I Resolve or, Carpe Cupcake

Well, it's that time of year again. You know, the beginning. That time of year when the interwebs explode with retrospectives and resolutions--when we wake up to a new year full of dewy-eyed hopes of accomplishments yet to come. Or just a hang over. :)

The past couple of years I've shied away from posting my new year's baking resolutions because I knew I would be traveling for at least half of the year and didn't want to set myself up for failure, or be pressured to squeeze in baking projects simply because I'd resolved to.  But, in looking back over those years, I realized that I actually managed to accomplish many of my baking resolutions anyway (see: French macarons and conquering my fear of yeast).

So, while there's a good chance I could be on the road again for much of 2012, I'm not letting that hold me back from plunging into exciting new baking projects for 2012. So, without further ado, I resolve...

To Finally Use The Ice Cream Maker I Got For Christmas A Year Ago

Jeni's Smoked Tea and Plum Pudding ice cream

For Christmas this year I was thrilled to get the Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams cookbook which is chock full of the most amazing ice cream recipes you could imagine.  Now I have no excuse not to get down to business. I mean, with flavors like Brown Butter Almond Brittle ice cream and Grapefruit Hibiscus frozen yogurt, how could you not??

To Try My Hand At The Fauxnut Trend

That's right, fauxnuts. Faux Doughnuts, get it? :) Simply a baked version of the usually fried treat, these cakes are catching on everywhere as a healthier alternative to deep fried dough.  Though, depending on the ingredients you use, I'm betting that baked doughnuts aren't really much healthier.  I'm also dubious that baked doughnuts can live up to the real thing but I can't even tell you how excited I am to try out these baked Red Velvet Doughnuts...

To Make Bread From Scratch...Again

So, I made bread in 2011. Once. It was...mediocre.  Baking bread from scratch was one of my resolutions for last year because I am terrified of yeast. It's temperamental, it's complicated, it's time consuming...but I'm convinced that the sense of accomplishment at the end of it all is rewarding enough to give this one another shot. Baguettes, perhaps?

To Make Glorious Homemade Marshmallows

Display of marshmallows in Paris. photo by Initiales JB

 Ok, I know this isn't technically baking. The last time I was in Paris there was a shop at the end of the street where I was staying that had the most amazing multicolored display of huge marshmallow bars in antique glass apothecary urns and  I knew then that I just had to try my hand at making something similar.  That was in 2009. Here I am three years later, but better late than never right? 

So that's it for now.  Now that I have committed my resolutions to paper (to screen?) we'll see if I am more or less likely to accomplish any of them.  What are the big cooking or baking projects you hope to accomplish in the new year?

Tweet

Pin It