Happy New Year!

And Happy National Baking month. Let's resolve to get into the kitchen more.

A New Year’s resolution doesn’t have to be about giving something up, it can be about setting out to create new things. What if we shake things up a bit and resolve to get into the kitchen to try a new cooking or baking technique this year? No matter where you are in your baking journey, there’s always something new to learn. That’s one of the things I love most about this craft.

It’s National Baking Month, so what a perfect time to try something new! I used to teach an extensive baking and pastry course, which included all of the basic techniques of pastry. I’ve broken it into the various categories of baking: cookies, quick breads, basic doughs, pies and tarts, cakes, decorating cakes, custards, laminated doughs, meringues, and pantry staples. Here are some recipes for beginning bakers and those who want to push their baking game to the next level with projects that have more steps. There is no timeline, just a fun way to learn some new techniques.

No matter where you start, just remember that it’s okay if something doesn’t turn out exactly as you’d expected the first time. In the failures come the most learning, which eventually adds up to experience. All crafts take time, so give yourself the gift of patience and have fun, that is the most important ingredient of all!

There are even more suggestions here on my website!

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Cookies & Bars

1. Chocolate Chip Cookies

2. Sugar Cookies

3. Peanut Butter Cookies

4. Lemon Bar

5. Macarons

Muffins & Quick Breads

1. Blueberry Muffins

2. Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

3. Banana Bread with Pecans

Basic Doughs & Batter

1. Dutch Baby

2. Pie Dough

3. Tart Dough

4. Biscuits

5. Pate au Choux:

   1. Eclair

   2. Profiterole

   3. Croquembouche

Pies & Tarts

1. Lemon Meringue Pie

2. Peanut Butter Pie

3. French Silk Pie

4. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

5. Chocolate Tart

Cakes

1. Devil’s Food Cake

2. Best Ever Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

3. Carrot Cake

4. Gluten-Free Hot Chocolate Layer Cake

5. Strawberry Passion Fruit Sheet Cake

Frosting

1. Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2. Chocolate Frosting

3. Cream Cheese Frosting

4. Ganache

Cake Decorating

Find more information and instruction in my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes.

1. How to Layer Cake

2. Crumb Coat

3. Final Coat of Frosting

4. Decorating with Simple Piping

5. Buttercream Flowers on a Cake

Custards

1. Pot de Creme

2. Flan

3. Creme Brûlée

4. Ice Cream Base

5. Cheesecake

Laminated Dough: Puff Pastry, Croissants & Danish

1. Puff Pastry

2. Croissants

Meringue

1. Meringue Basics (French, Swiss and Italian)

2. Pavlova

3. Baked Alaska

4. Dacquoise

Bread

Find more information and instruction in my new book, The Best of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. (affil. link)

1. Basic White 5-Minute Boule (round loaf)

2. Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf

3. Cinnamon Rolls

4. Pizza

5. Sourdough Starter

Pastry Pantry Basics

This is also a great time to think about making some of your own kitchen staples. You’ll never enjoy ricotta, crème fraîche, or vanilla extract more than when you make them from scratch yourself. And these premium ingredients are actually really simple to make on your own and SO worth the minimal effort. Why not try it out? You may never go back to the store-bought versions again.

• How to Make Homemade Yogurt (Plain and with Fruit)

• How to Make Homemade Crème Fraîche

• How to Make Homemade Jam, Jelly and Preserves

• How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

• How to Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese