Inspired by my friend Jenn, I’m going to bake at least once a month for a year. Here are the treats that I’ve made so far.
Only crazy people like us would willingly bake in the summer, when it’s insanity to even turn on the oven. That’s why I take advantage of rainy days (like this weekend) or only start baking late at night, when most of the apartment has cooled down.
Oatmeal Date Cookies (August 2011)
I bought a small container of dates from Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights a while back. I think I had the intention of making bacon-wrapped dates for some party, but for whatever reason that didn’t happen so the dates have just been hanging out ever since. One of my goals this summer is to clean out the pantry: either use it or lose it! The dates were next on the (chopping) block, as it were.
I thought of making date bars first, but the recipes that I found needed more dates than I have, which in my opinion, defeated the whole point of using up my current supply. So I looked around for other recipes using dates, and found this Epicurious oatmeal date cookie recipe.
It’s a wonderfully easy and forgiving recipe. I followed some of the suggestions on the Epicurious website reviews, such as soaking the dates in the melted butter, cutting back on the sugar, and adding some wheat bran (which I had left over from May’s bran muffins) to up the ‘healthy’ factor of the cookies. The dough doesn’t spread too much in baking so for the 2nd batch, I pressed down on the cookie dough to flatten them a bit. I also left them in the oven for only 10 minutes, revolving the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time for equal cooking. Could it be possible that I’m becoming ‘that’ girl?
I’m happy with the result; it’s a good variation on the well-loved oatmeal cookie.
Fresh Peach Cake (July 2011)
Used Ina Garten’s recipe from the Food Network. Really could’ve used more peaches. The sugar topping was great when the cake just came out of the oven, but a few days in, it’s not as yummy.
Gâteau au Citron, aka French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon (June 2011)
I hate baking in the summer. But if I’m serious about completing this goal, turning on the oven is a necessary evil that I have to put up with.
Followed Orangette’s recipe for this, which is, I guess, the French equivalent of a pound cake…without the pound of butter, sugar, and flour. I might make this yogurt cake a part of my regular rotation of baked treats since it’s super easy to make and most of the ingredients are my usual pantry staples.
I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but I actually do have the little yogurt jar that she mentions in the recipe introduction. When we went to France last year, I was so amused by the pots that I actually saved them and brought them back home. They also make convenient bud vases in a pinch. Recycling in action, right?
Bran muffins (May 2011)
In my quest to eat healthier, I bought a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran with the intention to make muffins and breads with it. I didn’t have a go-to recipe to follow for bran muffins, so I just used what they had on the back of the bag (which also appears here). I did switch out a few ingredients: I used mashed banana for the applesauce, and followed their suggestion to use honey for the molasses. I also added a few tablespoons of flax seed — I figure, that wouldn’t hurt, right?
Much to my surprise (and relief), the muffins came out pretty good! The bananas made them moist, and they stayed okay even after a few days in the refrigerator. It made it incredibly easy to have breakfast. A couple of muffins, a cup of tea, and I’m ready to go!
