As many of you know, I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with baking. Cakes, cookies, breads, pastries…you name it, I’ve probably made it. When moving into my apartment for my sophomore year, I was over the moon to have a real kitchen 24/7. I quickly made use of it to whip up batches of chocolate chip cookies for my roommates, make cakes for friend’s birthdays, and make muffins for a quick morning breakfast.
The past few weeks have easily been the busiest and most stressful weeks of my junior year so far. Between challenging classes (shout out to Food Chemistry) and social adventures (such as sorority recruitment), I have had a hard time taking care of myself in the midst of madness. I have managed to keep up a good workout routine that fits my needs and my schedule, but I haven’t had nearly enough time to myself to destress…AKA time to bake!
While I haven’t had the time to make anything, I have been slowly accumulating recipes I want to try. From Instagram, to TikTok, recipe books, newspaper clippings from my grandparents, and texts from my parents, inspiration is around every corner. Below are five things I plan to make in the upcoming days to relax, restore, and get back on the academic grind (with some great study snacks by my side).
- Key Lime Cookies – While scrolling through my saved Instagram reels this morning, I happened upon a recipe for vegan key lime cookies. While I don’t typically buy vegan butter or coconut milk, I think there are some simple modifications I can easily make to create these bright and light cookies with what I already have in my fridge!
- Banana Bread – I stand by the fact that my mom’s banana bread recipe (probably from a church cookbook some time in the early 2000s) is the best banana recipe on the planet. I found some bananas in my pantry that were “past their prime” and perfect for making bread or muffins. The key to the best bread in the world? Applesauce! Instead of using oil, my mom always adds apple sauce. I think it’s the key to the moisture and keeping for up to a week.
- Focaccia – I am not exactly the best at making breads (other than quick breads) from scratch. I have killed quite a few sourdough starters in my time, but focaccia is the queen of beginner-friendly breads. Despite being a yeasted bread, this bread is easy to make, no-knead, and doesn’t require 24 hours of attention and proofing. I love the fact that it’s incredibly customizable. Last time I had it, I made rosemary focaccia…maybe its time to try something sweet!
- Cream pie – I think pie is underrated. I am not a huge fan of cake (I know…shocking for someone who makes it all the time), but pie is the perfect alternative. With the flaky crust, shareability, and huge variety of decorative patterns and fillings, what’s not to love? My all time favorite cream pie is a family friend’s chocolate peanut butter pie. She only makes it once a year, which is devastating and incredible all at the same time. I look forward to the summer festival in my town (called Horse Trading Days) because you know that there will be chocolate peanut butter pie. I wonder if it would be just as amazing if I could have it year round. I hope I never find out and risk losing the magic.
- Pop Tart Bars – Last but not least is the oddly viral trend from a few weeks (or potentially months) ago. While doom scrolling endless baking pages, I kept seeing people making sheet pan Pop Tarts cut up into the perfect serving. I grew up with Pop Tarts as a special treat, and as an “adult”, I see why a child shouldn’t be eating them every morning, but that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t do it now without hesitation. Growing up, the crazy flavors like s’mores and chocolate brownie batter seemed to be the best options, but in my “old age”, I’ve realized that the classic brown sugar is where it’s at. And what could be better than an entire 9″x11″ sheet pan Pop Tart?
I look forward to all the delicious treats that come out of my kitchen this week! I’m less excited to do all the dishes, but it’s always worth it in the end. If you have any recipes that should be a MUST on my list, feel free to leave it in the comments below!
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