baking

i promise i baked this year

kdavis Leave a comment

i knew this year was busy, distracting, exhausting, etc., but i failed to realize just how LITTLE blogging i did this year. it’s been nearly 365 days since my last post. my heart hurts just writing that! well, as they say, some things are better late than never, and i suppose a blog about baking can fall into that category.

to start, my final bake of my year-of-bakes was a lemon meringue pie. i’m not very experienced with homemade pie crust and have never tackled meringue, so it felt like a nice challenge to wrap up that journey and put my skills to the test. in looking back at the pictures, i remember being a little disappointed in the crust, mainly in that it just wasn’t very symmetrical. i guess that just enhances its homemade-ness. 🙂 and even though my curd might not have set as much as it should have, that meringue on top was quite a sight! fluffy stiff peaks and a tart filling made for a tasty bite in the end, and if someone requested a pie like this for a special occasion, i think i could manage.

i also baked some other new and familiar things throughout 2025, including…

  • my friend liz’s famous pumpkin cookies
  • banana chocolate chip muffins my friend giselle swears by
  • some of the tastiest classic cinnamon rolls you can find (kudos to my sister-in-law jessica for sharing the recipe)
  • chocolate chocolate mini muffins requested by our oldest nephew bode (he said i can make them anytime!) that remind me of the otis spunkmeyer ones i used to get in the omhs cafeteria
  • and pumpkin cinnamon rolls suggested by clarky boy for thanksgiving (they were so good i sent him home with a couple on his flight back to chicago)

what should i tackle in the new year? i’ve gotten into sewing and am wondering if maybe a new small craft/pattern every 1-2 months might be a good way to ensure my bernette sewing machine (thanks, mom!) gets some good use. time will tell! i pray you and yours have a happy holiday season and joyous new year.

a year of bakes-october

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last month my mom and i ended up on nephew and niece duty for a football saturday. mom planned to make a big ‘ole pot of chili and suggested cheese straws might be the perfect snack to accompany a piping hot bowl for dinner. say no more! instead of just picking some up at the nearby grocery store, i got to googling and stumbled upon this cheese straws recipe featured in food & wine magazine. i’m finding they are a reputable source, which shouldn’t be surprising but is comforting.

i don’t know that i have ever eaten a cheese straw, much less made one. so i was sure to read the recipe through several times before i got to mixin’. the minimal ingredient list gave me a short pause, but sometimes less is more. what i ended up finding as i prepared, rolled, and cut this dough is that these cheese straws were quite easy to bring together. many of the components are staples that were already handy in the pantry, and i’ll tell you now that the house smelled heavenly as these sweet little things baked up in the oven.

i decided to use a fancy fluted cutter my dad got me ages ago (8 years ago to be exact) and definitely wiggled each straw as suggested in the instructions to create an appealingly curvy shape. just make you smile, don’t they?

and then you know what made me chuckle? how these cheese straws looked so much like crinkle fries once done. much amusement. so they were good looking, but were they good tasting? i’m happy to report they were. if you make these, don’t you dare omit the cayenne pepper. it’s extremely necessary to keep the straws from tasting bland, and if i’m being honest, i think (somehow) the straws tasted better the next day. cheesy? zippy? easy to eat? you can bet this recipe is going in the binder.

oh, and this month i have a bonus for you all! i was suddenly inspired to try my hand at a roll cake. yes, i’ve made cake. yes, i’ve made whipped cream. but have i ever rolled a cake? no. this recipe from john with preppy kitchen will be a keeper. i think my only flub is that the cake was overbaked by maybe just a minute or two. i say so because when i unrolled the cake, filled it with the cream, and rerolled it, some cracks started to appear. the good news is that you drown it in chocolate ganache, which covered up all my mistakes! i am not embarrassed at all to say that i did share a slice with phillip but then managed to eat the whole rest of the cake all by my lonesome. at least i paced myself throughout the week. 🙂

  • whip it good!
  • stiff peaks.
  • dusty.
  • well, that made a mess.
  • perhaps it’s time for new oven mitts.
  • earning that muscle memory.
  • this whipped cream was YUM.
  • just keep stirring.
  • getting there…
  • …closer…
  • helper phillip!
  • …a work of art!

a year of bakes-august

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i don’t know how this month’s bake came to mind but ended up deciding on chocolate eclairs. i was drawn to them because (1) i’ve never made choux pastry (2) there were multiple components and i felt up for the challenge and (3) i felt like it would be a good test of my baking skills.

oh, and this bake was doubly fun because mom was in town! now, she worked in food service her entire career, so she could smoke just about anyone in the kitchen (myself especially) but she was patient as i got all the ingredients organized, equipment laid out, and oven preheated. using this recipe from food & wine magazine, we got right to work on the choux pastry. i’ve seen chefs make it countless times on baking competition shows and was excited and nervous to see if it would work out for us. and despite the handful of negative reviews on the website, we powered forward. after boiling our water/butter mixture, i diligently removed the pot from the heat and vigorously stirred in the flour. much to our amazement and relief, the dough started to come together from the sides and leave the trademark film on the bottom of the pot! it was a baking miracle, i tell you! we were on top of the world.

we threw it in the mixer to cool off, added the eggs one at a time, and piped those bad boys out on a baking sheet. they might not look like much now, but just you wait. 🙂

while the oven was hard at work, we fixed up the pastry cream (blessedly easy and dangerously delicious), washed our dishes, and let the anticipation rise. i think i am a capable enough baker to have completed this one on my own without issue, but it was a much more enjoyable experience with mom by my side. love ya, mom!

about 40 minutes later, we pulled open the oven door and grinned from ear to ear. the eclair shells were golden but not burned and had a nice hollow sound when you tapped the bottoms. we’re on a roll! nothing can stop us now.

once those little shells cooled on the baking racks, it all came together pretty quickly. we split them horizontally, dunked the tops in a melted chocolate-butter mixture (YUM), and spooned in generous heaps of the pastry cream.

even though dinner was right around the corner, we immediately indulged. these eclairs are extremely decadent without being overly sweet, and we each scarfed ours down in just a matter of bites. as we say in our household, this recipe is a “keeper” for sure, and i look forward to a special occasion (or, you know, just another random monday) when i can make them again.

a year of bakes-june

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i know i have been tardy in my baking posts but promise i have not been tardy in my actual baking! i did do a june bake and even already did my july bake! i’ve just been a little preoccupied with some fun activities but am happy to get back to it.

there wasn’t any particular strike of inspiration for my june bake, so i thought i’d turn to a reliable source for ideas. i present the alternative baker cookbook. i’m certain i’ve mentioned this book before, but long story short, it was a suggestion from a former coworker whose wife is gluten-free. i tolerate gluten just fine but welcomed the recommendation to expand my baking knowledge. over the past five years or so, i’ve made several of these recipes (most quite successfully) so flipped through its pages to see if anything would strike my fancy.

after considering a few options, i landed on the buckle. this “old-timey” dessert features ripe fruits that sink into batter, which then buckles up and around. seriously, that’s it! these alternative flours were familiar to me, but i don’t often bake with stone fruits so thought this new-to-me recipe seemed like a comfortable choice.

when i launch into a recipe (especially new ones), i read the instructions several times. i get out all my ingredients and organize my bowls and utensils and measuring spoons so that once i begin, it’s smooth sailing. with this buckle, that included smoothly sifting my dry ingredients (what a relaxing sight) and browning my butter (what an intoxicating smell). each step matters, and the first few are no exception.

from there, i buttered my springform pan generously, plopped in the batter (which had me skeptical since it barely covered the bottom), and added the cut fruit. i couldn’t find good apricots in our produce section so settled on peaches instead. i mean, after all we are here in the peach state. 🙂 then, into the oven it went. i wasn’t really sure what to expect and thought there surely was not enough batter to create the buckle effect described by alanna. however, i’ve found this year that i’ve been surprised more than once so let science do its thing.

the oven filled the kitchen when nutty aromas and cozy feelings, and i had a smile on my face when the timer chimed. look at this scrumptious masterpiece! please trust me when i say this buckle tasted even better than it looked.

although described as a dessert, i greedily ate a slice for breakfast the next day and enjoyed it with a mug of piping hot coffee. the buckle batter was moist and delicate yet not tackled by the heavy peach slices. the alternative baker does it again, and i can see this buckle being a new go-to when we have visitors in town.

a year of bakes-march

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somehow it is already spring, and somehow march seemed to rush right on by without any notice at all. thankfully, i had the perfect occasion to fit my march bake: our neighbors are expecting their fourth child! i wanted to whip up something special before the baby’s arrival, so i asked the husband what the expectant mother’s favorite dessert was. his answer? cheesecake. i was excited by the challenge of this classic treat because, yes, it would be my march bake. however, i also looked forward to it because i feel like something like a cheesecake really tests your abilities. it might seem simple. a bunch of cream cheese, some sugar, and some eggs. however, something so iconic can so easily go awry. i expect we’ve all had a slice of mealy, dry, cracked cheesecake, which isn’t enjoyable on any level. in a bake like this one, even though science is certainly at play, experience really can give you an advantage.

i don’t have my own go-to cheesecake recipe, and if you don’t either or just are interested in something new, i will quickly direct you to this recipe by sam. this recipe is unique because it does not use a water bath (something super common when making a cheesecake), but i followed the instructions to a tee, and my cheesecake turned out smooth, rich, and easily edible. i will say, though, i did get a little nervous mixing the batter itself. i needed to ensure i incorporated everything evenly without letting in too much air, and that is where my prior baking experience was helpful. i kept a close eye on it, didn’t mix it on too high a speed, and didn’t second guess my instincts. when it looked done, i turned off the mixer and moved on to the next step. sometimes you have to fight that urge to overthink things!

i popped my cheesecake into the oven, set the timer, and resisted the temptation to open the oven to check on things. the minute you do, so much heat escapes, and all sorts of things can go sideways (no matter what you’re making!). about an hour later, the house smelled divine, and my cheesecake looked as happy as it could be. better yet, it tasted great, too! i had the neighbors over for a slice, and even their youngest (who doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth) ate most of hers. i think the only tweak i would make to this recipe is putting more of the graham cracker crust on the bottom. i didn’t know exactly how much filling there was going to be, and as you can see, i had an excess of graham crackers up the sides of my springform pan. aside from that minor adjustment, i think this one is a keeper!

chestnut flour – who knew

kdavis 1 Comment

over the past couple of years i have investigated (and tried my fair share of) gluten-free baking recipes.  it is not out of necessity but rather curiosity, as gluten-free treats tend to have a lackluster reputation.  the good news is that gluten-free baking has come a long way, and the most creative bakers out there are getting inventive with alternative baking ingredients so that the gluten-free brownie you see in the bakery’s case doesn’t taste like cardboard.

my coworker george recommended i check out the book alternative baker, as his wife swears by its recipes.  i quickly placed my order on amazon and once in my eager hands, i started at the beginning to read all about the author’s outlook on alternative ingredient baking and how to use the book.  alanna taylor-tobin presents her recipes in a welcoming manner and includes charming backstories to each which, to no surprise, i just love reading.  i have put my own baking skills to the test with near perfect success on several recipes, and although i’d like to take the credit, i must give it to alanna.  she has meticulously tested different ingredients in different amounts over and over again to ensure that the recipes in this book will make anyone come across like a seasoned baker.  and besides the fact that they taste incredible, my treats have always come out looking exactly like her pictures.  exactly.  i mean it!  there might be nothing more satisfying, at least today.  🙂

in a recent baking mood, i came across a recipe for loaded chocolate chip cookies that required chestnut flour.  i looked high and low at the local grocer for chestnut flour with no luck and then resorted to calling the specialty food stores in town.  still, no chestnut flour to be found anywhere in the greater atlanta area.  not ready to give up, i went back to the recipe, which actually referenced two suggested brands of chestnut flour.  next thing i knew, i was in contact with sandy bole from ladd hill orchards in sherwood, oregon who so kindly helped me order one pound of chestnut flour.

with the primary ingredient in hand (thank you again, sandy), phillip and i got to work toasting pecans and chopping chocolate and sifting flour.  the dough came together nicely, don’t you think?

nothing better than cookie dough.

we patiently waited 15-18 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking.  the smells from the oven were cozy and warm as the cookies baked to perfection.  once slightly cooled, we took a gooey bike, taking in the rich chocolate, tart cherries, crunchy pecans, and nutty chestnut flour.  here is one of the best parts about these cookies (and most everything in this cookbook), unless you tell someone they are gluten-free, they should have no idea because the quality, flavors, and combination of ingredients is so thoughtful and delicious they have no reason to believe otherwise.  the bonus?  you learn about new options, and if you are not learning, you are not growing.  🙂

so, here is what you need to take away from this post:

  1. gluten-free baking is not scary or difficult.  with the right ingredients, you’ll be a booming success.
  2. this cookbook is incredible.  please.  go order it.  now.
  3. for all your chestnut product needs, give ladd hill orchards a ring.  they couldn’t be kinder.  tell  them alanna taylor-tobin and kelsey davis sent you.

next up from the cookbook?  i’ll try my hand at some rich chestnut brownies and am betting they’ll be a hit at book club this month.

cranberry bliss bars

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it was an all-starbucks weekend when my mom was in town to help dog-sit my dog nephew rocco and house-sit for my brother while he, kari, and bode were out of town.  things started off with a couple of post-workout pumpkin spice lattes on saturday and continued into that evening when we tried out this copy-cat recipe to make our very own cranberry bliss bars.  they are mom’s favorites during the holiday season, and since they aren’t out just yet for purchase at your local starbucks cafe, we decided we would make our own!

can’t you just hear the Christmas tunes on your radio now?

my mom, the expert on how a cranberry bliss bar should taste, tried them for breakfast this morning and said they were divine.  i bit into a forkful myself and declared the same, even though i’ve never actually had one from a starbucks store!  the chocolate chip chunks combined with the cream cheese frosting and chopped craisins make for a delicious, rich bite that pairs perfectly with some fresh fruit and a steaming cup of coffee.  our only tweaks to the recipe?  more craisins in the batter and some orange zest in the frosting.  oh yes, that is exactly how i will make them next time, and i’m sure that will not be long from now.  🙂  the seasons are changing, and we are ready for all the holiday-themed treats we can get!

breakfast of champions.

rice flour and tapioca flour and xantham gum, oh my!

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many of you know how much i love to bake, and some of you have even been lucky enough to enjoy some of my treats.  now, since i no longer have an office to go into, i had to figure out what to do with all my baked goods, because keeping a whole cake or tray of cookies in the condo with just phillip and me is out of the question.  we’d be too tempted to eat it all ourselves!  so, i started baking things phillip could take to his coworkers.  he’s relatively new at his job as well, and there’s almost no better way to make friends in a new place than coming in with something tasty to share with everyone.

the first recipe i sent to the office with him were those classic and delicious peanut butter, sugar-rolled cookies with a hershey’s kiss on top.  they are almost always a crowd-pleaser!  but when phillip returned at the end of the day with nearly half the cookies still in the tin, i was a wreck!  “phillip, what happened?  did people not like them?  we tried them last night and they were perfect!”  after taking a moment to catch my breath, phillip responded, “well, it turns out that a lot of people in the office are gluten-free and couldn’t eat them.  but those who did have one loved them!”  such a great cheerleader.  🙂

“well, i guess i need to find some gluten-free recipes, then!”  so, discouraged not and determined much, i was on the hunt, and since i know nothing about gluten-free baking, i took my search to social media and relied on my trusty facebook friends to lend a hand.  luckily, within what seemed like just minutes, several folks responded with suggestions – what great people!  after perusing the suggestions, we finally decided that this gluten-free chocolate chip recipe would be the way to go.  it is a classic and cookies are easy to share, so it seemed like it had potential to be a winner.

nothing about the recipe itself scared me away; however, i had to be sure we had the right gluten-free ingredients on hand, so off to whole foods i went!  i made a beeline to the baking aisle and was astounded at the variety and number of alternative baking ingredients out there.  who knew such a world existed!  after checking the shelves, checking my shopping list, and checking my shopping cart again, i was ready to go.

back at the condo with the necessary supplies flung around the kitchen, it was time to get to work.  step by step everything came together nicely, and phillip can confirm that the batter itself tasted as delicious as any one of your favorite gluten-full chocolate chip cookie recipe batters.  that’s got to be a good sign!

but, the real test would be when the cookies were baked, cooled, and ready to eat.  as stated in the recipe, i tried baking them for 14 minutes per sheet, rotating halfway through, but those batches were a little more golden than we prefer, likely due to our oven running a little hot.

so, we bumped it down to 12 minutes total and ended up with a pretty delicious result.  i mean, we just had to taste test a couple of cookies each, washing them down with an ice-cold glass of milk.

with new-found gluten-free confidence, we packaged the cookies up, wrote up a little note and ingredient list, and phillip took them to the office the next day.  i almost couldn’t concentrate on my own work, i was so eager to hear if they were liked!  i got a text from phillip in the afternoon that people were loving the cookies and were appreciative that we took the time and money to go out of our way and make a gluten-free recipe.  ah!  success is ours!

now, we could have stopped there, content with the joy our cookies brought phillip’s co-workers.  however, the baker in me was too intrigued and had to keep going.  one of my own colleagues recommended to me a book called alternative baker, and i have been conquering it like there is no tomorrow!  from the corn meal blueberry muffins to the no-bake oat bars, everything we have made so far has been a hit and there is only more to explore and create.  what more could a baker ask for, right?  right!  if you’re someone out there who has a sweet tooth like us but has some dietary restrictions, i highly recommend giving this particular recipe and this book a try.  the baking world is full of so many creative options, and who knows, maybe you’ll surprise yourself with a new favorite.  🙂  enjoy!

vegan week day 3 – i dreamt about cheeseburgers

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yes, cheeseburgers were dancing around in my dreams, bumping into me on the sidewalk, creeping over my dinner plate, brokenhearted that i’d abandoned them.  such a horror that i woke up drenched in a nervous sweat!  okay, that’s not entirely true.  i didn’t dream about cheeseburgers last night; i actually had visions of tofu slices!  okay, that’s a lie also.  i honestly don’t remember last night’s dreams.  all i remember is i slept very well and awoke refreshed and ready for the day.  perhaps that’s because i decided to forgo my typical 4:30 a.m. workout.  yes, that was definitely a good choice.

anyway!  day three came and went like any typical wednesday did.  i had some cherries for my morning snack and then craisins on a log in the early afternoon.  interesting how some of my vegan selections seem to remind me of my childhood…

for lunch i had reheated veggie taco bowl, and it definitely hit the spot.  also, i think i made all my coworkers jelly (that’s short for jealous, just fyi) because it smelled so good.

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the danger struck, though, when my coworker andrew brought back a whole parcel of cookies for the office.  everyone was commenting, “mm, how tasty!”  “ah, these are great!”  i had to look away as everyone delicately unwrapped them and took delicious bite after delicious bite without me.  i wouldn’t say my will to resist was crumbling, but those treats definitely reminded me how much i am looking forward to saturday when i can indulge in all my favorite eats once again.

as for dinner this evening, we didn’t get too formal.  phillip had his company’s first kickball game of the summer (woohoo!) and i kind of lounged around watching law & order: svu once i got home.  after finally peeling myself off the sofa (i’d already seen that particular episode countless times), i got to baking.  i do enjoy cooking, but i’d say baking is much more of a passion for me.  another friendly recommendation, i whipped up a batch of vegan lemon poppy seed scones from the lovely i love vegan pair of brittany and william.  i’ve actually never made scones, so i wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but the recipe seemed straightforward and i was itching for something to satisfy my sweeter baked good tooth.

after letting the scones cool and generously drizzling them in glaze, i could hardly wait until phillip got home so we could try some.  don’t they look delectable?

well, if looks could kill, then how these scones tasted would send you to heaven and back.  i was incredibly happy with the biscuit-like texture, the light fluffiness, and the bright lemon flavor.  as phillip and i sat munching them at the dining room table, i couldn’t help but be impressed by myself (and the recipe).  i mean, these scones are slap-your-mama good.  they’re almost so good that i might eat a second scone right now and then another in the morning for breakfast.  no judging!  😉

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