What’s Baking?

I grew up in Miami, Florida. One of my earliest recollections is of smelling the Holsum bread bakery not far from my house. Whenever we would drive by, we would roll down the windows to enjoy the aroma of fresh-baked bread. The bakery is no longer there, it was turned into a shopping mall. But the smell has never lingered far off for me.

I’m not sure if that’s why I love to bake, or if it’s just the challenging aspect of baking. It is more difficult than cooking dishes from a recipe, because there are more variables involved. For instance, when you bake bread, you have to slightly alter your timing if there is a lot of humidity in the air. Or if it’s very cold outside. When baking a cake, you have to make sure the oven rack is positioned correctly. Sugar cookies should be slightly browned on the bottom, but still soft on top. Do you use reflective or non-reflective baking sheets? Whatever the reason, I love to bake. And I love to bake with Alex. She doesn’t always want to join in, but when she does, it’s a lot more fun for me. The picture to the left is of me showing her how to knead dough for bread. Her hands are kind of small, so it takes a little more effort. But when the bread comes out of the oven, and the first slice is cut, the result is well worth the effort. Especially to see the look on my Daughter’s face as she enjoys the aromas that I did as a child. So look for some of my favorite recipe’s under this category. I’ll try to update as often as I bake, and I’ll even throw in a few of my favorites for when I don’t bake. Oh, and enjoy!

What’s Baking? Kicked Up To Decadence Brownie Mix Cookies