When I wake up in the morning to a white, winter snow day, I feel a sigh of relief wash over my entire body. Except, what am I going to do all day? Apart from doing homework, and considering that I can’t yet drive myself anywhere, sitting at home has become an occurrence that is unavoidable when it’s negative five degrees outside. In conversations with my dad, he never stops talking about recipes in our family recipe books—books that are at the top of the shelf, sitting and waiting to be opened eventually. So, with my hours and hours of doing nothing, the oven is on, and something is always cooking. Therefore, here are my four recipes perfect for the winter months.
Blueberry cobbler
There is always something different about a dessert that can be eaten at any point in the day. With fresh or frozen blueberries, I absolutely love the fruit’s warmth, combined with a sweet undertone. Sure, waking up in the mornings and having a sugar-filled slice of cobbler isn’t the best choice, but when it’s over a bowl of yogurt, it is heavenly. It never occurs to me that this should be served with a drizzle of icing on top, but it never really needs it. With a sprinkle of cinnamon in its crumble topping, this easy dessert is cozy and perfect for a warm night in.
Coffee cake
Coffee cake always confused me because you don’t actually put any coffee into this dessert, until I actually tried it and drank it with coffee. Layers of cinnamon and crumbled strudel with a dense cake have always tasted the best to me. Never overpowered by the spices and icing, each bite of coffee cake feels like I’m sitting in a small cafe surrounded by the scent of coffee beans.
Classic chocolate chip cookies
Using a recipe has become unnecessary to me when making chocolate chip cookies because of how many times I have made them. I often bake things three or four times in a row, and I’ve begun to feel bad for my family, who constantly have to eat the same thing. But if it’s good, why change it? When my mom first told me the secret part of her recipe, I didn’t think it would change much because of how small it is, but because of this secret, I can never find better cookies outside of my own home.
Chocolate chip cookie cake in a skillet
A huge cookie was always my dream as a kid who loved chocolate chip cookies. When making them too much, I have found ways to make them new and improved while still having the same gooey milk chocolate goodness in the middle. Finding a new recipe among the dozens of cookbooks my family has impulsively bought is rare when all I try to do during summer is poison them with sugar. When cooking a skillet cookie, it really makes me think about how much it depends on the baker and how they like their pizza. Pizza can vary in its crust and thickness, and if it is barely cooked or burnt on the edges. If one of these ways is loved by the person making the cookie cake, it will affect their skillet cookie, and my pizza and cookie preferences certainly go together.
Whether it’s a snow day or not, biting into a scrumptious dessert that you have worked hard to make is one of the best feelings in the world. Don’t waste your time sitting and doing nothing when you could be trying a new recipe from a distant cousin that you may not even know, but now at least you know the taste of their recipe.
