52 Weeks of Baking

My dad loves berry pies, so had to make him one for Father's Day. Fresh seasonal items used were blueberries and lemons (picked from my tree). The rosemary was from my yard too, but that thing grows year round 😋

Other berries used were the frozen Costco mix of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries and pomegranate, on a homemade crust.

The ice cream was a custard base, with rosemary steeped in the milk & cream. I like experimenting with unique flavors of ice cream, and this one was a hit with my family.

[Image description: a close up of a slice of double crust berry pie with a dollop of melting ice cream on top.]

Recipe. I used regular honey and added toasted walnuts.

Original reddit post

Hi bakers! This week marks our second seasonal ingredients challenge. Showcase something that is in season where you live (or, barring that, something that is themed on the season it is where you live). If you're not sure what's in season where you are there are tons of resources online, or you might even hit a local farmer's market and choose something!

For example,,,

Simple Cherry Cake - Using fresh cherries which are currently in season in New York

Easy Kiwi Tart - Kiwi is in season in New Zealand

Lychee Baked Yogurt - Lychee (aka litchi) is in season in India now

I just read that the original tollhouse recipe from the 70s had water in it, so I added some. Presumably that's the way Grandma would have been accustomed to them. Mom said these were one of her faves.

Recipe. My crust had yeast in it because I forgot the nature of the challenge.

Original reddit post

Hi bakers! This week's challenge is Celebration of Life, where we celebrate the life of a loved one by making something they love/d. This can be for someone who has or has not passed on. We'd love to hear about your relationship to this person and why you chose to make what you did.

Ordinarily I would post a few sample recipes here, but given that this is something so personal, I will forgo that this week.

Happy baking!

Original reddit post

Flatbreads are, shockingly, quite flat and thin. They are usually unleavened (no yeast or rising agents), although there are some exceptions like pita. They alsp typically do not use rich ingredients like butter or eggs.

Quick to make, healthy to eat, they can be a great side to soak up sauce, pick up a dip or sandwich some meat / veggies. Since they are thin, they can be made on a griddle or grill instead of an oven.

There are a variety of flatbreads across cultures. Try pita and for bonus points make gyros. Or make some naan on a skillet - and discover how easy and tasty a base for pizza it can be.

For something richer and more substantial, try these flaky scallion pancakes

Let us know what you'll be making this week and what you're going to pair it with for a full meal.

Recipe

I made the mistake of not trying these when they were fresh. My mom did and thought they were great. I did not enjoy the following morning.

Original reddit post

This is another of those creative weeks. The sky's the limit on what you can bake, and extra points if it looks like the sky!

You can try focaccia art of flowers. Or cupcakes decorated with piped roses. Use dried flowers or herbs to decorate a cake. Make a chocolate mud pie with gummy worms. A galaxy cake to celebrate the night sky or the Northern lights.

It's spring in the northern hemisphere, a walk on a nature trail or a trip to the beach may bring unexpected inspiration. Good luck with whatever you choose to bring to life!

Recipe

Made for eurovision, and it was a fail in every way. The cake was top flat to cut in 3 layers, the custard never set, and, as you can see, the marzipan cracked apart.

Original reddit post

This week, pull out all the stops and dress (your bake) to impress! A showstopper is a dish that is delicious, elaborate and over-the-top gorgeous. So this is the week to stretch yourself : clear your calendar, get out your premium ingredients, put on your creative thinking caps and go at it.

If you're looking for inspiration, check out some memorable showstoppers from the Great British Bake-Off : https://www.lovefood.com/gallerylist/207527/ranked-great-british-bake-offs-most-spectacular-showstoppers-ever

Sorry for the infrequent posts. I lost my job and am trying to move out to Cleveland. Add some other personal stuff to the mix and it has been a rough month for me.

But these are a gift for my best friend's birthday this weekend. She's an absolute coffee fiend. I'm not big on tropical flavors at all so I'm not really impressed by them, but here's hoping she likes them.

Notes from baking these, but my powdered egg substitute was not useful. I had a lot of issue gettting the dough to come together and ended up using way more oil than is usually necessary for biscotti. They al holding shape, but they were definitely more crumbly than i was originally hoping for.

Recipe. Pretty standard bun.

Original Reddit post

This weekend is Cinco De Mayo - so perfect timing to celebrate the cuisine of Mexico. (At least that's what us Americans believe. This may well be one of those immigrant holidays that are more celebrated in the US than in the country of origin).

There is the iconic Tres Leches cake.

Or chocoflan.

And of course churros.

For something a little lighter try Conchas or Bolillo. Or Gorditas.

Whatever you make, consider pairing it with a good tequila for best effect :)

Einkorn cake recipe

This cake is delicious. If you're not big on overly sweet desserts, I recommend it. And if it's not sweet enough, a dusting of crumbled maple candy helps.

Original reddit post

Hi bakers! This week, we’re going tropical, by incorporating flavors and/or ingredients native to the tropics. There’s a wide range of produce that grows in tropical climates, including, but not limited to coconut, durian, guava, jackfruit, lychee, mango, papaya, passionfruit, persimmon, pineapple, rambutan, and tamarind.

Here are some recipes that utilize tropical flavors and ingredients:

Peach mango pies

Guava and cheese pastelitos

Pandan coconut cake

Tamarind millionaire’s shortbread

Vegan jackfruit casserole

Scalloped pineapple

Happy baking!

Original reddit post

Hello everyone! For week 17, we’re working with candied sugar and caramel creations. For this week, you could opt to make any sort of sugar-based decoration for a bake, like homemade marshmallows for these s’mores cupcakes, homemade honeycomb toffee for this salted caramel cake, or an elegant spun sugar decoration for a variety of different recipes. Or, you could choose to make a recipe incorporating homemade caramel or sugar confections, like this caramel-syrup-topped flan, these peanut brittle cookies, or these salted caramel brownies.

If you’re looking for some handy references, here’s a guide to each of the stages of cooked sugar: https://www.theflavorbender.com/cooked-sugar-stages-candy-temperature-chart/, and if you’re interested in using isomalt instead, here’s a reference on what it is, and how to work with it: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/3588/what-is-isomalt.html

Happy baking!

Been meaning to make a baklava for a few months, and figured this was the perfect time to do it! The phyllo dough took me a bit to figure out, but once i realized you just need to starch the shit out if it while rolling and just keep stacking it, it worked out great! My bottom layer is fucked, the middle one a little thick, but the top layer was absolutely magical

Recipe

Made with the spinach topping and optional eggs. I used regular mozzarella and feta cheese. It was very good.

Recipe

I added a splash of vanilla. Served with cream or ice cream it's really good. My mom didn't care for it. Jovial has a lot of good looking recipes.

Original Reddit post

Hello bakers, welcome to week 16 – ancient grains week! So, what exactly are ancient grains? The Whole Grains Council states that, while there is no official definition of ‘ancient grains’, they define an ancient grain as one that has remained “largely unchanged over the last several hundred years”. Grains that fit this classification include quinoa, teff, farro, spelt, buckwheat, chia, millet, barley, amaranth, oats, and sorghum. King Arthur has a fantastic guide to baking with ancient grains, including common uses and textural effects of each ingredient, however if you’re looking for more suggestions, here are a few below:

Spelt bread

Oat and millet flour ricotta biscuits

Strawberry cream and coconut quinoa tart

Farro and ricotta tart

Amaranth, ricotta, and greens pancakes

Happy baking!