Cooking plays a crucial role in everyone’s daily lives, so it’s helpful to know different recipes suited to personal skill level. Dessert recipes can take anywhere from minutes to days, depending on how complex they are.
Easy desserts usually require just a few ingredients and are quick to make. Most can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, with much of the effort involving basic mixing and baking.
“I think cookies, brownies and cakes are easy recipes. You don’t need complicated equipment or a lot of prep,” Sailor Hill, freshman culinary student, said.
Ingredients Needed:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (tsp) baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups M&M’s, divided
¼ cup holiday sprinkles
To start, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and both sugars for 1-2 minutes with a mixer until they become light and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. On low speed, add in flour mixture and mix until just combined. Then, gently stir in M&M’s.
Place the sprinkles in a shallow bowl.
Scoop balls of the cookie dough. Gently press a few M&M’s onto each dough ball, then press the top of each ball into the bowl of sprinkles.
Place dough balls onto baking sheets, leaving at least an inch of space between each ball.
Bake for 8-11 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are set but the center is slightly underdone.
Allow cookies to cool and enjoy!
Medium-level desserts are best for cooks who are comfortable with basic techniques and are ready to attempt more complex recipes. Some medium recipes may require a few specialty skills (like whipping egg whites or making a custard) or specific kitchen tools. These desserts often involve longer, more intricate steps.
“I think at this level you have to read a recipe correctly and measure out ingredients accurately so you don’t mess up something simple,” Juliana De Sena, culinary teacher, said.
Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients needed:
2 sticks salted butter
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin butter
¼ cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
For the Espresso Glaze:
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons brewed espresso or strong coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.
Add the butter to a medium sized pot and put over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown until it smells toasted, about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Add the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, maple, eggs and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt, mixing until just combined. Add in the white chocolate.
Spread the dough out into the prepared dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s just set in the center. Cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: add the butter to a small pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, which will take about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, espresso, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Drizzle the glaze over the bars.
Let it sit for 5 minutes, cut into bars and enjoy!
Hard desserts are best for more experienced bakers or those who are seeking a significant challenge. These recipes can take several hours and even days. Hard dessert recipes often include patience and advanced techniques, such as making complex fillings or making a bread dough from scratch.
“Desserts like macarons are really hard to make… practice makes perfect, though, ” Nevaeh Adams, senior culinary student, said.
Ingredients needed:
Dough:
1 packet active dry yeast or 2 ¼ tsp
⅔ cup whole milk warmed to 110°F (plus 1 tbsp for egg wash)
5 tbsp unsalted butter at room temp
3 tbsp granulated sugar (plus 1 tsp for yeast)
1 ½ tbsp cooking oil (flavorless)
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks (reserve 1 egg white for egg wash)
2 ½ – 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (detailed in instructions below)
1 tsp kosher salt
Chocolate Filling:
2 cups finely chopped dark chocolate
2 tsp ground cinnamon
⅓ cup unsalted butter (cold)
Streusel:
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter (cold and cut into small pieces)
¼ tsp kosher salt
To prep the dough: start by dissolving the yeast in the warm milk with 1 tsp of sugar. Whisk the mixture. It should become foamy as the yeast begins to grow. If this doesn’t happen, either the milk was too hot or the yeast had expired. This step is called proofing.
While the yeast is proofing, cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Once they are well combined, add the oil and vanilla extract and mix at low speed. Add egg yolks one at a time and increase to high speed. Beat for another two minutes. Turn it back to low and add 2 ½ cups of flour and 1 tsp salt, then add the yeast mixture. Be sure to whisk the yeast one more time before adding it.
Mix until this is combined, then replace the paddle with a dough hook. Continue to mix, adding 1 tbsp of flour at a time, until a soft dough forms. The dough should be easy to form into a smooth ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead several times, or until you have a smooth ball of dough. Then place the ball into a greased mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You can let it rise in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
To prep the chocolate filling: combine the finely chopped chocolate, cinnamon and butter until well combined. Set aside.
Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature (about one hour). Then roll it on a lightly floured surface until you have a 14×18 inch rectangle.
Sprinkle the chocolate filling over the dough, leaving a border around the edge. Then roll the dough into a tight log, starting with the long side. Gently roll the log back and forth several times.
Twist the dough into a figure 8 and pinch the ends together (sometimes water can help to stick). Line your loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and transfer the dough to the loaf pan. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for one hour.
While the dough is rising, prep the streusel by combining the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a thin skewer or toothpick, poke a few holes in the babka. This allows steam to be released for smaller gaps in the babka.
Brush the babka with an egg wash made from 1 egg white whisked together with 1 tbsp of whole milk.
Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the babka.
Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees and cook for another 25 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 185°F. The babka will be golden brown.
Allow the babka to cool before slicing and enjoy!
