Leanne Kridl '12: Baking Beauty

Leanne Kridl, a senior at UC Santa Barbara, has spent the past year designing and maintaining her baking blog, onedashdelplaya.blogspot.com. If you are ever in need of a new holiday recipe or if you just like to see the delicious creations that Leanne comes up with, make sure to stop by her blog this holiday season.
 
Her Campus: When did you start your blog?
Leanne:  I started my blog this past summer.
 
HC: What inspired you to create a blog?
L: I love to bake and I always take pictures of the food that I baked so I thought I might as well put up pictures for others to enjoy. Living in my sorority house and going abroad made me realize how much I missed being able to cook my own food.
 
HC: What is your favorite thing to make?
L: I like making cupcakes because they are a good serving size  and they are really fun to decorate and give to others.
 
HC: What will you be making during the holidays?
L: I want to make peppermint back.  Other people should think about trying this recipe because it is very fun, festive, and the best thing about it- no baking is necessary!

 HC: What are some tips for other bakers to try?
L: I suggest that you find a recipe that you really enjoy and then work off of that. I found my favorite vanilla frosting and then I always tweak it or add other ingredients into the recipe.
 
HC: Do you have any favorite cooking shows?
L: I love Cupcake Wars, Chopped, Iron Chef and Top Chef.
 
HC: Do you give away your baked goods?
L: I bake what I think would be good but sometimes I do bake for other people. When all my friends were moving in, I made a huge batch of champagne cupcakes with strawberry frosting to give out. I try to bake people things for their birthdays. For my friend’s birthday, I made a mini yellow cake with chocolate frosting.
 
HC: Do you ever bake with anyone?
L: I bake with my good friend, Coco, most of the time. It’s fun to bake with other people around since everyone has a unique style. Coco is more of a cook so she comes up with her own recipes and is more creative with tweaking recipes while I really enjoy reading directions. I like being precise and organized. While I bake, I become quite the perfectionist.