Confessions of a Fake and Baker

I’m not talking about getting a golden glow here. I’m talking about using pre-made cookie and cake mixes to fake that homemade baked goodness. I turn to these store bought mixes because: a) Finding the time to bake from scratch with a 6 month old baby is like trying to find a Walmart on Rodeo Drive; b) The culinary gods frown upon my made-from-scratch creations.

Here is the pitiful product of my made-from-scratch chocolate cake that was for my husband’s 30th birthday. After shopping for all of the ingredients, painstakingly measuring each ingredient and carefully following the directions, I was left with a cake that did not rise and refused to budge from the pan. Luckily my husband is not a picky eater.

Here are some shortbread cookies made from an English Bay mixture purchased from Costco over the holiday season. I loved this mix because it came with all of the goodies required to make three different kinds of shortbread cookies: chocolate, chocolate with hazelnuts, and jam with coconut.

I’ve lost track of the number of times that Betty Crocker sugar cookies or Duncan Hines angel food cakes have come to my rescue. Once embarrassed by my lack of culinary prowess, I now embrace my success with these pre-mixed goodies. Whenever I’m expected to bring a dessert to one of those potlucks where only homemade dishes will do, my friends, family and co-workers have come to expect “freshness.”