i cannot deny that my blogging frequency has been, dare i say, infrequent? the mcu journey series was a treat to experience and write, but i hadn’t been struck with anything quite as inspiring and exciting since. that was until earlier this month when i was baking up a banana bread for breakfast. this banana bread recipe is reliable, easy, and delicious. however, if you are anything like me, sometimes you end up in a baking rut, doing the same bakes day in and day out. i wondered to myself, surely i am up for a challenge? surely i am brave enough to venture out and try something new? surely i am skilled enough to not be afraid to fail? energized by the thought and curious about what may i come, i am officially kicking off a new series: a year of bakes.

each month in 2024 i will whip up something new to me. sweet, savory, simple, advanced. i want to explore them all! i cannot tell you how many pinned or clipped recipes i have lying around the house or in my phone, and it’s time i dust them off and go on an adventure. join me, won’t you?

january’s bake was taken from a royal cookbook: seasonal recipes from buckingham palace. our friends dave and jenn took a trip across the pond last year and so thoughtfully brought this souvenir home for me. elegant and impressive, this book shares the history of the kitchen at the palace and includes recipes for some of their most iconic dishes. i cannot lie, many of them are very involved and include elements or ingredients that were a little intimidating. however, i searched the pages and did finally find something that felt very doable: the chocolate biscuit cake. a no bake treat, this cake includes traditional tea biscuits, butter, sugar, and plenty of chocolate. minimal ingredients also caught my eye. :)

i cleared the countertop, gathered my supplies, and opened the cupboard to search for my 15 centimeter cake pan. now, if i’m being honest, i have little sense of how the metric scale converts to the imperial equivalent and was very surprised when i learned that 15 centimeters roughly equates to only six inches. this cake was going to be tiny! good thing i wasn’t planning on bring it to a big ‘ole potluck or anything. however, it was kind of fun making something on a small scale; gave me the chance to slow down and really focus on precision.

now, this cake came together easy enough after mixing and chilling and then preparing the ganache, but i really was unimpressed by the end result. maybe it’s because my ganache wasn’t super glossy or maybe my biscuit pieces were too big? it is quite rich, and a small slice will do you, but i think it’d take a lot of convincing for me to try this recipe again. everything about it, to me, was just “fine.” i ate another couple slices throughout the week not because i was really craving it and really only because i don’t like to waste and was in the mood for a sweet bite of something. but you know? that’s okay. not everything you try is going to be a success or a “keeper.” there’s plenty of joy in exploring and keeping your brain sharp when learning something new, and i look forward to testing (and tasting) my skills this year. who knows what next month will hold! you’ll have to check back to find out. :)