Happy New Year, dear readers! I’m so glad I decided to start this blog last year. I used to post baking-related topics over on my other blog, but it’s been really nice to have a separate space dedicated to one of my favorite hobbies. Creating a second blog has let share more of my baking love with you, and I look forward to another year of yummy recipes, bakery reviews and musings about the state of food today.
2015 ended with lots of baked goods, which means I have many new recipes coming your way soon. But before I get to those, I’d like to do a year-end roundup of sorts. You see, on my other blog, I do an “annual report” that charts out how I spent my time the previous year. It’s become a tradition for me, and I’d like to start something similar here. Of course, the Sugarsmith annual report will be decidedly sweeter and tastier than most annual reports you’ll find. I’m also working on some “Baking Resolutions” that I’ll post soon.
Let’s take a look at last year’s “data,” shall we?
I made so many cookies this year! 2014 also skewed cookies but bars were pretty close. I’m aiming to round this out a bit more in the coming year with a little more baked good diversity. The ratio of new to old recipes doesn’t shock me in the least because I love trying out new recipes. I do have some perennial favorites, like the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars. And the Apple Crisp I posted is a family tradition. I actually love the idea of “go to” recipes for holidays and family gatherings… I just find myself itching to try something new whenever I get the time to bake.
This breakdown doesn’t surprise me at all, but I do want to switch it up in 2016 and make more savory baked goods. I end up making more dessert than anything else because it’s easy to bring places and share. Still, I am sure my friends and coworkers would also be happy to nibble on savory bites from time to time.
Top Posts on Sugarsmith for 2015
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter Blondies (Trader Joe’s isn’t selling the pumpkin cookie butter anymore but you can also make this recipe with regular cookie butter for fabulous results!)
- Strawberry Lemon Cake Bars with a Lemon Glaze
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
- Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pi Bakerie, NYC
Favorite New Recipes I Baked in 2015 That Aren’t on the Blog
- Soft Gingersnaps with White Chocolate Chunks
- Salted Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
- Caramelized Onion Spinach Olive Oil Bread
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Cardamom Cake
- And a few more I can’t tell you yet, because they will be on the blog soon!
2015 Fun Facts
- Number of bakery visits recorded in my personal journal: 22
- Photos of me eating ice cream tagged on Facebook: 3
- Baking-related events I hosted: 3
- Recipes on my “to bake” list at the end of 2015: 359!!!
- Times I described a recipe as “delicious blobs” in my baking journal: 1 (it was a pretzel recipe and while the pretzels didn’t form right, they sure were delicious blobs!)
- Recipes I made that involved a sea salt sprinkling on top: 9 (no wonder I am feeling sea salt sprinkle fatigue!)
sugarsmith 
Pingback: The 2016 Baking Roundup | sugarsmith
Pingback: The 2017 Baking Roundup | sugarsmith