BAKER BABES PART VI: KRISTIN!!!

Oh Kristin, the internet has brought us together and I am a happier person because of it.

Kristin is a book ninja, previous hot pink hair owner, Hogwarts graduate, professional grocery shopper, nail art connisour, and bonafide sweetheart. Yep, all of those things. She is also a wicked sharp language lover, so read her posts and you will increase your vocabulary tenfold. Fact.

"I believe in dessert before meals, cardigans, and staying under a blanket with great steamy mugs of tea on a rainy day."

My kind of gal.

She blogs at My Life as a Teacup.

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Name: Kristin
Occupation: Student/professional procrastinator
Dream occupation: Book publisher
Age: 21

What was your earliest memory about baking?

I grew up helping my grandmother bake everything from Christmas cookies by the dozens to chocolate sheet cakes, cherry squares, and a myriad of other sweets. I remember helping her with cakes and cookies and playing in the flour, using the little scoop to clear "paths" in what looked like a treacherous mountain pass.

Howd’ja get started baking?

What started out as just icing the snowmen and dousing things in powdered sugar led to enjoying the sweets out of the oven and eventually the therapeutic act of baking. After moving out of my grandma's house, I needed to bake my own cherry squares (or "nothings" as we call them!) or suffer a unbearable, dessert-less existence and learned some of her recipes as well as some new ones along the way.

When you picture “a baker” what do you see?

The Swedish Chef. Even though technically he's a chef. I see him bopping around the kitchen with flour everywhere, which I suppose is how my kitchen looks when I'm through with it.

What qualities or skills does it take to be a baker?

First and foremost, I think one needs a certain amount of patience to be a baker. A little dash of creativity and the willingness to take risks and experiment can make a world of difference too!

What was the biggest baking FAIL you ever had?

My first attempt at piping cupcake icing didn't go so well. The icing wasn't thick enough (I will admit I did not have that precious patience that day) and while the cupcakes tasted delicious it was terribly unfortunate that it was Nutella icing, and so the droopy piles of icing literally looked like poop. No one complained of the taste, but we had a good laugh at the er, presentation.

How do you feel about Martha Stewart?

Aside from being constantly distracted by her line of scrapbooking accessories in the checkout line of my local craft store (and let me just say, they're adorable!), I think she's an amazingly savvy business woman and an incredibly strong woman to persevere against the naysayers. Overall, I'm kind of neutral, but talk about branding an empire, whew!

Tell me something random that most people don't already know:

Even after graduating college, my best friend and I still spend most of our time buying Legos and action figures at the toy store, which we frequent probably too frequently.

If you had to be an ingredient in a recipe, what would you be?

I would be eggs - down-to-earth, versatile, and subtly surprising (whipping egg whites? Yeah, most magical thing ever!)

Will you share your all time favorite recipe with us?

Of course! This is the recipe for the nothings (aka cherry square) my grandma would make for me growing up. They're my absolute favorite!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. sugar
  2 c. flour
  2 sticks butter
  1/2 tsp. vanilla
  4 eggs
  1 can cherry pie filling (you won't use the whole can, but that doesn't mean you can't eat the leftover cherries at will!)

1. Preheat your oven to 350F

2. Combine the sugar and butter and beat at high speed.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed. 

4. Add the vanilla and flour; beat at low. 

5. Pour the batter into an ungreased cookie sheet, spreading it out evenly as you go along. Score 2” squares in the batter. 

6. Add 2-3 cherries (plus some juice!) on each of the scored squares and bake for 25-30 min., until golden and baked through.

Voila!

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Hows that for a simple summer recipe? 

Dear Kristin, thanks for being so rad.

Also, please don't judge my grammar and punctuation...xoxo!