Lemon Pound Cake for One

• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4-1/2 teaspoons egg or egg substitute
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter or margarine and sugar. Beat in the egg or egg substitute.  Add the vanilla, sour cream and lemon extract. Stir in the flour mixture and milk, mixing just until moistened. Pour batter into a mini loaf pan or large muffin cup.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Sugar Cookies for One (makes 3 cookies)

• 2-1/2 teaspoons butter
• 2-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
• 2-1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/4 egg or 3 teaspoons egg substitute
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch of baking soda (you just need a trace)
• 1 pinch of cream of tartar (you just need a trace)
• 3/4 teaspoon white sugar for decoration
• 1 pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.  Cream together the butter, oil, confectioners’ sugar, and 2-1/2 teaspoons white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg or egg substitute and stir in the vanilla. Mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar; stir into the creamed mixture. Roll dough into two balls, and then roll the balls in remaining white sugar. Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten with a fork.
2. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges begin to brown.

Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprints for One

• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon butter, softened
•  2-3/4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons seedless raspberry jam
•   2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
•  1/8 teaspoon almond extract
•   1/8 teaspoon milk 
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/8 teaspoon of the almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into three balls, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
2. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Brownies for One

·  1 tablespoon white sugar

·  3/4 teaspoon butter

·  3/4 teaspoon water

·  3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips

·  1/4 egg or 3 teaspoons egg substitute

·  1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

·  1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

·  1/8 teaspoon baking soda

·  1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

Combine sugar, butter and water in a microwave-safe bowl and melt together.  Remove from microwave and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Mix in the egg or egg substitute and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly into a greased or line muffin cup or mini bar pan.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.  Do not overbake. Cool in pan and enjoy.

Applesauce Cake for One

·  1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·  1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·  1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

·  1/8 teaspoon salt

·  1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon butter, softened

·  2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons white sugar

·  1/8 teaspoon baking soda

·  2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons unsweetened applesauce

·  2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine walnuts (optional), flour, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set asde.
2. In another small bowl, cream butter and sugar with a fork until light and fluffy. Dissolve baking soda into applesauce and mix into creamed butter. Add flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
3. Pour batter into a greased muffin cup or mini bar pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Why Single Serving Recipes are a Great Idea

I love cheesecake, and cheesecake loves me.  The problem with this is that cheesecake loves me too much.  When I bake a cheesecake, the cheesecake and I get along great.  Better than great.  We have an on-going love affair where all I can think about is that cheesecake.  From the moment I start mixing the batter until the moment the last of it is devoured.  And even after it's gone, it still sticks around, in the form of fat which seems to attach to my thighs. 

For awhile, I decided that I would simply stop baking cheesecake.  Because I live with my fiance, who doesn't eat sweets, and I really don't need to eat an entire cheesecake by myself before it spoils.  This didn't work out because not baking cheesecakes at all only made me want them more...the forbidden fruit syndrome.  So eventually I decided that the old adage "moderation is the key" would hold true in this case.  I could bake, and even eat, cheesecake, I just had to do it in moderation.  So, I had a few options.  I could bake an entire cheesecake and freeze it into tiny pieces (with most of them growing freezer burnt before I'd eat them), I could bake an entire cheesecake and give most of it away (co-workers and family members would benefit), or I could bake a single-serve cheesecake, using a fraction of the ingredients and time.  I decided that the last option was the best fit for me.  That doesn't mean that I never freeze desserts or that I never take them to my friends and family, but it does mean that if I get a sudden craving for cheesecake, I can make one on the spur of the moment and not feel bad about doing it. 

My decision to begin baking cheesecake (and single-serving desserts) wasn't easy, mainly because there aren't a lot of single-serving desserts published, and even if you have a recipe converter, downsizing a regular recipe to make one or two servings is tricky.  You have to deal with the fraction of an egg, the teeny tiny amounts of baking powder, baking soda, etc.  However, I have found that it's worth it.  Below is a list of all the great things about baking single-serving desserts.

• It's healthier for you.  Now, cheesecake may never become a dietician's dream, but eating one piece of it is definitely better than eating an entire cheesecake.  Preparing one serving of a cheesecake or other dessert allows you to enjoy a treat in moderation, without temptation to overeat.
• It saves money.  Baking with a small amount of ingredients is obviously much less expensive than baking an entire cheesecake.
• It saves time.  I've also found that single-serving recipes are faster to prepare, and that most of the ingredients can be mixed by hand (not to mention that mixers and other kitchen tools are made for larger batches, so they won't mix your ingredients well, anyway).  I can whip up cheesecake batter for one in a fraction of the time it takes me to prepare a regular batch.
• It eliminates waste.  Often, if I prepare a dessert at home, I'll have a few pieces, my fiance will have maybe one, and the rest of it gets thrown out when it gets old or dries up.  Baking a single-serving of my favorite dessert saves me from having to throw away leftovers.
• It allows me to be creative.  I've also found that I can really experiment when I'm preparing a single-serving recipe, because I have less time and ingredients (i.e. money) invested.  And, if I mess up or something goes awry, I'm the only person who will have to deal with the results.  I often don't like to experiment will full serving recipes because if my experiments end in disaster, I won't have anything worth serving.  This is not a concern when I'm only baking for myself.

Single-serving recipes have changed my daily life.  Although I still love baking regular batches of desserts, I have incorporated single-serving recipes for baked goods into my daily routine.