It has been a journey that’s for sure. I had many plans and ideas on how I wanted to end my baking experience but because of the current situation with COVID-19 I wasn’t able to obtain all the ingredients that I needed and was uneasy about going out to such crowded areas. My end goal was to bake a loaf of bread and experiment further with using yeast or a starter, I thought it would be the ultimate goal and challenge for me. But due to the unfortunate circumstances I will postpone that challenge until a later date and instead finish this inquiry with how it all started; chocolate chip cookies.
I baked a fresh batch tonight for a yummy study snack and to relieve some of the stress that these past few weeks have built up. I first started with my research trying to find the best gooey chocolate chip cookie I could find to suit my craving. I settled with Tasty’s recipe because they are always on point and got to work creaming my wet ingredients. One the wet ingredients looked like silk I added my flour, baking soda and chocolate chips. After mixing it all together I formed my cookies and set them into the oven for 12 minutes. Now let me tell you, I think I have hit the goldmine with this cookie recipe. I don’t know if it was because I was stressed and tired and hungry but the taste of a warm gooey chocolate chip cookie dipped into a glass of cold milk was what I imagine the cookies in heaven taste like. It was just what I needed. It helped me reflect and remind myself of the home runs and strike outs that I encountered during my baking experience.
It all started with the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies that I baked back in January. I chose this recipe because it was something that I was somewhat familiar with and is in the easy category of baking. I was able to practice the basics of baking which is separating your wet and dry ingredients then combining them later. This recipe was also something that allowed me to help build up my baking confidence which prepared me for the rest of the semester. I remember saying in that blog that I didn’t feel like I was doing homework and that it just felt fun. From day 1 I started to look at the assignment as a break from studying and a good way to treat myself for working so hard. This mindset is what I think helped me continue and learn throughout this inquiry.
After making cookies I made carrot muffins which ended up tasting really good and going well. But I do have an update that I didn’t blog about… Two days after I made the muffins I went to go pack one for lunch and I noticed that all the carrot bits turned green! Crazy right?! At first I thought they were moldy but after pondering that thought I realized that there was no way that after two days they could possibly be already moldy so I googled it and found out that I made a chemical reaction! So fun fact, apparently if you do not thoroughly combine your baking soda it can turn your carrots green! So I did learn something there. This recipe also allowed me to gain experience towards how to bake muffins and properly line the pan.
The next baked good I conquered was scones. I decided to make cheese scones so I could learn how to create flaky layers in scones and similar pastries. This is done by using cold, cubed butter so that when the butter melts in the oven, it separates the dough and creates layers. This was the first recipe where I practiced kneading dough which was difficult because the cheese scones contained a lot of flour so it kept falling apart. They ended up requiring a lot of time and attention to make them into a workable consistency. This recipe was definitely something I would make again! Would go great with soup!
I got to say out of all of these recipes my biggest home run was the luscious lemon bars. I am still obsessing over them! This recipe had two sections, one for working and baking the crust and the other for the lemon filling. The crust was probably the most complicating, not to make but to prepare because it had to be assembled then compacted into a pan, perfectly level then frozen, then baked. The lemon filling was just time consuming requiring lemon juice and zest from 5-6 lemons. After following the recipe and baking it I got to tell you, they were delicious and stayed fresh the longest amount of time out of all the recipes. Through this experience I really built up my baking confidence and learned a good skill for whenever I make dessert bars in the future.
Following the lemon bars was one of my first flops; the cinnamon buns. This was the first time I have ever worked with yeast and was unsure on how to fully activate the yeast and the wait time that it required before adding the ingredients. I think that is where I went wrong, was the very beginning with the yeast and after that it didn’t rise and came out dense and hard. This recipe gave me experience and the opportunity to work with a more complex component of baking and was something that I was able to learn and grow from.
Unfortunately the cheesecake I made next added to my list of flops. This recipe was another first for me that contained many do’s and don’ts which didn’t help me much. I think the only thing that went wrong here was my cook time. I should have left it in the oven for a little longer then let it cool and set for longer than I did. Besides the uncooked portion of it, it turned out really well and was another learning experience for me which gave me insight towards what to do next time I bake a cheesecake. Or I could just choose a non-bake one…
Last but not least was my coffee cake. This was a simple but good one, a solid way to end my baking inquiry. In this recipe I learned how to make a crumble and was able to add another pastry recipe to my repertoire! I am very grateful for this experience. I feel as though I learned a lot about how to bake different recipes using different techniques. I not only improved my baking ability but I found a excellent way to take a mental break from studying and fill it with something that I enjoy and that my friends and family also enjoy! I cannot wait to continue on with my new found hobby and explore new recipes.
