DESSERT

CHOCOLATE SNACK CAKE

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed

• ¼ cup cocoa

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup water

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon vinegar

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. With a fork, mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in an ungreased 8-inch square pan. Make a well in center, add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla and stir in completely. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired. Makes 9 servings.

VARIATIONS:

• Applesauce: Omit cocoa and vanilla. Stir 1 ½ teaspoons allspice into flour mixture. Reduce water to ½ cup and stir in ½ cup applesauce.

• Chocolate-cherry almond: Omit water. Stir 1/3 cup chopped unblanched almonds into flour mixture. Drain 1 (4-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, reserving syrup; chop cherries. Add enough water to reserved cherry syrup to measure 1 cup. Stir syrup water and cherries into the flour mixture with the remaining ingredients.

• Vanilla chocolate-chip: Omit cocoa. Stir 1/3 cup chopped walnuts into the flour mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips over batter in pan.

• Double chocolate: Sprinkle ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips over batter in the pan.

• Maple-nut: Omit cocoa and vanilla. Stir ½ cup chopped pecans into the flour mixture. Stir in ½ teaspoon maple extract with the water.

Per serving: 249 calories (28 percent from fat), 8 g fat (0.8 g saturated, 4.5 g monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 2.9 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates, 1.4 g fiber, 276.9 mg sodium.

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