Baking “Outside the Box”

Find yourself bored and craving new hobbies both to fill time and to expand your skill sets? You may have noticed many people have been baking “outside the box.” You thought finding TP in stores was hard – try finding yeast in stock at your local supermarket! Sales have gone up 647% recently. While trying something out of your comfort zone can be rewarding, going too far out of it can backfire and add more stress during this time. With that in mind, I’ve compiled some baking ideas that are out of the ordinary but not out of your reach.

Cookies are a baked good staple and always a favorite. For a little newness, try these flourless chocolate chip cookies from Recipe Girl. Most of the ingredients will already be in your pantry! The egg white style creates a meringue-like, yet chewy texture that is both interesting and tasty. They are quick to make and will quickly be devoured.

For those mornings that already have you wanting to call it a day, why not try a little tequila with your French Toast? This inspiration comes from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who recently sampled tequila-infused maple syrup on his Instagram page. Infusing the maple syrup is an impressive feat, but I know you can do it. If all else fails, flip the script and find some grapefruit juice to infuse into your tequila.

If you do manage to snag some yeast at the supermarket, I challenge you to try this Crispy Crunchy Pan Pizza dough recipe from King Arthur Flour, which they dubbed their “2020 Recipe of the Year.” It will take a longer time investment, but that time is mainly to watch the dough rise. The rest is in anyone’s wheelhouse. Once done, the dough can be refrigerated and stored for 3 days, or you can bake the pizzas all in one go and freeze the leftover slices.

Give one or all of these a go – the pay-off may become your new specialty!