Tracy Yabiku - Baking for Two: The Small-Batch Baking Cookbook for Sweet and Savory Treats

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ISBN: Print 978-1-62315-792-0 | eBook 978-1-62315-793-7 To my mother and all the other teachers, in the classroom and out,
who have touched my life. You shape the world. Thank you.

Contents G rowing up, baking from scratch wasnt a huge part of my daily life. I learned the basics, with Moms hands over mine, making batches of cookies from a recipe on the back of the chocolate chips bag. And I have fond memories of my grandmothers kitchen, stirring oil and eggs into boxed cake mixes.

Baking was a fun weekend activity. Moving into my first college apartment, I brought with me a solid chocolate chip cookie recipe, the belief that the only frosting worth using contained tiny rainbow chips and came in a can, and the certainty that baking anything more complicated than a drop cookie required magical powers I did not possess. But college has a way of eroding certainties and, to combat my homesickness, I turned to baking in my little galley kitchen. I learned that, sure, there is some magic to baking a toe-curlingly good cupcake (but that power is mostly science) also patience and care, and not mixing up the baking soda and baking powder. It was something I could do, something I loved. So I did it a lot.

My twenties is a story written in frosting and sugar, with sticks of cinnamon and quarts of good vanilla. I devoured new recipes (and their results), learned everything from everyone I could, and tried new baking techniques. During those years, there was always a new batch of delicious somethings cooling on my counter. Alas, I gained 20 pounds. People around me put on weight. It became obvious: The way I was running my kitchen, churning out huge batches of baked goods, was unsustainable.

So, to adopt a healthier lifestyle, I began downsizing my kitchen output. Creating small-batch recipes was fun and challenging, and I still ate new and delicious foodsbut in a responsible fashion. Now everyone is healthier, and my friends and family appreciate more the special things I occasionally bake for them. In 2015, I created my blog, Baking Mischief, as a place where I could share my recipes and cooking adventures. The following pages contain some of my favorite small-batch recipes, along with tips, tricks, and simple step-by-step instructions. Every recipe herefrom humble shortbread cookies to a decadent chocolate soufflwas created with the everyday home cook in mind.

I cant wait for you to try them.

CHAPTER ONE Good Things Come in Small Packages W hether youre watching your carb and calorie intake, trying to eliminate food waste, or just really sick of having leftovers, small-batch baking is the perfect, easy, and delicious solution to your kitchen woes. Before we get to the small-batch recipes, lets consider why theyre a good idea and take a quick look at some of the tools, ingredients, and techniques we will use to create them. The size of the average household in America is shrinking. We are staying single longer and having children later. More and more we find we dont needor wantrecipes that serve a crowd.

Giant casseroles and cookies by the dozens suit a family of six, but in small households, they often go to waste or sit there tempting you to overindulge. Cutting down those recipes is fine, in theory, but if youve ever tried to quarter a cookie recipe you know it is not always easy. More often than not, particularly with baking recipes, they dont divide evenly. You have to split an egg, figure out how to quarter one-third cup of butter, and adjust cooking times because, whatever you are cooking, there is less of it. A small miscalculation can ruin a tried-and-true favorite. With the recipes here, I eliminate the guesswork for you.

All are properly scaled, timed, and tested for smaller baking yields, so your baked goods come out perfectly each time.