Stress Baking

by Emily Cale

Stress. It makes people do a lot of crazy things. I know people who handle it by sleeping a lot and by never going to bed; by exercising more and by lying around the house doing nothing. We all have stress in our lives and we all have our ways of coping. I bake. Yes, when I am feeling the pressure of a million different tasks, our kitchen fills with cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and pies.

This would all be okay if I actually ate any of these things. I typically eat one of them. Then I hand them off to someone else. So basically, I get stressed and my friends get food. It’s a system that typically works out pretty well for them. For me, it means the added stress of dealing with the dishes in the kitchen. Which (of course), means I need to bake more. Yeah, it gets a little complicated.

The other downside is that my friends think I should bring elaborate desserts to every get together ever thrown. I either don’t have the time or the energy the majority of the time. So I thought I would share with you my favorite last minute dessert.

Emily's Last Minute Dessert

Ingredients:

1 box of your favorite cake mix (Plus whatever it calls for in the mix. Usually an egg, water, and vegetable oil)

1 can pie filling

Cupcake pan liners

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to temperature specified on the box

2. Mix up cake mix according to directions

3. Line the cupcake pan and fill each spot 1/3 of the way up with cake batter

4. Add one spoonful of pie filling to each of the spots

5. Add more cake batter until each is about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way full

6. Cook according to direction on the box

7. (optional) Add your favorite frosting once the cupcakes have cooled

I’m giving away a copy of Dessert First today to one random commenter.

Blurb:

Playing perfect daughter at her mother's parties isn't Alexis Arnette's idea of a good time. She always leaves grumpy and hungry. Unimpressed with the spread laid out in the living room, she sneaks off to the kitchen to find something a little more satisfying. What she discovers is chef Morgan Crane, a man who is even more delicious than his baked goods. When one taste of his creations leads to more and her good girl demeanor dissolves, would the boring evening turn into one she'll never forget?

Buy Dessert First HERE!