Most of us have probably tried baking cookies or banana bread at one point in our lives, especially since the pandemic started. I filled the long hours at home with baking and tried lots of different recipes — some were a success, while others . . . not so much. Since that first pandemic bake, baking has become a dear hobby to me. There’s nothing as relaxing as mixing a few ingredients together, popping them in the oven, and then having a comforting dessert to eat in (usually) less than an hour.
With my giant sweet tooth, I’m always scrolling through baking accounts on Instagram or keeping up with my favourite baking blogs. These five recipes are the ones I always reach for when I’m craving something sweet. They’re easy, delicious, and don’t take a lot of time (or dirty a lot of dishes).
Biscoff White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
I’ve convinced myself that since these are oatmeal cookies, they’re a healthier alternative to regular cookies. This is my favourite cookie recipe, and it has seldom let me down. I even froze a batch so it’s easy to pull out and bake whenever I need a little pick-me-up during the semester. Unlike in the recipe, I usually swap the white chocolate chips with milk chocolate chips, but the taste is phenomenal either way. You can also substitute the Biscoff spread with another cookie butter, but I do find the Biscoff tastes best.
Lemon Blueberry Tart
I love tarts and pies, but I’m not the biggest fan of making them. There are lots of different steps, and it takes a ton of time to make and assemble all of the components. This tart recipe, however, could not be simpler. It’s done in one shot—there’s no need for dough chilling, and the filling sets after everything is assembled together. The shortbread crust is crumbly, and combined with the smooth, tart filling makes for a wonderful experience. The sauce doesn’t have to be blueberry, either. I’ve made it with strawberries and had equal success!
Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies
I’ve never actually made these brownies, I just passed the recipe to my mom. I begged her to make me some when I was in midterm studies and really needed a chocolatey dessert. Since my mom is awesome, she made them for me on two separate occasions, and they were amazing each time. The rich chocolate flavour is a guaranteed mood-booster, and this is now the brownie recipe I depend on.
Scones
Last, but definitely not least, scones. These can be sweet or savoury, and I use a master recipe that allows for modifications to make scones in a bunch of different flavours. To enhance the sweetness, you can even make an icing to drizzle on top. I make these often for breakfast—my favourite is the cinnamon chocolate chip scones. They’re easy to freeze after making, which makes them the perfect thing to grab and warm up when you don’t feel like making a dough, but still crave that sweet breakfast!
These are some of my top recipes to make when I need something sweet. They’re easy, quick to make, and taste delicious every time. I love that I can freeze batches and change some ingredients based on what I’m craving or what I have in the kitchen. The simplicity of these recipes also helps make sure I’m not stressing about something going wrong while baking. I can unplug and enjoy myself for an hour or so, and then settle in with a plate of warm cookies, brownies, or scones—and doesn’t that sound amazing?