10 Recipes Every New Baker MUST Make, According To Our Senior Food Editor
It’s a new year (mid-March is still the start of the year, right?), and I’m ready to tackle a new hobby. After many, many mornings spent binging The Great British Baking Show, I’ve decided this is the year that I become a better baker. Like many people, I first decided to really practice my baking skills during lockdown. The problem? I started with one of the most-involved projects: sourdough. This time, I’m not making the same mistake. I want to learn and ace the baking basics this year before moving onto the more difficult, more involved recipes. To help me on my baking journey, I consulted our Senior Food Editor and resident baking queen: Makinze Gore.
In addition to mastering countless breads, biscuits, and cakes, Makinze’s chocolate chip cookie was named “America's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” by GMA. So, it’s safe to say that she knows her stuff. Gore selected 10 recipes that are not only easy for new bakers to master, but incorporate different baking techniques that are great practice for more difficult projects later. Ready to start on your baking journey? Check out Gore’s top recipes that every new baker should master:
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Who doesn’t love a cinnamon roll on a lazy Sunday morning? If you've never made them homemade before, you may be surprised to learn they're pretty easy to make. "These aren't complicated, and honestly are difficult to mess up. Even if your spirals aren't great, they'll still taste delicious," says Gore. "Plus, they're great practice for making a yeasted dough."
Get the Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
Carrot Cake
White cake and chocolate cake are great and all, but carrot cake is a true star. “It’s a great classic cake that doesn’t require a mixer, so it’s pretty simple to make while still being a step-up from stirring together a box mix,” says Gore. “While a layered cake may seem intimidating, it’s good practice.”
Get the Carrot Cake recipe.
Homemade Biscuits
Biscuits are not only an endlessly versatile treat (and are a welcome addition at any potluck), but they’re great for practicing many must-master baking skills. “Biscuits require working cold butter into dough, but our method uses grated butter, which makes it easier to start with and learn on,” says Gore. “Once you master this, you can move onto the next step: pie crust!”
Get the Homemade Biscuits recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are the shining star in the cookie hall of fame, and no one knows that better than chocolate chip cookie MVP Makinze Gore. "I will always argue that these cookies are a great place to start on your baking journey," says Gore. "They're quick to make without a complicated technique, and are a great base recipe to ace before moving onto more-complicated projects."
Get the Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.
Pound Cake
"Pound cake is one of the most classic, simple cakes there is, and everyone needs a recipe for one in their baking repertoire," says Gore. It's "buttery and unfussy but never boring," which makes it ideal to master for brunches and easy desserts.
Get the Pound Cake recipe.
Banana Pudding
While this may technically not feel like a baking recipe, it's so easy to create, while also giving you the experience of tackling a few necessary baking techniques. "There's nothing complicated about this recipe, but it does require whipping cream and folding, which are two very important and frequently used techniques you should master."
Get the Banana Pudding recipe.
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Cheesecake has a reputation for being difficult to make, and while it's not impossible, it's not for the faint of heart. Before tackling the classic dessert, try this dessert shortcut: cheesecake bars. "They're so much easier to make than a full cheesecake, and take way less time in the oven," says Gore.
Get the Raspberry Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Once you've mastered chocolate chip cookies, you can move onto an extremely versatile cookie: sugar cookies. While sugar cookies are also pretty simple to master, Gore says that these cut-out cookies add the step of rolling out a dough, and also give you practice for decorating with buttercream frosting.
Get the Cut-Out Sugar Cookies recipe.
Zucchini Bread
Before you start on you sourdough or brioche journey, you should spend the time mastering quick breads. Zucchini bread can often feel like the long-lost cousin to banana bread, says Gore, but its savory notes and moist texture elevate it to quick bread royalty.
Get the Zucchini Bread recipe.
Chocolate Mousse
If you need an impressive romantic dessert that will give you some great technique practice, then turn to rich chocolate mousse. "This is another great recipe to practice whipping and folding, and also helps you learn to work with melted chocolate," says Gore.
Get the Chocolate Mousse recipe.
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