Are you looking for a new, fun hobby to start? Baking just might be your new favorite hobby! Personally, I started baking when I was in elementary school with the help of my mom and Nana. What I enjoy about spending time in the kitchen is taking a few hours to slow down and be present where I am. Also, learning how to bake comes in handy when you need a gift, and what’s better than receiving a thoughtful homemade present? Here I share three of my favorite recipes that I’ve made this year as well as share why I believe baking is one of the best ways to relax and relieve stress.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Starting with a classic that everyone knows and loves, chocolate chip cookies! These cookies aren’t just your basic Nestle recipe, the trick is to brown the butter before mixing them up. This small step makes a world of a difference, adding depth and richness to enhance this popular treat. I’ve baked these cookies quite a few times, the latest being last week, and they’re are a hit every time! Here’s the recipe that I used:
- 1 cup salted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 8 ounces dark chocolate chunk
Directions:
- Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally, for about 5 minutes until it foams, settles, and turns brown with a roasted aroma. Then refrigerate the butter for an hour or until solidified.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sea salt, and baking soda.
- Blend sugar into brown butter, then incorporate eggs, water, and vanilla until the mixture is combined.
- Add flour, but don’t overmix. Stir in chocolate chunk pieces.
- Refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 14-16 minutes.
Farm Picked Strawberry Muffins
One of my favorite summer activities is berry picking because not only is it a fun way to spend the day, but there are so many baked goods to make with berries. For the last two summers, I have visited Blue House Farms in Half Moon Bay where the absolute best tasting strawberries are grown. Here I’ll share the recipe I used to bake the sweetest strawberry muffins which didn’t last long in my house.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups diced fresh strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
Directions:
- Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon in a bowl
- Then mix milk, eggs and butter in a separate bowl.
- Stir together until combined before folding in strawberries and sugar.
- Line a muffin tin and scoop the batter in.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Classic Carrot Cake
Don’t let the name fool you, there is plenty of sugar in this sweet treat. In August, I made this cake for my brother’s birthday dinner with my extended family and it was a success! The mix of the moist batter with the crunchy walnuts made it the perfect summertime dessert. Out of the recipes I’ve shared this one definitely is the most time consuming – so worth it though.
Cake:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 3/4 pound raw peeled carrots (about 2 1/2 cups grated)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
Directions:
- Peel the carrots
- In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, mix beaten eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Then slowly mix in the oil.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients. Then pour into two baking pans.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and bake for 30 minutes.
- For the cream cheese frosting, combine all ingredients with an electric mixer
But Why Baking?
Finding a healthy mental balance in today’s fast-paced world and having an outlet for stress is crucial. For some, they find peace through exercising, meditating or reading. Baking offers a unique way to mix creativity and mindfulness. As fall and winter weather is quickly approaching, baking is the perfect inside hobby to get into. The act of measuring and mixing can become meditative and calming. Baking engages all of the senses – feeling the flour between your fingers, the sound of eggs cracking, the warmth of the oven heating up, the taste of the fresh baked goods and lastly seeing your hard work come together. I would recommend everyone find a new recipe to bake and see the goodness that comes from it. Keep these recipes in mind as thoughtful, homemade gifts this holiday season.