• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Camp Joy

Bucket List Recipes

October 1, 2015 by Joy the Baker 65 Comments

What's on your recipe bucket list?

Stepping in the kitchen takes confidence and guts, usually inspired by a grumbling stomach or a nagging sweet tooth.  With some sort of sweet, salty, gooey, or melty craving in mind, we step into the kitchen with a recipe or an idea, with our fingers crossed, maybe a hope and a prayer.  

I’ll be the first to admit that, as often as I bust out my stand mixer and preheat my oven, I still feel intimidated by certain recipes and dishes.  I think it’s all part of being self-taught, but hungry and curious.  

Tomorrow I’m launching another Baking Bootcamp series with King Arthur Flour!  Last year we baked four recipes together, learned about different flours, and dang it… I think we became better bakers.  This next Baking Bootcamp focuses on learning new techniques… totally exciting and a little intimidating.  But!  We’re in this together.   

Here are a list of dishes I want to tackle.  My belly says I must.  It’s not that these recipes and dishes are overly complicated or even very hard, sometimes it’s just a mental block, or some way that I’ve told myself that I can’t accomplish something in the kitchen.  Do you do this too? 

•  Homemade Croissants with Puff Pastry:  Making puff pastry from scratch has always felt super intimidating.  I’m supposed smash this butter, fold and roll, and fold and what?  File under: Intimidating Kitchen Endeavors.  Spoiler Alert!  For our first Baking Bootcamp recipe we’re making a quick puff pastry (approachable, not intimidating) and making rolls filled with hazelnuts and chocolate!  Baby steps to full-on croissants.  

•  Cassoulet:  A rich and delicious French dish that involves two things that intimidate me in the kitchen… duck fat and confit, but cassoulet is so luscious, hearty, and actually rather humble in its elegance that I’ve got to find a way to make this happen in my kitchen.  I’ve also already bought the white beans!  Just need to buy the duck fat and start chopping the onions.  The coming cooler months are sure to be inspiring.   

•  Braised Short Ribs:  Help me out with something?  Are short ribs actually simple to make?  Do I just have a major mental block?       There’s something about buying cuts of meat that I don’t normally buy or cook in the kitchen that proves intimidating to me.  I think if we can roast a chicken, we can braise some short ribs.  Red wine for braising for a glass to drink while cooking… for courage.
 Let’s get at it!  

•  Tiramisu: Making a homemade tiramisu has always felt really intimidating to me.  A well-made tiramisu is magic.  What’s the magic?  Mascarpone?  Italian grandmother hands?  Cocoa powder from heaven?  I’ve tackled chocolate mousse.   Let’s get to the bottom of tiramisu.

•  Sushi Hand Rolls:  The roadblocks in my mind to homemade sushi are, where to buy sushi grade fish, which is the right seaweed wrap, and I have a sneaking suspicious that making sushi rice is harder than it looks.  Still though… handmade rolls at home!?  This will be a game changer.  

•  Everything Bagels:  Is there anything better than a fresh bagel?  A fresh everything bagel?  With waayyy too much cream cheese?  Lord help me.  There’s boiling and baking, I want these things fresh from our ovens.  We can, we will! 

•  Leige Waffles:  Yeasty, stretchy, sugary waffle success!  These waffles are an undertaking but I think Deb from Smitten Kitchen made them as approachable as possible.  Waffle maker and pearl sugar on order!  

•  Perfectly poached eggs:    With an internet full of information, why is it still so hard to perfectly poach an egg?  Something about vinegar, boiling water, swirled boiling water, a flick of the wrist, a prayer to the patron saint of poached eggs…  I’ll get it right one day.  

Now tell me, what’s on your Recipe Bucket List?  Does it involved a blow torch, anything confit, or something that requires a waffle contraption?  Let’s tackle them all together! 

(Pictured above, the arms of Jon Melendez, a cat named Napoleon, and Brown Butter Brûlée Donuts.)  

Previous PostNext Post

Categories: Beyond the Kitchen

Previous Post: « Lemon Vanilla Cookie Krispie Treats
Next Post: Baking Bootcamp: Chocolate Hazelnut Rolls with Quick Puff Pastry »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Kimberly Marsh

    October 11, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    I like the items on your bucket list. In the last year, I did a few on mine: homemade pasta, homemade tamales, and Julia Child’s french bread. None were actually as hard as I thought. Just time consuming. Liege waffles are still on my list, and I agree that Smitten’s recipe looks awesome and easy to follow.

    Reply
  2. Rebecca Craig

    October 10, 2015 at 2:23 am

    I’ve recently mastered tiramisu and in fact just made a chocolate one for family lunch tomorrow. Don’t know what I was afraid of!

    Reply
  3. Meghann Lawrance

    October 4, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    Strangely enough I have a road block around Asian food – in part because I can’t eat chilli but also because I find the flavours of Asian food too delicate for my more…. enthusiastic cooking style which doesn’t work overly well with things like careful measurement.

    Reply
  4. Lauren

    October 2, 2015 at 8:41 pm

    You can totally do short ribs! My grandma (Nonna) gives me beef from her ranch so it has forced me to cook different cuts and this is one of the easiest and most rewarding! I brown the meat in olive oil and basil. Then add 2 onions, chopped followed by a can of tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. Wine, salt, pepper and 2-3 hours of simmering and you have got yourself an amazing Italian meal!

    Reply
  5. Erika

    October 2, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    Ooh yay! I loved your last baking bootcamp! And I’ve been wanting to experiment more in the kitchen lately, so this is going to be perfect!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Beyond the Kitchen

Baking 101: How To Read A Recipe

Welcome to the wonderful world of baking where flour, butter, and our collective sweet tooth’s (teeth? teeth’s??) come together to create an absolute mess in our kitchens. Dirty every dish, I say! In the name of cookies, of course. Whether you’re a seasoned baker, or just tying up the apron strings for the first time,…

Read More

You Have To Make Karlee’s Peach Butter

I have the same regret every September: I didn’t eat enough summer peaches. It never fails. Every July I take peaches for granted. They’re stacked high at the grocery store and though they never do, I think they’ll last forever.  I throw a mega watermelon in my cart, grab a bag of cherries, and head…

Read More

My 5 Best Pantry Organization Tips

Friends, hi! You know Virgo season is hitting hard this year when even I take to the pantry with new canisters and labels.  Virgo season would have us holding ourselves to our highest standards and I’ve taken that on, and I’ve taken it personally. I’m working with two pantries these days. In the Houston kitchen…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

2023 CAMP JOY SUMMER ZINE – get it here!

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

MY FAVORITE CAMPING GEAR

SHOP MY FAVORITE GEAR HERE! 

joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

DRAKE ON CAKE

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

CHECK IT OUT ON INSTAGRAM

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

close up of strawberry shortcake recipe with soft whipped cream

Dad’s Biscuits Make The Best Shortcake

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker, author of books, lover of butter
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
📝Inquiries megan@underscoretalent.com

joythebaker
We’re About to Be Friends featuring @grossypelos We’re About to Be Friends featuring @grossypelosi and his gigantic meatballs! ♥️🤝🤯
Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies #taylorsversion made wit Chai-Spiced Sugar Cookies #taylorsversion made with an old sugar cookie recipe I made back in 2009 (like whaaat?) and a boatload of warm autumn spiced @taylorswift added to the dough.⁣
⁣
This cookie recipe explodes on my site every September and for good reason. We’re fall girlies and we love a little nutmeg glaze. ⁣
⁣
Find the full recipe linked in the profile! Xo
I don’t know what it is about this year, but I j I don’t know what it is about this year, but I just need more light-hearted fun, more hugs, more breakfast made by mom, and more coffee walks in the sand. Let’s do autumn now, nice and steady.
🥯🥯 for the weekend, babes! Save this no-yeas 🥯🥯 for the weekend, babes! Save this no-yeast bagel magic for your Sunday morning. ⁣
⁣⁣
Two Easy No-Yeast Bagels⁣⁣
1/2 cup self-rising flour⁣⁣
4 tablespoons greek yogurt (plus a teaspoon or two more if needed)⁣
1 large egg, beaten for egg wash⁣⁣
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated gouda or gruyere⁣⁣
Everything bagel seasoning⁣⁣
3 tablespoons baking soda with 2 cups of boiling water. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper lightly with nonstick spray. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
In a small bowl, use a firm spatula to work together the flour and yogurt. Add a few teaspoons of yogurt if it feels dry and knead into a cohesive ball for 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with a bit more flour if it gets overly sticky. Cover with a damp paper towel and gather your toppings. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Divide dough in two and roll each piece into a roughly 8-inch rope. Bring the ends around and pinch into a circle. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Sprinkle the bottom of the prepared pan with grated cheese in two spots.  Pour boiling water over the baking soda and float each bagel in the water for 20 or so seconds.  Use a slotted spot or spatula to transfer the bagels on top of the cheese.  Brush lightly with egg. Sprinkle with more cheese and everything bagel seasoning. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until deeply golden and bubbling.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and smearing with cream cheese.
The secret to really great muffins is eating them The secret to really great muffins is eating them warm, with a big smear of butter and a sprinkle flakey sea salt. ❇️ This goes for any muffin but is especially delicious on these a Vegan Carrot Zucchini Harvest Muffins because they have so many veggies they’re basically a salad. ❇️ Full recipe linked in the bio! Xo
This fall the ultimate chocolate chip cookie is pa This fall the ultimate chocolate chip cookie is packed with oats, @guittardchocolate baking wafers, and candy coated chocolate pieces from @traderjoes. ✌️ It’s the perfect weekend bake, babes! Full recipe linked in the profile!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up