I have the best memories of my mom teaching me to bake Texas sheet cake while watching Ralph Maccio give Cobra Kai Johnny the crane, wondering if I’d ever get to marry and become Mrs. Larisso and also why the heck are we making Texas sheet cake when we live in California!?! lol the wondering of an 8 year old. Texas sheet cake is still one of my favs to this day. Thanks Ma!
Scones - The first time I made scones the liquid for the recipe used buttermilk. They were good but I had tasted flakier scones at bakeries and was in search of that texture. Using a recipe with cream as the liquid gave me the right texture. This taught me the impact one ingredient can have in a recipe, not to mention all the other factors ( temperature, mixing method, etc).
A Betty Crocker box mix for lemon cake that I made by myself after school for my parents’ anniversary before they got home from work. Figured out the oven on my own and everything. It was the 80’s 🤷♀️
Chocolate chip cookies! Specifically with my mom, learning how to make them dairy and egg free because of my childhood allergies. To this day, I still make them with applesauce instead of eggs (but real butter is lightyears better than margarine!)
Pie! My Mama taught me how to make pie when I was in high school and by the time I left for college, I was officially in charge of pies. I don't make them as much as I'd like, but every time, I think I improve on the taste and texture. It's so much fun and I love the satisfaction of a perfect flake!
Probably the recipe that taught me how to bake is an old family recipe for something called French Pastry Cake. It's a pretty straightforward chocolate cake with coffee and sour milk in the batter. It requires beating egg whites separately and then folding them into the rest of the batter. It takes longer to make than some cakes, but it's totally worth it. My great aunt, who I believe the recipe originated with, used to put walnuts (or pecans, I can't remember, as she was no longer making the cake when I have memories of it) at regular intervals on the top of the cake and was adamant that the cake must be cut evenly with the nut in the direct center of each slice. It has been my birthday cake of choice since I was a kid. My husband doesn't like it, but I coerce him into making it for me each year.
apple pie is the first recipe I baked regularly enough to fiddle around with -- more cinnamon! double crust vs crumb top? which type(s) of apple are best? as a kid I used pre-made pie crust but eventually learned to make that from scratch too (buttermilk vs all butter?)
I don't remember exactly how I found it but my sister had a hand written copy of the recipe for chocolate nobakes and I LOVED them! I still have it! I was probably 10 then and am now 54! I of course no longer need to look at it when I make them and my family also LOVES them.
Pies for thanksgiving. We usually made at least 3 different kinds, my mom would work on the filing and I got to make the crusts with a recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook.
I have the best memories of my mom teaching me to bake Texas sheet cake while watching Ralph Maccio give Cobra Kai Johnny the crane, wondering if I’d ever get to marry and become Mrs. Larisso and also why the heck are we making Texas sheet cake when we live in California!?! lol the wondering of an 8 year old. Texas sheet cake is still one of my favs to this day. Thanks Ma!
Scones - The first time I made scones the liquid for the recipe used buttermilk. They were good but I had tasted flakier scones at bakeries and was in search of that texture. Using a recipe with cream as the liquid gave me the right texture. This taught me the impact one ingredient can have in a recipe, not to mention all the other factors ( temperature, mixing method, etc).
I will say CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES using the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse bag. That's when I knew I could follow a recipe! haHA!
A Betty Crocker box mix for lemon cake that I made by myself after school for my parents’ anniversary before they got home from work. Figured out the oven on my own and everything. It was the 80’s 🤷♀️
Chocolate chip cookies! Specifically with my mom, learning how to make them dairy and egg free because of my childhood allergies. To this day, I still make them with applesauce instead of eggs (but real butter is lightyears better than margarine!)
Microwave fudge from the Amana microwave cookbook! My parents first microwave! 😊
Mom's Killer Blondies!
The NYT best chocolate chip cookies. I never knew how magical and how delicious baking could be.
Pie! My Mama taught me how to make pie when I was in high school and by the time I left for college, I was officially in charge of pies. I don't make them as much as I'd like, but every time, I think I improve on the taste and texture. It's so much fun and I love the satisfaction of a perfect flake!
Probably the recipe that taught me how to bake is an old family recipe for something called French Pastry Cake. It's a pretty straightforward chocolate cake with coffee and sour milk in the batter. It requires beating egg whites separately and then folding them into the rest of the batter. It takes longer to make than some cakes, but it's totally worth it. My great aunt, who I believe the recipe originated with, used to put walnuts (or pecans, I can't remember, as she was no longer making the cake when I have memories of it) at regular intervals on the top of the cake and was adamant that the cake must be cut evenly with the nut in the direct center of each slice. It has been my birthday cake of choice since I was a kid. My husband doesn't like it, but I coerce him into making it for me each year.
My mom's delicious pound cake. It is the first thing she taught me to bake.
apple pie is the first recipe I baked regularly enough to fiddle around with -- more cinnamon! double crust vs crumb top? which type(s) of apple are best? as a kid I used pre-made pie crust but eventually learned to make that from scratch too (buttermilk vs all butter?)
My grandma's Peanut Butter round ups. The criss cross fork decoration was a revelation to a 9 year old.
My mom’s chocolate chip cookies. They have an insane amount of vanilla in them, but that’s what makes them so distinct.
I don't remember exactly how I found it but my sister had a hand written copy of the recipe for chocolate nobakes and I LOVED them! I still have it! I was probably 10 then and am now 54! I of course no longer need to look at it when I make them and my family also LOVES them.
Pies for thanksgiving. We usually made at least 3 different kinds, my mom would work on the filing and I got to make the crusts with a recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook.