Joy the Baker

Love and Sugar

May 14, 2011

love and sugar

There’s something happening in my email inbox.  I’ve gotten lots… and I mean LOTS of emails from you about what to bake for boys.

Boys in the dorm room down the hall from you, boys that you work with, boys that live far away from you, boys boys boys.

You people are crushin’  hard. I like this.  I say thumbs-up.  I say dive in, head first!… as long as you’re not diving into the shallow end, and you’ve waited an hour after eating, and you’re wearing your floaties… other than that… dive in!

Or just slip n slide it… but go for it.  It’s Spring, why not love somebody!?

You come to me with your boy and baking questions… you know I’m no expert, right?  I mean… clearly.  I’ve addressed this issue before, but I think it’s worth revisiting.  I’d like to answer all of you boy/baking questions in one fell swoop (I love that expression.  It makes me feel like Braveheart… but prettier).

Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ship these Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies to a boy that you like that’s far away.  Cool these cookies completely.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in a zip lock bag and package in a shoe box (scratch off the shoe size if you have gigantic feel like I do).  Stuff with tissue and other packing supplies.  Include note that says something to the effect of:  hey.  obviously I like you… like a lot.  I baked you cookies and shipped them to you in a box that I decorated with crayon-drawn hearts.  Ask me on a proper date.  Like a gentleman.  Please bring flowers.  Love, (your name)

IMG_3425

For a boy that you work with… brownies.

Add peanut butter and pretzels.  That boy will think you’re a genius.  If he doesn’t, he’s a nutcase and you should stand clear.  In the very least, your boss will probably love them and give you all the days off you’ve requested.  True fact.

Oh!  Apple Crisp!

Boys in school probably want something that their mama used to make.  What do you think about this apple crisp?  Too much?  How do you show up at a boy’s doorstep with a tray of apple crisp?  That might be awkward.

Pineapple Coconut Vegan Banana Bread

Maybe you should stick with banana bread.  Wrap it up nice.  A little bow doesn’t hurt.  Don’t tell him it’s vegan.  That’s none of his dang business… unless he’s actually a vegan, then he’ll probably want to make-out with you.  No biggie.

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Lunch date?  Hm… is he too cheap to buy dinner?  Chocolate chip cookies.

… and there’s nothing wrong with a lunch date, unless the guy is a jerk… then there’s everything wrong with a lunch date.

Browned Butter Fresh Blueberry Muffins

Dinner date?  That’s more like it.  Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins.  He can have them the next morning for breakfast.  It’s a nice touch.  Do not, however, offer to spend the night and share your breakfast gift.  Not classy.  Keep it (classy).

He’ll think of you the next morning… and he will text.  He’ll also tell his mom about you.  I promise.

I Fried

A boy wants to bake with you!?  Holy cow.  He must like you.  Or he’s a pastry chef and he wants to show off… which also means that he must like you. Make doughnuts.  Make something with yeast.  You’ll both get your hands dirty, you’ll have time to chat while the dough rises, you’ll see how he deals with stress.  If he protects you from hot frying oil… that’s a nice touch.  And if the doughnuts totally fail (which they won’t because he’s a secret pastry chef), then you can just shrug your shoulders and go out for french fries.

Yea… I’ve got it all planned out for you.

boy food

Want to make him fall in love with you?  Careful with this one…. don’t go throwing these dishes around.

Shrimp and Grits.  Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits.  Biscuit Pot Pie.

This is boy food.  Careful.  They won’t even know what hit em.

Now go put some love and sugar in the world.  Knock em dead.

I love you.

Love,

Joy


219 Comments Add A Comment

  • Dear Joy,

    I think you are hysterical. The good hysterical that makes me laugh every time you post. Thank you. The world needs more laughter.

    Tomato

  • I made my chocolate chip cookies for my first boyfriend ever on our third date. It was lent, he is catholic, he loves chocolate chip cookies. Logically, he had given up chocolate chip cookies for lent. He didn’t tell me, he ate 3 warm from the oven, and 2 more after coming back from looking at stars. We’re now less than a month away from our first wedding anniversary.

  • Joy, I love you AND this post!

  • Joy,
    Thank you so much for posting this. I love your sense of humor!

    Melissa

  • awesome post. so funny and useful at the same time. mmm gotta look at that biscuit casserole recipe now.

  • I usually try to impress boys with my baking skillz, but I currently have one I’d like to impress who works in a bakery (and I know him because I buy delicious cookies from him alllllll the time.) This wouldn’t work so well. “Here Bakery Boy! I brought you some cookies! Oh… look, here you are at work…. with lots of cookies and muffins and delicious bread-things… *embarassment.*” HOWEVER! Doughnuts could happen. (Though I probably won’t bring them to him at work.) Plans are formulating. Yes.

  • Wish my ‘boy’ liked peanut butter! Can’t even disguise it in a brownie! But he (and I) LOVE your Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits! Looking forward to your post on How to Impress a Girl With Baking!
    *love*

  • Dear Joy,
    You are cute. You are funny. I love your blog!
    :)

    Love
    Jen

  • I love your recipe for love! Ew – sorry.

    But I really do love this.

    What do you say about boy retention? I found one, convinved him to marry me, and would like to keep him around. Would these recipes work for man maintenance as well as man catching?

  • Joy! I sincerely wish we lived in the same state. I know you’d fit in quite well here with our crew! Before he left for a week-long trip, I left a package on the doorstep of the fellow I had a huge crush on that included my favorite articles from the paper that day with commentary, the good comics, a few bouncy balls and homemade treats. Now he’s my husband and super dad to our sweet girl! Treats totally work! Also, now I want to make donuts. Love, Kelly

  • I love it… this is wonderful and awesome and hysterical! You just made my day, Joy!

  • What about to win a boy back because he’s convinced not to be made for couple life … ? (and have been making him chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, german saucepan brownies, and lemon poppy seed cake for two years – argh, the waste of sugar and butter !)

  • This is the cutest baking love story ever!!

    p.s. Every time there is a new boy, I find myself referring to your older post about what to bake for boys. This is even more adorable and helpful. Thanks!

  • I absolutely love this post. As I havent seen my boyfriend for 4 months but we will b reunited in two weeks so I found this post very usefull :) thank you :)

  • I might have to make those muffins (not saying that my boy is taking me on a dinner date or that I will be with him the next morning). Classy.

    psst. I love the line One Fell Swoop too Joy! Its the name of one of my favourite CDs. I’d say you should search for it.

  • awesome list, thanks Joy! I do sometimes wonder that too. Here’s my story about my current boyfriend: on our first date I brought him a cream cheese brownie. But it was dark and on the way over, the brownie at some point rolled off of the plate in the passenger seat of my car, so I showed up on his doorstep holding an empty plate with a few crumbs on it, and didn’t realize what happened until later. At which point I rescued the brownie, and we put it in the microwave and ate it, and lived happily ever after. the end.

    ladies, bake for your boys!

  • I actually almost emailed you last week with a”baking for a boy” question! I need to bake something for my *sort of* boyfriend’s birthday that will survive a 2-day trip to Massachusetts AND impress his mom. I’ve got some ideas…

    Great post, Joy!

  • I just love this posting and I enjoy reading your blog each week. Thanks for your wonderful sense of humor and baking and cooking inspiration.

  • This post is fantastic! Thank you for all the smiles.

  • I already have a secret plan to make your apple crisp for my fiancee for fathers day this year. We are getting married in September and he has had to deal with me banning all of our treats from the house in order to fit into my dress, which is already bought, hanging in my closet, and not zipping 3 inches.

    Oh sweet sweet butter and sugar, I have missed you. I pine for fathers day and an excuse to put on my apron and bring a smile to my family’s face with your goodness.

    Thanks for the smiles, today and always Joy!

  • Dear Joy,

    I’ve been checking your blog daily, but this is my first time commenting. I just wanted to say that this post broke my heart. Ok, it wasn’t the post… the heart was already broken and, because of that, the post has touched me very deepily, so i thought I’d let you know. It’s sad, I know, but it’s also kinda beautiful.

    Best

  • Got to try these peanut butter and pretzel brownies. Thanks for the great post :)

  • I’m pretty sure you’re the sweetest thing on the Internet, in human form.

  • So last night I made your Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies. umm they are to DIE FOR!!! And I did make them for a boy – my husband :)

  • Awesome post! I’m married and want to make all of this for my husband! Unfortunately he wouldn’t eat much of it, but that means there’s more for me! Who knows, I might even share with our girls (ages 6 and 1) or friends and family. Thanks for sharing!

  • I can’t be the only one who wants to see a Joy the Baker cookbook, entitled, Boy Bait…….

  • This is too funny!!! I love it and totally am going to try some!!

  • Hi Joy – I think you are the greatest and I wish we were friends. And this post led me to mail a boy some cookies. We’ll see if he gets the hint.

  • just wanted to say…i love this. :) majorly.

  • I always read your blog, and I always type up a comment praising your hysterical humor and food. But I never post it, maybe I don’t want to sound weird, or something. I don’t know. But not this time, nope this time I just have to tell you, that you are so on the money with this post.

    I’ll even venture to say “for reals” because everything you’ve said is true, and clearly there is some kind of baking magic at work with guys and these foods you have ingeniously suggested.
    <3 So thank you.
    And you rock.

  • Ok, now call me crazy but I’d never considered it before. There is a guy that I’ve been admiring lately and was at a loss as to how to get him to admire me back. I’m now comtemplating how to bake him something without looking weird, but I certainly LOVE the idea.

    Thank you Joy.
    Smiles.

  • Joy. I just fell in love with you.

    I mean, I guess I’ve BEEN in love with you…so….now I’m MORE in love with you. Thanks for that. Jeez. :)

  • Milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard… ok, i’ll stop now. Just had to say it. :-)

  • A previous commenter asked about boy retention. Yeah… this stuff definitely works for that. I made and kept a lot of male friends in college just by baking apple pie. Now, I never wanted to date one of them, but eh, I probably could’ve. :)

    These days I’m married, and baking definitely greases the wheels of our relationship. (My darling husband would stick with me even if I didn’t make him peach cake and chocolate mint squares. But I like to tease him that he’ll never leave as long as I keep baking.)

  • forever saving this…who needs womanly wiles when you have butter and sugar???

  • This is my first day on your website. Is it bad to say that, well I think your awesome already!? (:

  • Cookie Princess August 17, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    Joy, have you ever tried Deb’s (from SK’s) recipe for blueberry boy bait? I am convinced I once baited a boy with this gem. Never doubt the powers of anything containing 2 sticks of butter.
    http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/blueberry-boy-bait/

  • Joy,

    How do you go about giving these treats to boys?? I’ve been dating a boy and dream about giving him brownies per your advice. I mean, I would love anyone who gave me homemade brownies….But, since it’s new, I feel like I need to say something like “Oh, I made these for something else…no big deal.” So, I ask you to stretch your boy genius a little further and help!!!

  • While yes, I am commenting on this post almost a year after you have posted it, I was looking for the recipe to your Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins. You crack me up; humor and baking, my two favorite things rolled into one! Your blog is the best! This post is the best! I’m obsessed! Now that I sound like an oober cool, not pathetic freakazoid fan stalker, I would just like to say: you the bomb girl. Wishing you some sunshine and inspiration from the east coast!

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