Welcome

I love baked goods. Cookies, cupcakes, brownies, croissants, eclairs--you name it, I love it! One of my great pleasures in life is discovering new bakeries, patisseries, and dessert menu items. As a picky vegetarian, I have missed out on a lot of wonderful restaurant experiences because I cannot find menu items that I can enjoy. When I do go out to eat baked goods, brunch, or desserts, I don't settle for the pastry case at Starbucks. If I'm going to eat it, it's going to be made right. Sometimes that means rolling up my sleeves and diving in to the kitchen. 

my lemon cupcakes served with tea

I remember, at around six years old, telling my dad I wanted to bake real bread instead of pretend. My wonderful parents then set about basically making homemade bread that very day, and letting me help. I can still remember my mom waking me up in the evening to let me have a freshly baked slice with delicious melting butter. I think that was the beginning of an obsession. 

When I was thirteen years old I started taking recipes I enjoyed and making them. I didn't start with the basics. I just decided what I wanted to make, and that was it. I remember layering phyllo dough with my mom for baklava and making my first apple pie (though I don't even like apple pie!). 

homemade oreos (recipe uploaded soon)

In college I became the girl who brought dessert to the party. And still I love to bake. The kitchen is one of the most relaxing places for me, and a wonderful place to unwind after a long work week. Plus, you get an amazing treat out of your hard work! So I decided to finally start documenting my favorite recipes. Some are difficult, some are easy. Some are born out of "what ingredients do I have left in the kitchen?" and some take careful planning and numerous ingredients. My dream is to walk in to Williams Sonoma and buy every unique kitchen gadget and platter known to man (including my white whale...the Kitchenaid!) Until then, I'm just going to have to be creative.

Cheers!

Antonia