Soy Chai Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Soy Chai Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Desperate times call for desperate measures. But that's not always a bad thing. One of our best friends, Kanushri, is vegan, so we do a lot of vegan baking. Sweet potato casserole is an easy enough thing to make vegan, and it tastes just as good vegan as it does non-vegan. I had made vegan sweet potato casserole before, but on Sunday when I wanted to make it, I didn't have soy milk. I had literally just gone to the grocery store and didn't want to walk the mile there and back again, so I thought about my options. In the Munchie Mart  in the basement of my dorm, they have 8 ounce juice-box sized things of chocolate soy milk, which I had used once before in sweet potato casserole. It turned out fine, but I didn't want to do that again because I didn't want to waste a meal or pay the ridiculous price they charge to get them individually. So, I decided to check some of the drugstores closer to campus to see if they had soy milk (in this adventure I probably ended up walking more than I would have had I just gone back to the grocery store). Well, none of them had soy milk.


Feeling defeated, I was on my way back to my dorm when I saw Starbucks and had an epiphany. I often get soy chai lattes at Starbucks (the best soy latte that you've ever had, for all you Train fans). And the spices in chai are similar to those in sweet potato casserole. So, I went into Starbucks, got a venti soy chai (8 ounces for this recipe, 12 ounces for me!), and a great new recipe was in the works.

Baked Cinnamon Peanut Butter Apples

Baked Cinnamon Peanut Butter Apples

Do you ever want the taste of something sweet without making a full-fledged dessert? I definitely do, especially now since I can't have sweets for about 6 more weeks. I think that fruits are underrated as potential "dessert" options. They have natural sugars that give the feeling of decadence, but also the nutritional value that justifies indulging in them. Some of my favorite fruits to cook with are bananas, apples, raspberries, and strawberries. Apples in particular are great because they allow you to make individual serving sizes relatively easily. One of the other best things about apples is how easy it is to pair them with other flavors. Think about it: In elementary school, how many different things did you get to dunk your apples in? Caramel, yogurt, peanut butter, candy coating? Apples are just such rock stars.

Campfire Cups

Campfire Cups
(Brownies with a Graham Cracker Crust and Marshmallows on Top)

Sometimes in life, we have to add new challenges to things we’re good at in order to become even better at them. I’ve come to a point in baking where I typically don’t want to make something simple, or that I’ve made in the past. In making new things, I really like combining elements of past recipes together, and of course, it is always fun making things completely different from anything I’ve made before. These campfire cups were a combination of a few things I’ve made in the past. I have been making graham cracker crust like I did in these for a family favorite, “Mystery Bars” (also known as seven layer bars to most of the world), since I was a little girl. The chocolate part is a brownie, which I, along with every other American baker, am very used to making. And I toasted the marshmallows on top the same way I have for sweet potato casserole in the past.

However, none of that was a challenge, given that I was very comfortable with every individual part of this new treat. For me, the challenge was making something pretty. You see, most of the time, the things I make taste good, but I’m typically not too concerned with how things look. But now that I have a food blog, I figured maybe I should be. So before I made these, I decided I wanted to make something cute (and of course, delicious!). And if I do say so myself, I think I succeeded.

Three-Cheese Stuffed Pizza Crust Bites

Three-Cheese Stuffed Pizza Crust Bites

I have a confession to make: I actually don’t like pizza. I know, how is that possible? Am I crazy? How am I American??? In theory I should like pizza—I like carbs, tomato sauce, and cheese—but somehow in pizza form, I just can’t do it. I think that it has something to do with how unhealthy I know pizza is, and the idea of eating a slab of greasy cheese just doesn’t appeal to me. I do, however, LOVE breadsticks and pizza crust, especially stuffed crust (yes, I know, my taste buds make no sense). Growing up, my mom would always leave out salad dressing for us to dunk our crusts in, and the crust quickly became my favorite part of the whole pizza. So, I knew I wanted to make something that would combine the texture and taste of pizza crust with the dunkability of a breadstick. I also had a crust recipe from Eat, Live, Run that a friend recommended that I had been dying to try for months. Thus, the stuffed pizza crust bite was born.

Chocolate Ganache Toffee Cookies

Chocolate Ganache Toffee Cookies

Are you ever so angry that you just want to break something? I know I am.

I’m a tad emotionally invested in Vanderbilt basketball, and am constantly getting my heart crushed by almost-amazing wins/seasons that have wildly disappointing ends. For example, I just got done watching us almost beat #1 Kentucky and almost end their 50-game home winning streak. Needless to say, I’m a bit upset.  

You may well ask, “OK, what does this have to do with baking and those delicious cookies in the picture above?”

Well, my friends, I’m advising you all on a way to take out your anger/ urge to break things productively. 


By breaking candy bars and putting them on top of cookies.

Vanilla Cinnamon Challah French Toast

Vanilla Cinnamon Challah French Toast

Shabbat Shalom!

While I’m unfortunately not actually Jewish (thanks Birthright application board), I absolutely love most traditional Jewish foods. My many favorites include falafel, brisket, latkes, and especially challah. As you may or may not know, challah is a delicious braided bread made with eggs that is typically prepared and eaten for Shabbat. The bread has a deliciously thick crust and a slight sweetness that combine to make the best bread you will ever taste. Seriously. The best.

I first had challah last semester when Dena’s and my suitemate Bre brought some back from Hillel, and I have been in love ever since. Although I have not had much experience with making yeast breads (because let’s be honest: I am impatient and dough takes forever to rise), I really wanted to try my hand at making challah. Most recipes make at least two loaves, but I really only wanted to make one loaf because although I definitely could eat two loaves of challah, it is probably in my best interest not to.

Nutella Pumpkin Pie Bars with a Snickerdoodle Crust

Nutella Pumpkin Pie Bars with a Snickerdoodle Crust

Not even kidding. You really can make a dessert that allows you to combine the wonder of nutella, pumpkin pie, and snickerdoodles all into one bite (not that you’ll be able to stop after one).   

This is one of those great recipes that allow us obsessive bakers to avoid having to make a decision when we’re in one of those "I want to bake EVERYTHING" moods. As you may have guessed, I was in one of those moods...and then I ended up with this. No regrets.

Creamy, Dreamy Peanut Butter Pie

Creamy, Dreamy Peanut Butter Pie

As you may know, today is Ash Wednesday which marks the official start of Lent. As a tradition, many people give up some vice for the 40 days between Lent and Easter, such as television, Facebook, soda, etc. Last year, I gave up sweets, which was hell on earth not exactly easy, but I survived and the challenge was extremely rewarding in the end. This year, I’m attempting once again to give up sweets. Now, you may wonder how somebody who writes a baking blog expects to give up sweets, but fear not sweet baby reader for:

1. I can (and will) still bake for other people so that I can creepily live vicariously through watching them eat sweets still bring joy to their lives and

2. I have enough recipes and photos stockpiled that I could probably post a different recipe every day and still not run out until long after Easter.

Still, the impending temporary loss of sweets from my life is a loss that must be mourned, and how better to do so than with a decadent, amazing dessert?



Me and chocolate saying goodbye for now…

Baked Donuts in a Honey Apple Juice Glaze, Coated in Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

Baked Donuts in a Honey Apple Juice Glaze, Coated in Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

Have you ever considered making donuts, but quickly given up, thinking it would require a deep fryer and a ton of oil, or that you couldn’t make donuts nearly as good as those you get at your local donut shop?

If so, think again.  

Cheesecake-Swirled Brookies with Chocolate-Covered Pretzels and Marshmallows

 Cheesecake-Swirled Brookies with Chocolate-Covered Pretzels and Marshmallows

When it comes to baked goods, my hierarchy goes a little something like this:

Anything Involving Chocolate

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Everything Else

As such, I am a huge fan of any creation that showcases chocolate at its finest. One of the biggest questions that must be answered before baking, however, is the age old “What should I make?” Is today a cookie day? A brownie day? What about cupcakes, pie, or cheesecake? Maybe I’ll try a novelty dessert? Once this question is answered, the flavors usually seem to fall into place, but this initial decision as to genre of goodie can pose a real challenge for me.

The Birth of a Blog (Part 2)

Greetings world! Welcome to our baking blog. Above is a picture of me, Dena (left) and my beautiful roommate, Lauren (right). We took this picture just over a month ago, the first time we baked together (at midnight, might I add). We'll use this blog to document an extreme case of what happens when you give two cooks a kitchen. 

Now I'll tell you a bit about myself. I'm originally from Atlanta, GA and am currently a junior at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN. Like Lauren, I've been baking basically since I left the womb. Growing up, I baked a lot with my mother, who is a wonderful baker and real-food cook as well. I haven't quite mastered the latter yet, I literally just learned how to make pasta a few months ago. But I am absolutely obsessed with baking, partially because it's a fun creative outlet, and partially because my diet is made up mainly of baked goods (wish I was kidding). I've been baking even more than usual lately. I attribute that to the fact that I've returned to the States with a new "disfrutar la vida" (enjoy life) approach to life, and I often find baking to be a quite enjoyable alternative to say, studying. I've loved being able to bake at college because there's always someone who will eat what I make (I mean, besides me). 

 My signature baking ingredients are: Nutella, peanut butter, cinnamon, pumpkin, and chocolate. I rarely if ever make anything without at least one of those ingredients. 

I think I can speak for both Lauren and myself when I advise you to bake anything we post that looks appealing to you. We will not post anything that is not 100% delicious. So bake what looks good to you, and spread the happiness that only baked goods can bring with your friends, family, and even your enemies if you're feeling generous.

Good night, good luck, and when in doubt, bake.

<3 Dena

The Birth of a Blog...

Hello everybody! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lauren and I am a college student who is beyond obsessed with cooking, and even more obsessed with baking. To me, food is an art that you can see, smell, and taste. I started cooking the second I was tall enough to reach the stove, and I have not stopped since. I see every food that I have not yet made as a challenge waiting to be completed, and over the years I have experimented with almost every type of food imaginable. Whether it be rolling my own sushi or making marshmallows from scratch, or even using a hammer to pound out homemade noodles (yes, true story), I have embraced the art of cooking to its fullest. My mom has often referred to me as a mad scientist chef because I almost never use recipes, and when I do I almost never follow them without changing them to make them just a little bit more special (and delicious!). This year, I have my own kitchen in my dorm and a wonderful roommate named Dena who is equally obsessed with baking. (I’ll let Dena introduce herself in another post!) In other words, my baking has reached a fever pitch. Dena and I have become notorious among our friends for the pictures we post on Facebook of the things we bake, as well as for our proclivity to spring sweet treats on unsuspecting victims. Hey, we can’t eat it all ourselves! (Well, we could but stretchy pants only stretch so far…)

            Anyway, I got the idea to start this blog while looking for an apron at Anthropologie (Shopping--yet another one of Dena’s and my mutual obsessions). As I tried on a couple of aprons, I started talking with the saleswoman. I told her about my baking habit, and she asked what types of things I baked. Oh man, did she ever open Pandora’s Box. Poor woman. As I inundated her with my babble over chai cupcakes and key lime cookies, her eyes actually didn’t glaze over. In fact, she seemed intrigued by what I was saying. “You should start a food blog,” she said. “And then once you do, you should come back and tell me what it’s called so that I can start reading it!” I paused. I had never considered the idea of a blog before. The more I thought about it, however, the more perfect it sounded. I already loved to take pictures of what I made and share the details with everybody I knew. Why not expand this past the confines of my Facebook newsfeed?

          I mentioned the idea of a food blog to Dena, and she was sold. We immediately began brainstorming names for our blog and finally settled on “When in Doubt, Bake.” Why? Because we love to bake whatever we can, whenever we can, however we can. Whether we’re stressed, procrastinating, having a party, or just have some extra time on a Friday and a spare jar of Nutella, one or both of us is probably in the tiny kitchen of our dorm making the whole apartment smell incredible. We hope that this blog will serve both as a creative outlet for us and as an inspiration for others. After all, your “Recipes I Want to Make” list can always use a couple more items, right? (*Note: Dena’s list is currently well over 70…)