Hi friends! Just wanted to put this back at the top of your inbox. It’s Baking Szn babes, and I only want the best for us.  I’m revamping and resurrecting some of my Baking 101 posts just to refresh our baking skills.  Last week we learned how to read a recipe, this week we get to know our ovens.  Here’s how!

Before we formally set off on all of our festive fall and holiday baking, let’s take a minute to talk about one of the baking questions I’m asked most frequently.

Continue reading Baking 101: How I Test My Oven with Sliced Bread at Joy the Baker.

Welcome to the wonderful world of baking where flour, butter, and our collective sweet tooth’s (teeth? teeth’s??) come together to create an absolute mess in our kitchens. Dirty every dish, I say! In the name of cookies, of course. Whether you’re a seasoned baker, or just tying up the apron strings for the first time, knowing how to read a recipe is one of the most crucial steps in your baking success.

It’s easy to take for granted exactly how to read a recipe.

Continue reading Baking 101: How To Read A Recipe at Joy the Baker.

When it comes to baking, there are things I consider kitchen essentials and things I consider kitchen luxuries.  Somehow, because I’m me, those lists have merged as the luxury tools become more essential than not.  What can I say, I settle into comforts really well.  I’m sure you do, too – so read this list with caution.   Last week we talked about the Parchment Paper Sheets I can’t live without but here’s a more complete list of the easy elite splurges that keep me happy in the kitchen everyday!

Continue reading My Top 15 Kitchen Splurges That Make Time in the Kitchen So Much Better at Joy the Baker.

I’m a simple home baker.  I don’t need every clever kitchen gadget to make a batch of cookies. Honestly, I’ve reached for a butterknife over an offset spatula to frost cakes more times than I can count. 

Baking isn’t all about gear but, there is one kitchen splurge that I keep stocked in my pantry, without fail: the parchment paper sheet. I was first introduced to large pre-cut parchment paper sheets working in bakeries. 

Continue reading 5 Reasons Why You Need These Parchment Paper Sheets in Your Kitchen at Joy the Baker.

I haven’t felt like making meals at all this week.  I don’t even seem to have the energy to cobble together my usual lazy stand-bys: scrambled eggs and a carb, toasted.  Strangely, I’m also not allowing myself to order any expensive (and everything is expensive right now) takeout so… well, I’ll be eating bananas smeared with peanut butter for the foreseeable future.  I did manage to bake off a batch of  peanut butter cookies in a sweet tooth energized baking moment.

Continue reading My Top 10 Peanut Butter Recipes at Joy the Baker.

It’s time we talk about cream cheese frosting.  This most wonderful addition to layer cakes and cupcakes is simple to whip together IF you use the right ingredients at the right temperatures in the right order.  Am I making it more complicated than it should be? Ha, no! Here are five tips to making the best cream cheese frosting along with my best cream cheese frosting recipe!

Use this cream cheese frosting on cupcakes or this recipe for The Perfect Carrot Cake.

Continue reading 5 Tips For Making The Best Cream Cheese Frosting at Joy the Baker.

We’re fully in it now, friends! Another fine holiday season that started off (for me, at least) with more candy corn than I ever knew I could eat.  As we ease towards the Thanksgiving and winter holidays (please go easy, November) – here are a the TEN best things to bake in November.  You’ll want yeast and veggies, sweet potatoes for sure, brown sugar and bacon.  Let’s get baking! Here’s your autumn baking inspiration!

Continue reading The 10 Best Things To Bake This November at Joy the Baker.

I’ve got plans for you. My plans mostly involve you making an absolute mess of your kitchen with butter, flour, chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Are you ready for all the fall and winter baking I’m going to talk you into over the next three months?  If you’re not ready now, not to worry. There’s time to prepare.  Here are my top 5 baking tips to prep now, and have a deliciously successful baking season.

Continue reading Baking 101: My Top 5 Baking Tips For Fall at Joy the Baker.

Y’all. I’m not doing a gift guide this year.  There are enough people on the internet telling you to buy a lavender stand mixer or a set of rocks glasses for your father in law.  Enough is enough.  I’m taking it easy in the gifting department and leaning full body into cookies.

The Bakehouse is quiet this month.  I decided not to hold any workshops and instead, take it a little slower this holiday season to leave room for reflection and ya know….

Continue reading Baking 101: The Cookie Swap at Joy the Baker.

Let’s talk about pie crust!  It’s important because hopefully you have a homemade Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie making it’s way to your holiday table this year.  Pies come in a few parts, homemade pie crust, loads of filling, and some sort of topping (crumble of crust) –  but every solid pie starts with a flaky crust.  

Making a pie from scratch can be intimidating.  I know it.  I really do.  I teach people how to make pie crust a lot and I know it’s scary.  I have a tremendous track record.  We’ve got this.  

There are a few tricks to making a flaky pie crust from scratch – believe in yourself (this goes a long way, I swear), keep your fat and your water cold, work fairly quickly, add more water if necessary, and knead gently but confidently.  

Here are some step-by-step photos to walk us through but leave a comment below if you have any burning pie crust questions!  

Others in the BAKING 101 SERIES:  

•  Which Oven Rack Should I Use?

Continue reading Baking 101: How To Make Pie Crust By Hand at Joy the Baker.