Welcome to my wonderfully messy world of baking! I am a self- taught baker with a passion for flavor and experimenting, always looking for new techniques to learn. I currently reside in Atlanta and work in the film industry (to support my baking obsession of course!), and use every holiday, birthday or gathering as an excuse to test out new ideas. I dream of someday having my own bakery/tea-shop, and in the meantime binge watch as many baking shows as possible!
My love of baking started in the kitchen of course, watching my my mom bake all kinds of goodies. What I remember most is the elaborate cakes she made for birthdays. There was a baseball, a barbie cake and an seascape, just to name a few. My mom didn't have Pinterest to guide her; these creations were all her own. They always looked and tasted amazing, and watching her make them planted a little seed in my curioud mind. When I grew old enough to do the baking on my own, the kitchen became my workshop. Every surface would be covered with trays of cookies and a generous layer of flour! Gingerbread and sugar cookies were the holiday staples, until one day I was introduced to the Buche de Noel (Yule Log) in my middle school French class. I fell in love with this light and creamy cake, and was intrigued by how realistic it looked. That Christmas I made my first one, and there has been a Buche de Noel every Christmas eve since. |
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The Buche de Noel is a dessert that looks complicated but is actually quite simple, and it really kicked off my desire to explore other types of baking. I started to experiment with cupcakes and cakes. While my decorating skills may have left something to be desired, I found I had a penchant for flavors. Every holiday meant bringing treats to test out on my classmates and co-workers. Through a LOT of trial and error, I learned about the science of baking and balancing flavors. Over the years, I've started to play with complex flavor combinations and begun amending recipes to create something different. In fact I rarely stick to a recipe anymore, usually mashing together parts of various ones or just making it up as I go. I've ventured into much more technical decorating and probably now have more decorating tools than regular cooking ones!
In the last few years, I've branched out past cakes into candies, pastries and many other types of baking. You name it, I'll try making it! I finally have a KitchenAid mixer (yes, I was using a single electric hand mixer before), a little experience in an actual bakery and an unhealthy obsession with the baking section at TJ Maxx. I've even started to get proper orders from friends! My life has taken me to many different places and jobs, but not matter where I am I always keep baking!
In the last few years, I've branched out past cakes into candies, pastries and many other types of baking. You name it, I'll try making it! I finally have a KitchenAid mixer (yes, I was using a single electric hand mixer before), a little experience in an actual bakery and an unhealthy obsession with the baking section at TJ Maxx. I've even started to get proper orders from friends! My life has taken me to many different places and jobs, but not matter where I am I always keep baking!