I've been playing around with a white cake version of this for cupcakes. It's bake sale season around here and cupcakes are always a big seller. The problem I kept running into was texture. My 15 yr old said it tasted like cornbread, meaning a coarse texture. I ended up using cake flour and superfine sugar and that seemed to do the trick. The original recipe calls for all purpose flour so I got out my scale and weighed an equal amount of cake flour (125g/cup). I'm not sure on the substitution ratio in cups of cake flour for all- purpose. I also added in about 1/3 c of sprinkles to make them funfetti:) This is my version of the recipe Vegan Cupcakes from allrecipes. This is definitely not vegan anymore. 2c all purpose flour (I used 250g cake flour) 1 1/2 c buttermilk 1 c superfine sugar 2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 1/2 c oil 1/2 t vanilla 1/2 t almond extract Preheat oven to 350�. Line 18 muffin cups with liners. In large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. In separate bowl whisk together buttermilk, oil, and extracts. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes.

Steve, you're right, it's a lot of marketing. I saw a commercial a couple of nights ago for premade mashed potatoes, with a woman peeling potatoes. The commercial made it seem like it was a huge chore and long involved process to peel potatoes and these were already done, just stick in the microwave and voila, no more "drudgery" of peeling potatoes. I just ground my teeth, it's not that hard to peel a freakin' potato! Ashley is one of those consumers. She hates to cook. She'll eat my homemade macaroni and cheese, but would much prefer Velveeta Shells and Cheese. She likes the Cream of Mushroom soup right out of the can and loves cake from a boxed mix with canned frosting but isn't so wild about homemade cake, it's "too dense and too moist". Sigh. She'd buy the microwave potatoes. Woodie mentioned on a WFD thread that Ashley has been eating the same mashed potatoes/corn/whatever for as long as I've been posting here and that she'll be eating it when we're old and in "the home". Woodie is right! Amanda started cooking for David, he's very picky. Meat and potatoes. The only vegetables he'll eat are corn and green beans. No eggs, no rice, no gravy, nothing with fruit in it. No salad, no whole wheat anything. She has managed to branch out and learn to cook around his likes, making sure he has a meal but that there are other components for her and the kids. Occasionally she'll cave in and the kids will get the macaroni and cheese from the blue box which they love, or hot dogs, but not often. So, Ashley will keep those companies in business, Amanda won't. They were both raised in the same home with the same parents and with my cooking, go figure. As for low income people, I think there probably are some, but they probably aren't buying cheesecake goo in a tub. My sister is a professional welfare recipient, she and her husband and their children moved in with my stepmother when Dad died. My stepmother is on Social Security, and between all the government checks, they still just make ends meet because they all suck at budgeting and love to shop for useless crap. Anyway, they live on Hamburger Helper, lots of boxed macaroni meals, cold cut sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. Canned vegetables only, because both my sister and my stepmom say it's "too much work" to prep fresh vegetables to eat. No way is Sis snapping green beans when she can just pour them out of a can, or husking corn when she can microwave some frozen stuff. At least I don't have to worry about her raiding my garden very much. As for the cheesecake goo, it just makes me glad I don't particularly care for cheesecake! Eileen, you can have all of my share. Annie

~*~Cookie Dough Truffles~*~ 1 C. soft butter 1-1/2 C. brown sugar, packed 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 2 C. all-purpose flour 1 T water 6 oz pkg. mini chocolate chips. Cream butter and sugar together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well by hand. Roll into bite size balls. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Store in a plastic ziploc bag in the freezer. Makes 4 dozen. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before eating. ~~~Raspberry Bars~~~ 2 1/4 c.flour 1c. sugar 1c.chopped pecans 1c. butter (softened) 1 egg 1 (10oz.) jar(3/4c) raspberry preserves Heat oven 350.In lrg. Mixer bowl combine all ingr. (except raspberry preserves) Beat at low speed until well mixed 2 to 3 min. Reserve 1 1/2 c. crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture on into greased 8-inch square pan: Spread with preserves to 1/2 inch of edge. Crumble reserved mixture over preserves. Bake for 40 to 50 min or until lightly browned. Cool completely :cut into bars. ~*~Peanut Butter Balls~*~ 2c. powdered sugar 2 TBSP. butter or marg.(room temp) 1 TBSP. Milk 2 tsp. granulated sugar ½ tsp.vanilla extract ½ c. creamy peanut butter 1c.(6oz) semi sweet chocolate chips 1TBSP. solid veg. shortening In a medium size bowl,mix powdered sugar,butter,milk,suar & vanilla with hand mixer until blended.Mix in peanut butter.Line a cookie sheet pan with wax paper.Roll heaping tsp. of filling into balls (3/4 inch) Refrigerate at least 2 hours.Melt choc. & shortening in a small sauce pan.Scrape into a small bowl.Spear peanut butter balls one at a time with a toothpick & dip into melted choc. Lift out & let excess choc. Drip off.Return to lined pan. Refrigerate 10 to 15 min. to firm.Remove balls from waxed paped.Keep covered in Refrigerator. ~~~Hello Dolly Bars~~~ 1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk) 2 cups (12-ounce) semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut 1 cup chopped nuts Preheat oven to 350° degrees . In 13x9-inch baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter; pour Sweetened Condensed Milk evenly over crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars . Store at room temperature. ~*~LEMON BARS~*~ Crust Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup Butter, softened Filling Ingredients: 2 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons lemon juice Garnish Ingredients: Powdered sugar Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Pour filling over hot, partially baked crust. Continue baking for 18 to 20 minutes or until filling is set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool completely. Cut into bars. ~~~ Cherry Poppy Seed Twinks~~~ 1c. powdered sugar 1c. butter or marg.,softened 1tsp. Vanilla 1 egg 2c.flour 2TBSP. Poppy seed 1/2 tsp.salt 1/2c. cherry preserves Heat oven 300. In lrg. Mixer bowl, beat powdered sugar & butter until light & fluffy. Add vanilla & egg; blend well.Add flour,poppy seed & salt ; mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. With thumb make imprint in center of each cookie. Fill each center with 1/2 tsp. preserves. Bake for 20 to 25 min. or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Makes 30 cookies.

I used to buy the premade crusts and there's some good ones and some bad ones. I never remember which are good and which are bad since it's so infrequent but it will work. Also, I like to use vanilla wafers for a crumb crust. I've thought about buying the crumbs but really, putting them in a bag and beating the daylights out of them with a rolling pin or a rubber mallet is SO satisfying at times. I can relieve frustration and whomp them cookies so fine they're perfect for a crust. For MY pie, not someone else's. Do it your way and enjoy it.