Seeing Eye to Eye

As mentioned before in many people are turned off by baking because it is time consuming, messy and you have to know what you are doing. I use baking as a creative outlet as do many others. However, some people do not find baking to be a good outlet and here is the issue I see with that. Not everyone is going to find baking enjoyable but I do want to make it more attractive to those who do not find baking easy. My hope is for chefs and bakers to make baking seem as easy. Because it can be.

So here is the deal. Since I am dealing with the issue of not everyone finds baking to be enjoyable and I want professionals and experts to make it seem easy this is how I plan to approach it. Those who are intimidated by baking or just find it to be annoying you need to give baking a chance. Like I said before, it is a great creative outlet and lets you use your imagination and create one of a kind treats.

Take some time and give baking a chance by viewing the following websites www.foodtv.com, www.pillsbury.com, and www.bettycrocker.com. These websites provide easy recipes and and helpful tips so that baking does not seem so scary.

So all of you baker haters out there. I may not ever get you to love baking just as much as I do but all I am asking is that we see eye to eye on baking and that it is easy. AND that you at least give it a try.

With Christmas and Hanukkah right around the corner now is the PERFECT time to get out your kitchen aid mixer and make some fabulous holiday cookies.

The Joy of Baking

Like my last couple of post I am going to bring another website to your attention. www.thejoyofbaking.com is a website like the others that I have mentioned in that it highlights recipes for the upcoming holiday and seasons. However, if you are an amateur baker and you go to this site it can come across as intimidating.

First, the front page of the website is cluttered with a ton of different recipes making it hard to focus on just one and choose which one you would like to start with. Although this does not have to do with the content, I do not think that someone who is visiting the site for the first time will go far beyond the first page because it is so intimidating. Therefore, I think the website should be redesigned to highlight just a few of the months top searched recipes and tips.

Second, the few articles and paragraphs the site does have are aimed towards experienced bakers. This site is not first time baker friendly. The content is for those who bake all of the time and speak to those who know a lot about baking. This site provides lots of great recipes and should be restructured so that it is easier to follow and is more first time baker friendly.

Third, the site provides too much content. This seems like a silly thing to highlight, but I think the website tries to touch on to many topics. It needs to be more focused. For example, it provides recipes with using different fruits, icing recipes but it also provides ideas for breakfast lunch and dinner. I understand the website is called the joy of baking but it should stick strictly to baked goods. It should not try to touch on meals as well as baking, it needs to stay in one area so that it does not look cluttered and unorganized.

Finally, this website does provide a ton of information, tips and recipes, however, I do think there is some cleaning up to do on the site. It needs to be reorganized and more first time user friendly. Baking is a joyful thing and you should not be turned away from it before you even start baking just because a site you went to for help was too overwhelming.

Have No Fear Baking is.....EASY!

http://www.texascooking.com/features/oct2009-fear-of-baking.htm

http://www.piedesigns.co.za/pie-baking-articles/tackle-your-fear-of-baking.html

Above are two articles that two different women have written about their fear of baking and how they overcame their fear and have become great in the kitchen.

Many people are afraid of baking because it is always described as an exact science and one mistake can be fatal to the final outcome. In both of these articles the women focus on how at some point in their life they have screwed up in the kitchen and were turned off by baking for a while. However, they overcame their fear and began baking again.

It is important for amateur bakers to understand it is okay to screw up when you bake. You might be wasting food but baking is a learning process like any other thing you are trying to learn. Baking is all about trial and error not an exact science.

So, if you are attempting to bake for the first time or have already attempted to bake and things didn't turn out the way you wanted....DON'T WORRY! It will be okay...baking can be easy and fun you just have to keep at it. Don't let one mess up get you down. Get back in that kitchen and bake again!

Two more go to sites

Last week gave you the link to the pillsbury website for great recipes and tips on baking. This week I have two more links for you but they not only provide recipes and tips on baking but they also have a blog you can go to to ask questions and also provides tips on hosting parties and holiday events.

The two websites I have chosen are www.BHG.com (Better Homes and Gardens) and www.foodnetwork.com. I chose these two specifically because of the other articles, blogs and tips they provide for people who are into baking, cooking, throwing parties or just want to make their house feel like a home.

Better Homes and Gardens is best used if you are looking to make something special for the holidays or if you are the one hosting the holiday festivities. They provide event specific recipes and give tips on how to make things from what you have around the house. They provide easy to follow recipes which make it easy for first time bakers or cooks. They also have a free newsletter you can sign up for to get the latest updates on recipes and decorating tips.

Food network is the website based off of the televisions station. They provide links to the shows so you can get the recipes you saw the chefs make on TV that day and they also have an online blog where you can go and ask questions about cooking and baking. Like Better Homes and Gardens, they provide holiday specific recipes and tips on how to make things out of what you have around the house. Food network is very friendly toward first time cooks and bakers and even provides a place where they can go to ask for professional help and tips.

These two sites are not only informative but reliable because they have been around for years and are places our mothers have resorted to for help over the years.

The Holidays are coming!!!!

With Thanksgiving only a few weeks a way and Christmas just around the corner I am beginning to plan what I will be baking for the family gatherings.

Every year for Christmas I bake a variety of cookies and wrap them up to give as gifts to family members. I usually make 6 to 8 different types, some traditional and some original recipes I have come up with.

To help me get new ideas I visit the website www.pillsbury.com. This website has a wide range of recipes and is not limited to only desserts. You can sign up to get a newsletter that is emailed monthly. It is filled with cooking and baking tips and recipes.

So if you are ever stumped or looking for something new to bake I would suggest going to pillsbury.com and you'll be sure to find your answer there!

Birthday Cake Alternatives

So my birthday is this Monday and after 21 birthdays I want to do something different for the 22nd. Don't get me wrong I love me some white cake with white icing BUT it is getting a little old. The same exact thing EVERY single year.

Therefore, this post is not going to provide a recipe but it is going to provide two alternatives to the traditional birthday cake.

Option 1: A cookie cake

Simple and easy. Use the same exact recipe of your favorite cookie but instead of making a bunch of small cookies you make one big one! All you need to do is find a pie plate and place the dough in it and spread it out evenly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure to test the middle to see if it is cooked the whole way through by using a tooth pick. If it is completely cooked the tooth pick will come out clean.

Option 2: cupcakes shaped into a cake

Sounds weird, like a cop out and impossible to do....BUT it really is simple. Take your favorite object such as a jack-o-lantern, mountain, broomstick and pick out the colors you wish to use for the icing.

Arrange the cupcakes into the desired shape and ice them as you wish. After you are finished icing them place them back together into the shape you have selected.

TA- DAH! There you have it. Two new and SIMPLE alternatives to the traditional cake. So next time you are looking to make a birthday cake try one of these and you will be asked to make the cake every year from there on out.

(The picture at the top of the page is the birthday cake I made for my nephew for his 7th birthday last year. It is a cake made out of cupcakes in the shape of Sugarloaf Mountain which is in Sugarloaf, Maine.)

Lets Bring it Back Old School

For the past couple of posts I have been focusing on the season and making all different kind of pumpkin flavored treats. So this weekend when I found myself in the kitchen baking instead of writing a paper I decided to take it back to old school cooking.

Okay so it might not be old school but it is traditional. I made home made chocolate chip cookies. I you google search for a chocolate chip cookie recipe you will find a million different recipes but I have been using the one I am going to share with you since I have been backing and I have never had a complaint from anyone!

Preheat your over to 375 degrees. Mix together in one bowl your dry ingredients of 2 1/4 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and a dash of salt. In a separate bowl you are going to cream two sticks of butter, then add 3/4 cup of brown sugar followed by 3/4 cups of regular sugar. Then add in two eggs and a teaspoon of vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients to to the butter, egg and sugar mixture. Finally mix in the chocolate chips! Scoop the dough on to trays keeping them one inch apart from each other. Bake for eight to ten minutes and you will have brought it back old school!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I said I would be using pumpkin spices a lot and I wasn't lying. I can't resist. I LOVE October and the smells and feel of the season. So here is a post on how to add a twist to old fashion oatmeal cookies.

Take prepackaged oatmeal cookie mix and a stick of butter, one egg and a table spoon of water. Then add one table spoon of pumpkin spice mix which includes clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, anise star, all spice, and cardamom.

It takes seconds to make a traditional cooke into the perfect fall treat. The table spoon of pumpkin spice mix adds a nice but subtle flavor to the cookie.

Baking with the Boys

I have been spent the past couple of days in Seattle, Wa watching my three nephews while my brother and his wife are out of town. I have been running from baseball practice, to football practice to basketball practice. The boys are 11, 9 and 7 and they are active!

With all the whirlwind of activities we still found time to bake of course! The boys loved helping make all sorts of things. We made sugar cookies with jock-o-lanterns on them, chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin muffins.

We went back to the basics of traditional home baking and they loved it. So this week my tip for you guys is simply this...bake with friends, family or with anyone who is willing to lend a hand. It is a great time to spend time with one and other and it is fun and makes time fly by!

So pick your all time favorite treat and find sometime to bake with someone!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with a Cinnamon Glaze

Happy October everyone! Fall is my FAVORITE season and October is my favorite month so the next couple of post you will most likely have to do with the season or the month.

For this post I have decided to share my pumpkin muffin with a cinnamon glaze recipe with you guys. It is simple, fun and delicious! They are perfect for breakfast on the go, dessert or when you are looking for that late afternoon snack.

Start out by buying a pumpkin cake, bread or muffin mix. Most grocery stores carry it during the fall and holiday season. If you cannot find it then you can just buy a boxed spice cake mix and make them into cupcakes.

Follow the instructions on the back of the box for the muffin mix then to add some "zest" add in a tablespoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla and people will think you made them from scratch!

Bake as directed on the box. While the muffins are baking mix a 1/2 cup of confectioner sugar with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of milk. Add more milk slowly to the mixture if you do not like the consistency.

Glaze the muffins after about five minutes of cooling. Then ENJOY!

Quick Tip

Have you ever promised to bring a dessert to a friends house, family gathering or event? Did you forget and remember at the last minute...been there, done that. Here is a quick recipe that is sure to make everyone happy.

I always have three things in my cabinet: chocolate chips, yellow cake mix and brownie mix. I know these do not seem like pantry staples, but trust me you should always have these three things on stand by.

So back to the last minute dessert disaster. If you don't want to make it look like you forgot all about bringing something store bought or burnt chocolate chip cookies turn to brownie cookies. They are chocolatey like a brownie and chewy like a cookie.

All you need to do is take your brownie mix, add 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of water, a 1/3 cup of oil and mix. Then place them in the oven at 375 degrees for eight minutes and you have cookies in no time! SHould take no more than 45 minutes from start to finish.

Next time you find yourself in a dessert disaster make these brownie cookies and your disaster will become a masterpiece!

Book club treats

With my recent transfer to Temple and in hopes to save money, I am living at home with my parents. Every few weeks they get together with some friends for a book club. This week they have volunteered to hold the meeting at our house.

Sooooo my mother being the great hostess she is feels the need to have plenty of wine, beer, snacks and baked goods for everyone to enjoy. She is fine with getting the wine, beer and snacks, it is the baked goods that give her trouble. Remember from the last blog when I mentioned how she got skipped in the baking gene pool. Well this is when she comes to me because no one wants that store bought, boxed up faked goods. Also, I refuse to let her serve that garbage.

I wanted to do something different than your typical brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE chocolate chip cookie (which I also made for them) and brownies but I wanted to make something different.

So I started to think about the start of a new school year, the first day of autumn coming on Thursday and the holiday season quickly approaching, I thought about fall flavors.

I decided to take the basic sugar cookie mix but jazz it up a little. I added a pumpkin spice mixture which contained cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, anise and all spice to give it that perfect fall feel. They turned out FANTASTIC!

If you are looking to bake something for friends or family and want to give them that fall warmth...bake up a batch of these and you'll be sure to be a everyones favorite.

It's all in the family

I come from a large extended family. Growing up with four siblings, seven sets of aunts and uncles and fifteen cousins, getting everyone together is always a task. However, there is always one way to get everyone in the same place at the same time. That way, is my maternal grandmother's cooking and baking.

My grandmother learned from her mother at a young age to prepare traditional Slovakian meals and baked goods. My grandmother has tried to keep the family heritage and tradition alive by teaching her children and grandchildren how to cook and bake. Now, my mom never really got into cooking and baking like her mom did, but I came a custom to watching my grandmother over the years and fell in love with baking just as she once did.

This semester I hope to share my love baking with the class. I will share recipes, tips, and how to take traditional recipes and add a twist. Hope I can spread the love of baking to you all and prove that I CAN bake better than yo momma!