crumbling like pastries.

When I was a little girl, my older sister Alice would pretend on occasion, that she knew how to bake. Our chocolate chip cookies always turned out flat and crispy like potato chips.  Oh, and they'd always be burnt on the bottom.  Our cakes had giant craters in them.  It probably wasn't until junior high that I learned liquid measuring cups were not used universally for solid ingredients.  I mean, logically, that would be an easy mistake, right?  1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup milk.  They're both cups!  Anyway, I guess I have that elective class in junior high to thank. Imagine how my 13 year old brain must have expanded.  Algebra?  Life Sciences? U.S. History?  Nope.  I took away the most from a rudimentary cooking class at a laughably deplorable public middle school.  Mrs. Johnson, if you are alive and reading this, thank you.  You taught me the most important things in life: measuring cup differentiation, folding batter, and pre-heating your oven.  You introduced me to the wonderful taste of banana bread.  How many brown mushy bananas would have gone to waste in my lifetime had it not been for your pedagogy?

For those of you that know me, you may have assumed that baking has always been a love of mine.  Well, you're wrong.  I mean, baking is a pain in the patootie.  It's expensive, time consuming, has a high rate for failure, and really annoying if you're not detail-orientated.  It is both a science and an art.  Plus, after all the inconveniences, why should one endeavor to bake anything if you could just add water to a mix or purchase it from Costco or a grocery store?  Not to mention, baked goods are usually not part of a well-balanced diet, making it frivolous. 

So when did I start loving it?  This answer comes in 2 parts.  The first, is when I walked into my first Parisian bakery and realized that baking was actually an art, and the second, is basically because my best friend has a sweet tooth the size of Mount Everest.  When I was in art school, I would stay in my studio alone for hours on end making work that couldn't really be shared.  I would skip class to make sure my brioches baked well or my cinnamon buns were frosted.  I've come to realize that when I bake, I can tell a story and share it.  I can make people happy with doing so little on my end. 

I know that Yannan likes madeleines, Amanda likes double chocolate brownies, Anna likes anything gluten-free and lemon flavored, Courtney likes sticky toffee pudding, Jon loves flan in his cake, mom loves sweet taro desserts, my ex loves oatmeal raisin cookies and the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, Megan loves carrot cake, and my favorite thrill is being able to love the people I love by doing what what I love.

Those are my thoughts on baking tonight.  
I haven't done much baking since I've been home, but I thought I'd share some photos with you. 

 I made some dark chocolate Chambord cupcakes for an International Foods Potluck :)

Recipe found online.

Then, I made Superhero cupcakes for Karen's birthday Superhero movie marathon!

(Shhhh. . . they're a Funfetti mix because Funfetti's her favorite, but I found a way to put a personal twist on it anyway.)

 

I made her a chocolate coffee cake with chocolate butter-cream frosting and Nutella filling.

Should have played with the decoration a bit more, but I was in a rush!