Joy the Baker

I made rolls, of the cinnamon variety.

I use cinnamon rolls as a sort of… well, anxiety calming drug.  I don’t pop pills, I definitely pop cinnamon rolls.

See… there was this thing invented a good long while ago called the 10 Year Class Reunion.  It’s where you get together with all the people that made fun of you during your painfully awkward teenage years.  Yea.  Why?  Why do I have to do this?  Can’t we all just become friends on Facebook and Twitter and consider ourselves properly reunited!?

Seriously.  The future is now!

Since I think I’m going to gracefully bow out of the reunion festivities, here’s the CliffsNotes of what I might have said to my old classmates.

Hi.  Yea, it’s me Joy.  I sat behind you in.. a bunch of classes probably.  Here’s the update.  I went to college.  I read a lot of books.  I graduated.  I traveled around some.  I haven’t gotten married or pregnant yet.  Yea.. I’m prettier now, but that’s mostly because I was actually really ugly when you knew me.  I’m a baker.  I think it’s the most awesome thing ever.  I know a crap ton about food.  Would you like to discuss French cheeses at all?  I have a blog… also awesome.  Sure, I’d like to meet your boyfriend Steve.  I recognize him from your Facebook photos.  Your relationship status is “complicated” though… care to discuss?  No?   Hm… well, sure I’d like to see pictures of your kids.  Would you like to see pictures of my cinnamon rolls?  It’s only fair.

Don’t make me go to this thing.  It will be awkward.  Awkward.  Awkward. Awkward!

I need counsel and another cinnamon roll.

Read more »

Forgive me.  I realize I’m a complete maniac about pancakes.  Not only did I post about pancakes just a few days back, but those pancakes were nearly two weeks in the making.

How about a pancake heavy on the cake?  These carrot cake pancakes are like living in the best of both worlds.  You’ve got all your warm pancake goodness embellished with carrot cake spices, loads of carrots and.  AND!  cinnamon cream cheese spread.  In some ways, and let’s try to keep this a secret,  these carrot cake pancakes are just an excuse to spread sweet cinnamon cream cheese spread all over my breakfast.

Joy, of Joy the Baker is learning all about Italian wines and cheeses.  I got home from a morning wine tasting and decided that I needed something that would sit in my tummy and stick to my ribs.  See,  at this particular morning wine tasting I discovered why there are spit buckets.  If you don’t spit out the glorious wines you’re tasting, you might find yourself tipsy, trying to pronounce Italian wine names to your Italian boss before 10 in the morning.  Not so hot.

Not a winner,  but these pancakes are.

Read more »

I come from a family of proud home bakers.  I developed my love for baking helping my father put together delicious desserts in our tiny, pea green family kitchen.  This recipe for pound cake came from my father’s sister.  My Aunt DeeDee loved two things in this life: Jesus and baking.  Even after being blinded by a brain tumor in her mid thirties, she would still insist on baking every family members’ birthday cakes.  Even without her sight, she still had the touch for the perfect cake.  This pound cake recipe came from her very old Kraft cookbook.  I’ve doctored it up with a bit of lemon and blueberry, but at its heart, it’s still my favorite of Aunt DeeDee’s masterpieces.

Read more »