Devil's Food Cupcakes

1 box Cake mix of your choice

1 12 oz. can Diet soda of your choice

About 9 years ago, I joined Weight Watchers and lost about 25 pounds. I found it was an easy way to lose weight and still be able to eat the things that I liked -- just learning portion control.

I recently went back to a Weight Watchers meeting to learn what things had changed about the program over the years and I am back in the "If you Bite it; Write it" mentality where I journal everything that I eat each day. When you start writing it down, you really realize how many times you "mindlessly" put things in your mouth. You also learn to "weigh out" your choices, opting for the best possible use of your "points" each day.

One of the little treats that I have found that I really love are these little cupcakes which are SO yummy. You can make all sorts of variations on this cupcakes, i.e. orange cake mix with a diet orange drink; a lemon cake mix with a lemon-lime diet drink ---or, my favorite which is:

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix

1 can Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper

Pour boxed cake mix into medium mixing bowl.

Add entire can of diet drink of your choice.

Blend slowly on low for approximately 30 seconds and then on medium for about 2 minutes.

Pour cake batter into 12 paper-lined muffin tins, using all of the batter.

Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 27 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

This recipe could not be any simpler, could it? They are delicious just plain, tasting a lot like a brownie, and the best part is that each cupcake only has 3 W.W. points! (You could also "frost" them with fat-free cream cheese or with fat-free Cool Whip, if desired.)

Let me know which combination is YOUR favorite!

Cherry Malted Cookies

This is a recipe for a cookie that my mother used to make every Holiday season when I was growing up.  It was always one of my favorites so when I recently ran across this recipe again, I decided to make some for my family. 

They were JUST as good as I remembered!!

1  1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup chocolate malted milk powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1/4 cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped

Sift together flour, malted milk powder, soda, salt and cinnamon.

Place brown sugar and shortening in mixing bowl.

Cream sugar and shortening together well.

Add 1 egg, cherry juice and vanilla and beat well.

Blend in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Finely chop cherries.

Add chopped cherries to mixture and mix thoroughly.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool a couple of minutes on cookie sheet.

Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks for approximately 5 - 10 minutes.