BAKER BABES PART XIX: JENNA FROM "KITTY CAT STEVENS"


"Baker Babes" is an ongoing collection of interviews from ladies that know how to use their oven like a champ. 
Wanna know why Jenna's blog is amazing? 1.) Marshmallows  2.) Cats. 3.) If you really need a third, you're reading the wrong blog. Jenna is amazing, and we've been online friends (yes, it's a thing) for a long time. You can read about the adorable life of a marshmallow maker here ---> on Kitty Cat Stevens!
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Name: Jenna LeDawn
Occupation: Marshmallow Maker, Vintage Styling Assistant
Dream occupation: To travel the country selling my handmade books!
Age: 25
 
What was your earliest memory about baking? I was about eight or nine and went next door to hangout with the two girls that lived there. We made stained glass cookies and it's the first time I can remember baking without an adult. The cookies used jolly ranchers to create the look of stained glass and they were break-your-teeth hard. I distinctly remember being fascinated by the way random ingredients came together like magic to create something completely new and delicious! 



Howd’ja get started baking? Until college, the only baking I ever did was from a box. Once I moved out of the dorms and into a house with an awesome kitchen I really fell in love with baking. That's when I met my best friend Shannon, who taught me the witchy ways of vegan baking. I guarantee we put on some of the best bake sales that college town has ever seen!
After I graduated, I worked as the head baker of a local cupcakery for nearly a year. I loved it but there wasn't any room for upward movement, so when the opportunity to become a recipe tester and product photographer for a startup marshmallow business came around I obviously jumped at the chance. Now that I am not baking 40 hours a week, I have a passion for it like never before.

When you picture “a baker” what do you see? I see a really smart, sassy woman in a frilly vintage apron with a tray of handmade donuts piled high. Welp, I guess I'm basically describing Shannon— oops! But she taught me everything I know about baking so I guess in my head she is the ideal baker. I mean, she said farewell to grad school in order to pursue her passion and create a baking career— how's that for a "baker"?! 


What qualities or skills does it take to be a baker? The ability to multitask, patience, learning from mistakes, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone and try new things. We all have to start somewhere but I really think anyone can be a baker. I've joked with my boss before about how when someone tells me they "can't bake" all I hear is "I don't know how to follow instructions". 
What was the biggest baking FAIL you ever had? Oh, dear! One time I tried to make naturally colored red velvet cupcakes using beets— it was a disaster. They tasted straight up like dirt— terrible, tangy dirt. It was so bad but I think it's important to acknowledge the failures as well as the successes of baking! 
How do you feel about Martha Stewart? A strong, smart, independent woman that built an empire— what's not to love?! Seriously though, I think she has impeccable taste, regardless of her past. Who hasn't done things they regret? We gotta support our fellow ladies, not cut them down!


Tell me something random that most people don't already know:
 I laugh at my own jokes, I think spaghetti is overrated, I hardly ever shower or wash my hair, I love licorice, and I'm obsessed with vintage cars. 
If you had to be an ingredient in a recipe, what would you be? I'd probably be a classic glass bottle of warm vanilla bean paste. A little intimidating at first but irresistible once you've gotten to know me. Nothing brings out the best in a dessert like vanilla bean paste and think that's a metaphor for my hopeless optimism. Also the fact that we're both freckly just seals the deal for me! 


Will you share your all time favorite recipe with us? This Apple Pie Yeast Braid is definitely my favorite. I love it because it's a mashup of several of my favorite recipes. It also looks so much more intricate than it really is! I usually recommend this to anyone making bread for the first time because it's practically foolproof and you can alter it with any fruit you prefer. 
(Click on this link to read an illustrated version of the bread recipe)
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A couple of Valentine Days ago I made chocolate ganache tartlettes with a beet shortbread crust. It also tasted like dirt. But, it turns out that chocolate and dirt go really well together. I would recommend it! Kisses your way Jenna!

3 comments

  1. Jenna is the best person in the world, but I might be a little biased. I love her even more than I love vanilla beans.

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  2. I love Jenna! This was a super cute interview. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Jenna! This was a super cute interview. :)

    ReplyDelete

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