Shortcut Skinny Cookies

Are you hungry for cookies but watching your girlish figure?  I know I am :)

Let's make some super quick and healthy cookies!

These come together in a flash & would be great to take to a Valentine's get together.

Ok, does anyone else hoard cake mixes?  Maybe it's just me.  I always have like 5 (sometimes opened) boxes on hand for individual serving desserts or half batches of stuff.  It seems like I always have a coupon for cake mix, plus they are like $1 without a coupon.  How can I not buy them?

Shortcut Skinny Cookies

(makes 1 dozen~double for 2 dozen)

8 oz or 1/2 of a box of cake mix (I used Pillsbury Sugar Free Devil's Food)

2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

2 tbsp butter

1 egg

2 scant tbsp of vanilla (or chocolate if you have it) protein powder

Mix all of this stuff in a bowl until combined.  Try to get those lumps of cake mix outta there!  Use your tablespoon to scoop balls of dough onto a Silpat (or parchment or cookie sheet-whatever) & bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  I also sprinkled some pink and red sanding sugar to try and make them look Valentine's-ish.  It kind of faded into the dark chocolate color.  It would look good if you use vanilla cake mix, though.

Yum yum!

These cookies are fluffy and cake-y.  But, just because they are light, doesn't mean you can eat them all!  I had to convince myself of that ;)

If your husband (or whoever) is anything like mine and does not like to try new things, cut these bad boys in half and pipe in some butter cream.  Tell him you made him some homemade Oreo Cakesters.  Use it as bribery to get him to take out the trash.  I won't judge.

Is anyone else going to miss Picnik (photo editor)? 

For the optional (and not "skinny") butter cream filling, follow this recipe (it rocks):

Butter Cream Filling

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp + 1 tsp flour

1/3 cup milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 tsp vanilla

Cook flour and milk in a small saucepan, stirring constantly, until it becomes like a thick paste.  It will look gross.  Don't doubt the process.  Just go with it.  Let it cool to room temperature.  Whip the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or a whisk until fluffy, then add in the flour/milk mixture and vanilla.  Whip until awesome.  

Slice the cookies in half with a serrated knife, then pipe in the butter cream.  Use a piping bag if you are fancy.  I'm not, so I used a Ziploc with the tip cut off.  Yeah, that's how I roll.

Filling recipe adapted from All Recipes

If you are looking for some more healthy recipes, I created a tab at the top of the page specifically for healthy and yummy recipes :)