I realize these are quite out of season but the toddler and I were just in a mood yesterday. You can surely take the same idea and use a different flavor cake mix and pudding box. Think chocolate cupcakes with raspberry frosting or butterscotch even! Carrot cake with vanilla. Vanilla cake with chocolate! I could go on and on. The combinations are endless!

These are both toddler and husband approved. The toddler wasn’t a fan of the frosting until it hardened a bit. The husband thought they could be slightly moister. But for all their critiques the whole batch is almost gone. I’ll let their actions speak louder then their words. ;~)

The Cupcakes

• 1 (15oz) can pumpkin
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 box Spiced Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix)

The Frosting

• 1 (8oz) package of reduced fat cream cheese
• 1 box (1oz) fat free/sugar free pudding mix Cheesecake flavor
• 1/2 cup skim milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the pumpkin, egg whites and water together until well combined.

Add the cake mix and combine with the whisk until just blended. A few lumps are ok.

Evenly distribute the batter into 24 cup cake tins with liners.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Now for the frosting… Beat the cream cheese, dry pudding mix and milk until smooth.

Smear on cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle if desired! :)

Here’s what I’m getting on the nutritional information. I’d love a double check as it’s much lower then I thought WITH the frosting. Let me know if you get something similar.

Well… I’m SO happy with the results! The toddler and I had a BLAST making them, they tasted great and they are SUPER light! Even the husband liked them and let me tell you, he’s not easy to please on the cookie front.

The thing I like most about these cookies is the versatility of the dough. It’s super easy to work with. The thinner you roll it out the crisper the cookie. Use it with cookie cutters, roll into balls and squish with a fork, even top with sprinkles (one guess who’s idea that was) :)

• 1 cup (120g) Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• 4oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp (20g) molasses
• 1 ounce fat free cream cheese
• 1 egg

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and set aside.

Melt the butter, chocolate chips and molasses over very low heat or in a double boiler. Stirring constantly.

Once the chips and butter are melted, remove from heat. Started beating the chocolate mixture on low adding the fat free cream cheese and egg. The cream cheese may seem lumpy. Beat for about 2 minute until smooth, although you will see some white specks from the cheese. Continue to beat, slowly adding the flour mixture. Once the flour is all incorporated the dough will be thick and sticking to the beater. Don’t worry it’s easy to remove.

Take half the dough and place it on parchment or wax paper (I sprayed the wax paper with a bit of spray just in case) top with another strip of paper and roll out to 1/4 inch or less. The thinner you roll the crisper the cookie will be but the harder to work with.

Once you have it rolled out, lay the dough (still in the paper) on a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer. It will be easier to work with. Repeat the rolling process with the second half of dough.

Remove the first from the freezer, peal away top wax paper and cut using your favorite cookie cutters.

Pace on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Note: Instead of rolling out you could hand roll the dough into half inch in balls and then squish with a fork, similar to peanut butter cookies.

Since it these were snow day cookies I thought I’d share some candid shots I took while waiting for the cookies to bake. :)

As for nutritional information, I was able to get 40 cookies. So I’m estimating 3 cookies a serving.

• 1 cup whole wheat white flour (120g)
• 1 cup old fashioned oats (80g)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raw sugar (105g)
• 1 tbsp molasses (20g)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 oz fat free cream cheese
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (30g)
• 1/3 raisins or dried fruit chopped (I used a combo of cherries & blueberries)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Place the sugar, butter, molasses and cream cheese in a bowl and beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg beat again until blended finishing the wet ingredients.

Gradually add the flour/oats mixture to the wet ingredients, beating at low speed just until combined. Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated stir in walnuts and dried fruit. Click here to watch a video of the toddler and I making a similar cookie.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. The dough will be sticky, try to flatten a bit as the dough will not melt as much as traditional cookies. Makes 36 cookies (3 dozen).

Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes before enjoying the warm cookie! :)

To make more festive or involve the kids more, add sprinkles to the top just before baking!

I can’t lie I love these cookies. I’ve made a few batches getting things just right and MAN they are awesome right out of the oven. I’m a warm cookie gal all the way. Give me a gooey chocolate cookie out of the oven and I’m in heaven and these cookies TOTALLY hit the spot.

Anyway, I was so excited about them the toddler and I made a batch for this weeks video. Baking with him is one of my absolute favorite things to do and when he’s taste testing whole wheat and oatmeal cookie dough I think it makes it all the better. :)

Here’s the video… recipe to follow…

The Recipe

• 1 cup whole wheat white flour (120g)
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa (20g)
• 1 cup old fashioned oats (80g) (ground or unground your choice)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup raw sugar
• 1 tbsp molasses (20g)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 oz fat free cream cheese
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (30g)
• 1/4 cup 56g mini chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, cocoa, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Place the sugar, butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg beat again until blended finishing the wet ingredients.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, beating at low speed just until combined. It will be REALLY thick. Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated stir in walnuts and chocolate chips as best you can.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. The dough will be sticky, try to flatten a bit as the dough will not melt as much as traditional chocolate chip cookies. Makes at least 36 cookies (3 dozen).

Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool for about 2 minutes before enjoying the warm cookie! :)

To make more festive or involve the kids more, add sprinkles just before baking!

I do have to tell you, the husband and I are complete food opposites and nothing demonstrates it more then mashed potatoes. If it were up to me, the skin would stay on. I like lumps he’s a smooth guy. Chives, garlic, something different? I say, bring it on! The husband ummm, yeah, I don’t think so.

So I make these for him. Consider this a lightened up version of a simple homemade classic. It works for us. Also consider this as a sort of mashed potato "formula". The formula is 1-1-2 as in 1lb potatoes, 1oz fat free cream cheese and 2oz broth. Double, triple, whatever!

Here’s how I made them tonight…

• about 4 large Russet Potatoes (2lbs)
• 4 tbsp fat free cream cheese (2oz – 60g)
• 1/2 cup (4oz) fat free low sodium chicken broth
• Pinch of Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

Peel and cut the potatoes. Add them to a large pot filled with water (covering the potatoes by at least an inch) and cook over high heat until the potatoes are tender when forked. Note: time will depend on how small you cut the potatoes.

Drain the water.

Add cream cheese, broth and a pinch of salt & pepper. Beat on high until desired consistently. For "husband smooth" about 5 minutes. ;~)

Now… on to the nutrition information. I don’t know about you, but 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes doesn’t cut it for me. I’m going for the full cup! ;~) Of course you can half it if you want.

P.S. The husband gave me crap about the “best mashed potatoes ever” comment but then said, and I quote… “then again, I can’t remember when I’ve had better”. LOL Ummm yeah, then I guess didn’t exaggerate. ;~P

I made them last night and split the tasty results with a friend. Let’s just say Good stuff! Everyone enjoyed them except the toddler, he was a bit turned off by the look of them, but that’s fickle 2 year old for you.

• 1 package BlueBran VitaMix (Blueberry Bran Muffin Mix)
• 2 egg whites
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 8-oz tub Philadelphia Fat-Free Cream Cheese
• 6 Tbsps. powdered sugar
• 1 low-fat graham cracker sheet, crushed (2 squares or 4 rectangles)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups.

Prepare according to package: In a large mixing bowl, combine VitaMuffin mix, egg whites and water. Blend well. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix fat-free cream cheese and powdered sugar to thoroughly blend.

Divide muffin batter evenly among the baking cups. Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly on top of the batter in each cup. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over each muffin.

Bake according to package, about 25 minutes, or until firm.

Allow muffins to cool, then indulge your cheesecake craving in a lusciously light way!

Let me start at the beginning.

I love experimenting in the kitchen (umm yeah, hence the blog.) Anyway, I had some extra time on my hand this morning and decided to experiment with some light cookie ideas that have been swimming in my head for the last few weeks. Yes, I actually have cookie ideas in this head of mine and normally I have no idea if they are going to work but it doesn’t hurt to try, right?

Anyway, I whipped these up this morning and the batter was delicious. I couldn’t wait to try and them and see how they came out. The first batch came out of the oven and to my surprise, they were DELISCIOUS! I mean it, really good. The problem is…

they aren’t cookies.

Don’t get me wrong they look like cookies, they smell they cookies and they taste like cookies they just don’t have the texture of cookies. My experiment led to a more cake like, almost spongy texture yet in cookie form.

So I brought them to work for some taste tests. Everyone enjoyed them but agreed… they aren’t cookies. So we threw around some name ideas like, “cake drops”, “sponge cookies” and my personal favorite (thanks David) “the Ca-ookie!”. Get it… Cake-Cookie, Ca-ookie!

So there you have it, the story of the ca-ookie.

• 2 cups (180g) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) of butter
• 8oz (227g) Fat Free Ricotta Cheese
• 4oz (115g) Fat Free Cream Cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp (42g) honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the butter, Ricotta, cream cheese, sugar and honey until well blended.

Beat the egg and extract into the cheese mixture.

Slowly fold the sifted flour mixture into wet ingredients until just blended.

Using teaspoons drop the batter on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with sprinkles and bake for 8-10 minutes.

The recipe makes about 60 ca-ookies.