I had all the best intentions this morning: create gluten-free whoopie pies for my little friend Sam, who is not so little anymore.

This sleepy little guy is now in 6th grade. Oh, my goodness.

Have I ever made whoopie pies before? No, but that did not stop me. Harley Chick loaned me a gluten-free cookbook and I ordered one of the ingredients, fancy gluten-free chocolate cake mix, on Amazon. It cost a small fortune, but nothing is too good for Sam’s birthday, right?

I followed the instructions very, very carefully (which I hadn’t done last Sunday while making oatmeal cookies for Banjo Man and they were barely edible, much to his disappointment).

Uh oh. They look a little…thin.

Yes, definitely too thin. These look very, very bad. I have not tasted one yet, as they are still cooling.

Plan B: I hauled out my cupcake pan and switched it up.

And it worked. I just took them out of the oven. The cupcakes aren’t exactly huge, but once I put some frosting on them, they will at least be festive, right?

I remain baffled as to what I did wrong.