Art You Can Eat {a birthday recipe}

As promised yesterday, here's the second version of birthday cake for my young artist in residence. I really didn't want to make cupcakes or cake again and while I was brainstorming on something creative to make for my girl's actual birthday, she asked me if I'd make her some chocolate chip cookies. She has been allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts since birth so there are quite a few baked goods that she doesn't get to enjoy. {And plenty of those I've tried to make allergy free and they just didn't pan out.} This time, especially since it was her special day, I decided to find a way to make some for her. Only while I was thinking about it, it hit me that I could make her a giant chocolate chip cookie and decorate it like a cake. I'm all about killing the hypothetical two birds with one stone. Amen? Since I was completely out of 'her' chocolate chips {vegan}, I had to make a trip to Whole Foods. You can imagine how delighted I was to find an allergy-free chocolate chip cookie mix made by Cherrybrook Kitchen in the baking aisle of Whole Foods! This completely made my day because I could use this convenient mix and know that it would most likely turn out well versus trying to make my own from scratch without eggs. So, I snatched it up for $5.99 and was on my merry way.

I love Cherrybrook Kitchen because they make several allergy-friendly mixes, etc. that really help a mom out in situations like these. They are careful with processing and every product I've used of their's has worked out wonderfully and tasted yummy. It makes life with food allergies a little more bearable.

Follow package directions by mixing the mix + 1/2 cup dairy free buttery spread like Smart Balance Light or Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread + 1/4 cup water. Mix until it forms a soft dough.

Spread out your dough onto your greased pan or onto a round baking stone {mine is from Pampered Chef}. I used a piece of plastic wrap to help me smooth out the dough without getting my hands messy. Then, I took my dough roller {also from Pampered Chef} and rolled it on top of the plastic wrap to make it the same thickness all over.

Take the plastic wrap off. Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool, then decorate.

It was a big surprise for my girl when she got home from school and saw her giant chocolate chip cookie. The artsy design made with frosting, just made it that much better.

It was a great day! I'm pretty sure she'll remember this one forever.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm sharing this with a few of these friends.