So you want fresh baked goods, but you don't have a lot of free time...

Yeah, you can buy cookies and cake at the store. But really, what compares to a fresh out of the oven cookie, a warm slice of bread, or a slice of homemade pie? Very little, in my opinion. I like to play around with really intricate or time consuming recipes, but there is nothing wrong with the simplest recipes, and with a little forethought, even the busiest of you can have fresh goodies in your homes.

Consider the cookie: A basic chocolate chip cookie is almost foolproof. If you have half an hour or so on a weekend, consider whipping up a quick batch, but instead of baking them, put the balls of dough on a pan and stick them in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then, package the balls in a freezer bag, and pull them out to bake as needed during the week. Voila, fresh cookies any time! Almost any cookie that calls for spoons of heaping dough or rolled balls of dough will work great with this method.

Beer Bread - homemade taste in minutes: Most breads use yeast and therefore take quite the time commitment. But beer bread is just about the most simple recipe on the planet with phenomenal results. You can even mix it right in the loaf pan! It takes 2 minutes to mix up, and an hour to bake... just pop it in an hour before dinner, then enjoy a fresh, warm slice with your meal! This is the recipe I use.

Mixes, the ultimate time saver: Many cookies, cakes, even pancakes can be made quicker if you start out with a mix. But instead of the preservative filled mixes at the store, consider making your own one weekend and having it handy for when you want something yummy. You can store the mixes in ziplock bags or get some cheap glass jars at the grocery store. These also make great gifts. Find a bunch of mixes here.

So you see, it's not so difficult to have fresh baked goods in your home on a regular basis. But if you are still to lazy and are craving something delicious, you know who to call...

Apple Buns

OK, ok, I said that I'd make whatever was voted for. But we hit a snag - there was a tie! And after I found out that my grandparents wanted to come for a visit, I realized that the two tied options were not good options any longer - my grandparents have a more refined taste and are not fans of pie or gooey cookies.
So what to make? I wanted to stick with something along the lines of what was voted for, at least, so I decided to go with apples. I browsed my recipe books and decided on this tasty sounding crescent. A pretty simple idea really - dough, apples, cinnamon - nothing new here, right? But sometimes the most simple ingredients make the best desserts. This is a very rich dough, with eggs, sugar and butter, that rises up beautifully and rolls out easily. The apple filling is simple with just a bit of cinnamon and sugar and an ungodly amount of butter... but together, this was absoutely delicious. The cinnamon glaze on top and the pool of butter that ends up on the bottom are sinfully rich; this is not diet food. (So much for my diet!) This would be excellent at brunch any time of year, or during the winter for coffee or tea, just as we enjoyed it today.

It's a bit messy to make... I forgot to take a picture of the enourmous gooey mess on my counter after I cut the giant circle of apples-on-dough into pieces... but hey, that's all part of the fun. Oh yes, and this one is also from A Passion for Baking, which is quickly becoming my favorite book.

Gift Baking: Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins

I've been meaning to bake something for our "new" neighbors forever. The moved in at the beginning of October, but with the pregnancy, the holidays and then our new baby, I never got around to it! So yesterday, I found myself with a few minutes of free time and a plethora of new baking books to test out. I had some basics on hand and decided on a decadant-looking but easy recipe for these muffins from A Passion for Baking and decided that they would make an nice little gift.

The recipe calls for both cream cheese and sour cream, which makes them a lot richer than your average muffin. The author also calls for using an ice cream scoop to portion out the batter into the cups. I wondered how that would work, since batters are usually kind of runny. As soon as I finished mixing the batter, though, I saw what she meant: this was a thick, sticky batter that was almost a dough! Scooping it out left mounds of dough peaking up over the top, which is what created the lovely domes on these muffins.

The use of bittersweet chocolate cut up into chunks rather than chocolate chips left the inside soft with pools of rich chocolate, while the sour cream adds a light tang to the muffin. The cream cheese adds a richness to the texture that is really pretty unique. My favorite part, though, is the tall, crackled tops with bits of chocolate sticking out. These are just begging to be eaten!

Overall, the recipe was a great success. Next time, I'd add a pinch more salt and bake for about 2 minutes less for an even better result. If anyone wants the recipe for this or any other recipe I talk about here, just let me know!

Welcome!

I love to bake. And, usually, I really love to eat what I bake. But now that I have baby weight to lose, I can't sit around and eat cinnamon rolls and white chocolate capped cupcakes for a while. On the other hand, I can't imagine giving up my favorite hobby of baking, either. So that's where this little site comes in. I have 4 new baking books to pour through, test, and share the results of, and I'm sharing them with you!

Each week, I'll post a poll - you vote on what I should make. Then, come Sunday, you can stop by between 3-5pm to eat that tasty treat!

Along the way, I'll post photos, recipes, my thoughts on the cookbooks, stories... whatever I feel like really. But do stop by - both this site and my home. This is a passion that's meant for sharing!