#baking from scratch

Cake I made a while ago. Blueberry lemon two layer cake with cream cheese icing, all made from scratch with honey drizzle. Ignore the background of the second photo, I can't be bothered to crop it.

Orange cake with orange glaze, both made from scratch. I made three of these, one was gluten free for a family member. The amount of oranges I had to zest should be a crime.

BAKING

The tartness nearly killed me, or maybe it was just my hubris. I have never been more humbled than I am now, cowering in fear as I open the fridge for a slice of pie whilst brandishing a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a measly, melty talisman of protection against the tartness.

My father claims it’s the best pie I’ve ever made. He knew of the rhubarb’s true power this whole time and neglected to warn me. He has succumbed to that power himself and praises the tartness as it overtakes my beautiful strawberries. Bakers beware, for even your own flesh and blood may betray you in the name of rhubarb.

I fear for my life. I chopped up more rhubarb than I needed and put it in the freezer, but now I worry that the mangled pieces will someday seek revenge for their rejection.

I gave him the recipe because he wanted to make chocolate chip cookies for a mutual friend of ours who he had a huge crush on. I’d made them for the friend group before and she especially loved them. So I took the time to carefully write out the recipe and annotate it with all the tips I’d learned over the years (I don’t play about my friends, even the more casual ones). I told him he could call me if he needed help or had any questions because I knew how important this was to him.

When I asked him how it went/if he needed any help, he said they had turned out mid. So when I asked further questions to see if I could help him figure out what went wrong, I found out that he MIXED FOUR DIFFERENT RECIPES TOGETHER THAT HE’D GOTTEN FROM DIFFERENT FRIENDS.

Listen I understand not following the recipe when cooking, BUT BAKING IS CHEMISTRY. NO SHIT YOUR COOKIES TURNED OUT TERRIBLE YOU FUCKED WITH THE MAGIC. And not only that but you BOTCHED FOUR DIFFERENT FAMILY RECIPES ALL AT ONCE. That’s like coming into my kitchen and slapping my mother.

🫐 Easy Homemade Blueberry Cheese Buns

Soft, fluffy sweet buns filled with creamy cheese and topped with juicy blueberry sauce — a bakery-style treat you'll want to make again and again!

📌 Yield: 10 buns

⏱️ Prep Time: 30 minutes

⏲️ Rise Time: 1½ hours

🔥 Bake Time: 18–22 minutes

🥖 Ingredients

For the Dough

3½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

1 packet (2¼ tsp) instant yeast

½ cup (120 ml) warm milk

¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon salt

For the Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Blueberry Topping

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

For Brushing

1 egg, beaten

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add eggs, softened butter, and salt. Gradually mix in the flour until a soft dough forms.

Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Step 2: Make the Cheese Filling

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 3: Prepare the Blueberry Sauce

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook for 4–5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until slightly thickened. Let cool.

Step 4: Shape the Buns

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and shape into balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Using the bottom of a glass, make an indentation in the center of each bun. Fill with a spoonful of cream cheese mixture and top with blueberry sauce.

Brush the edges with beaten egg.

Step 5: Bake

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool slightly before serving.

💙 Baker's Note

Hi, I'm Emily, and these Blueberry Cheese Buns are inspired by the sweet pastries you'll find in cozy American bakeries. The combination of fluffy homemade bread, creamy cheesecake filling, and juicy blueberries makes them irresistible. They're perfect with a cup of coffee for breakfast or as an afternoon treat!

Made oreo brownies (recommend by my brother) and MAN THEY ARE DELICIOUS

Even my big back brothers like them (fat asses 😒)

Ended up with these things.