Today was a pretty productive day. I celebrated this by bouncing around Youtube: listening to the old Kesha slow jams and eventually listening to the Lana Del Rey “Ride” monologue. I had to find a laugh SOMEWHERE following the stress of watching her sing in her little mesh mask in the “Chemtrails” video…
Hi sweet Jamie,
I think that the best easy baked goods are too well known for me to mention here (banana bread, for one), but here are a few marginally less known recipes that continue to make me happy:
Strawberry Graham Galette from BA: At least within my circle, EVERYONE was making this recipe over the past summer. It’s an exceedingly simple process that requires no advanced equipment and yet by the end you feel truly accomplished. I know you said you’re not looking to improve your skillset, but I think that this is the type of thing that you get all of the rush of _something new_ without actually having to put in a ton of elbow grease. Full disclosure: I’m lazy and make it without the lime whipped cream.
Christina Tosi’s Cookie Dough Cookie: You can make a “cookie dough cookie” with pretty much any of your existing favorite cookie recipes. The difference is that you bake the dough at 500º for 4 to 5 minutes so the cookies crisp on the outside but are still dough on the inside. Lastly, you freeze them to stop the baking process. It’s like a cookie lava cake! I love them.
Thumbprint cookies: It’s hard for me to say what cookies are classified as overhyped and what are underrated, but here’s hoping you haven’t thought of making thumbprint cookies for yourself yet! Ultimately this cookie is a vehicle for a nice jam, which you can opt to make for yourself or use as an opportunity to buy something indulgent and artisanal to put center stage. I think these cookies fit your parameters perfectly: they’re simple to make but their fruitiness makes them feel newfangled.
Lastly, the most simple and most decadent option: saltine cracker toffee (or “christmas crackers” if you’re looking to confine the treat to one month a year). Most low-key homemade sweet imaginable but always endlessly satisfying — not that it’s any surprise that sugar, butter, and chocolate are satisfying.