels</span>
<p class=”p4″><span class=”s3″><strong>4. </strong></span><span class=”s5″>Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet.</span>
<p class=”p4″><span class=”s3″><strong>5. </strong></span><span class=”s5″>Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.</span>
<p class=”p4″><span class=”s3″><strong>6. </strong></span><span class=”s5″>Cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!</span>
</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
