Start your cake

Mini baking lessons

Come on in.
We’re baking.

Short, useful lessons for the things that make people nervous in the kitchen. Pause me, run it back, flour the counter again—we’ll get there.

Lesson 01

Start here

Making pie dough

I’ll walk you through what the dough should look and feel like, without making it more complicated than it needs to be.

  • Watch at your own pace
  • Pause me. Run it back. Try it again.
Recipe 01Grab the pie dough recipeOpen recipe
YieldTwo 9-inch single crusts or one double-crust piePrint or download

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ pound (8 ounces) cold butter, cut small
  • ½ cup ice water

Method

  1. Combine. Blend flour, sugar and salt.
  2. Cut in the butter. Stop when the pieces are about the size of small peas.
  3. Add the ice water. Mix only a few seconds. Keep those butter pieces visible.
  4. Press—do not knead. Bring the dough and loose bits together.
  5. Chill. Form a disk, wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
  6. Roll. Roll on a floured surface to about ¼-inch thick. We are not wrestling pie dough today.
  7. Line the plate. Press gently into the bottom and corners to remove air pockets.
Lesson 02

Now we’re baking

Chocolate chip cookies

Soft centers, lightly golden edges and the little details that keep a good cookie from turning into a crispy situation.

  • Mix, scoop, chill and bake
  • Pause me. Run it back. Check that bowl.
Recipe 02Grab the chocolate chip cookie recipeOpen recipe
YieldAbout 2 dozen—or fewer if you make them biggerOven350°F · 8–10 minutesPrint or download

Ingredients

  • 1 cup softened unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1¼ cups light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1¾ teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Method

  1. Heat oven to 350°F and line a pan with parchment.
  2. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl.
  3. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Scrape the bowl again.
  4. Combine the dry ingredients separately.
  5. Add dry ingredients just until the flour disappears. Remember, we’re making cookies—not bread.
  6. Mix in chocolate and scrape the bowl one final time.
  7. Scoop about 24 cookies and chill for 30 minutes.
  8. Place 8 portions on a pan and press each one lightly.
  9. Bake 8–10 minutes, turning halfway. Barely brown means barely brown.
  10. Cool for a few minutes…if you can. A warm cookie with cold ice cream? Chile.