My cousin has been bugging his mom to let him have some time alone with me before I go, and we finally scheduled some time today. It turned into an all day event, with us going to the park in the morning (and the weather turned insane! Since when is it 85 degrees in October?), then back to my house where he proceeded to eat sixteen spicy chips (he counted), and then back to his house to bake with my aunt while the kids watched Minecraft videos for a couple hours.
It was a nice day, particularly because it was technically the last free day that I had before I go. Things are moving so quickly. Part of me is freaking out but the other part of me is freaking excited.
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
06 October 2013
30 September 2013
Bliss
I've been baking for a couple years now, not really seriously, but enough that I've invested in a ton of equipment: dedicated pans, a cookie dough scoop, two flour sifters, several ramekins, a massive bag of active dry yeast. I bake often enough and have such a small sweet tooth that I find fault in every recipe that I make. Cookies are always too dry, too crumbly, too soft, too hard, too floury, too sweet. Cakes taste off, frosting gets overly sweet, icing doesn't set....the list goes on. I'm my own harshest critic, and I rarely stumble upon recipes that seem worthy enough to add to my personal recipe box.
But today I came across a fudgy brownie recipe that baked up so wonderful that I have to reconsider my life. I always thought I preferred cakey brownies, so the recipes I would make usually ended up having three or four eggs, lots of flour, and a small amount of butter or oil. But I gambled and this recipe paid off.
This isn't a baking blog, so I won't get in depth about the experience, but producing such an excellent product is invigorating, and I feel suddenly supremely confident about my baking abilities (my last batch of cookies had a bad brown-granulated sugar ratio and turned out too dry and crumbly). If one recipe can turn out this good, think of what else is out there just waiting to be made!
Now if only I can replicate this kind of success in my writing...
But today I came across a fudgy brownie recipe that baked up so wonderful that I have to reconsider my life. I always thought I preferred cakey brownies, so the recipes I would make usually ended up having three or four eggs, lots of flour, and a small amount of butter or oil. But I gambled and this recipe paid off.
This isn't a baking blog, so I won't get in depth about the experience, but producing such an excellent product is invigorating, and I feel suddenly supremely confident about my baking abilities (my last batch of cookies had a bad brown-granulated sugar ratio and turned out too dry and crumbly). If one recipe can turn out this good, think of what else is out there just waiting to be made!
Now if only I can replicate this kind of success in my writing...
28 September 2013
Cookies
I spent the day napping and feeling incredibly dehydrated. This morning I went on a walk without sufficient water and felt very overheated by the end. I didn't think it would get this warm so late in the year, but I suppose that's just California.
The neighborhood donut shop owner lied to me the other day--I asked about pumpkin donuts and he promised me that they would have some by today. No luck. That's okay, I can't pass up their double chocolate donut or regular old fashioned.
Attempted to pack my larger belongings in my car this afternoon, just to see how things would fit. It's definitely a tight squeeze, as I drive with my seat almost all the way back, so there's little room in the back for the large paintings that I own. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll all fit! Compact cars are way smaller than I thought--but I'm pretty glad now that I decided on a sedan rather than a coupe!
I'll be visiting a friend in Hollywood and then seeing the relatives on my dad's side, including my grandparents who are 84 and 94 years old. This could be the last time I see them, so I'll have to make the most of it. It'll be good to see everyone, but as I'm not particularly close with any of them, it's going to be odd to relay so many of the decisions that I've made in the past few months without feeling the vast distance between us.
It reminds me of what my Dad lamented a few months ago--since my brother and I left the house, he feels like he no longer knows what kind of people we are, what we like to do, and how we act. He only knows what we tell him, which is decidedly not very much. This is partially why I feel that it would be beneficial to my relationship with my parents to spend some time with them as an adult, to forge a human relationship with them (rather than a simple parental one).
I ended the night by making cookies, which I'll bringing with me on my visits this weekend. I probably should have made the cookie dough truffle recipe while I had the butter out and soft, but I forgot. Eh, I've got enough laundry to do.
I've had the "I've got a golden ticket" song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie stuck in my head for the past couple hours but it never gets old singing the song to my brother while he rolls his eyes. He's going to miss me so much.
The neighborhood donut shop owner lied to me the other day--I asked about pumpkin donuts and he promised me that they would have some by today. No luck. That's okay, I can't pass up their double chocolate donut or regular old fashioned.
Attempted to pack my larger belongings in my car this afternoon, just to see how things would fit. It's definitely a tight squeeze, as I drive with my seat almost all the way back, so there's little room in the back for the large paintings that I own. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll all fit! Compact cars are way smaller than I thought--but I'm pretty glad now that I decided on a sedan rather than a coupe!
I'll be visiting a friend in Hollywood and then seeing the relatives on my dad's side, including my grandparents who are 84 and 94 years old. This could be the last time I see them, so I'll have to make the most of it. It'll be good to see everyone, but as I'm not particularly close with any of them, it's going to be odd to relay so many of the decisions that I've made in the past few months without feeling the vast distance between us.
It reminds me of what my Dad lamented a few months ago--since my brother and I left the house, he feels like he no longer knows what kind of people we are, what we like to do, and how we act. He only knows what we tell him, which is decidedly not very much. This is partially why I feel that it would be beneficial to my relationship with my parents to spend some time with them as an adult, to forge a human relationship with them (rather than a simple parental one).
I ended the night by making cookies, which I'll bringing with me on my visits this weekend. I probably should have made the cookie dough truffle recipe while I had the butter out and soft, but I forgot. Eh, I've got enough laundry to do.
I've had the "I've got a golden ticket" song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie stuck in my head for the past couple hours but it never gets old singing the song to my brother while he rolls his eyes. He's going to miss me so much.
24 September 2013
Biscuits
I just completely tore apart a biscuit recipe and made them the only way I know how to make them: mix the dry and wet ingredients just enough to combine, place on baking sheet, and bake.
They actually came out quite well, which was a little surprising.
For about five minutes I tried to come up with an analogy about baking and life, but it got away from me. Tonight I get to go help my aunt look for whatever wild animal is climbing around in her attic. Spooky.
They actually came out quite well, which was a little surprising.
For about five minutes I tried to come up with an analogy about baking and life, but it got away from me. Tonight I get to go help my aunt look for whatever wild animal is climbing around in her attic. Spooky.
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