If one activity can bring a group of people together, it’s cooking.
Growing up, I would help my mom around the kitchen — whether it was chopping veggies for dinner or scooping cookie dough onto trays. As time went on, I started doing these tasks on my own, even adding my own personal spin.
I’d add a dash of almond extract to my brownies or chop some walnuts into my banana bread. I had a sourdough phase too, making breads and sourdough confections — you haven’t lived until you’ve tried sourdough cinnamon rolls.
I usemy passion for baking to bring people together. Whether I’m making a friend’s birthday cake or prepping snacks for a movie marathon, the act of feeding people makes me feel fulfilled. The “oohs” and “ahs” I receive for my treats are also a nice confidence booster.
In my first week of college, my passion for baking connected my friends in a way I never thought was possible.
It started with a lemon blueberry muffin recipe I use all the time at home from Alexandra’s Kitchen. My friends all gathered in our communal kitchen — thank you, Fenway residences — and we made it a group bonding event, complete with music blasting from a speaker and dancing around while the muffins baked.
Now, we have a weekly tradition: Every Sunday, we take turns baking a dessert to share. It doesn’t have to be something fancy or time-consuming. We make do with what we have and share it with each other.
My favorite part of this tradition is that no dessert is the same. Last week, one friend made Dubai chocolate chip cookies. The week before, another made mini cheesecake bites. This past weekend, we enjoyed dulce de leche lava cakes.
Not only does this variety allow our taste buds to experience new flavors outside the dining halls, but it also gives us the freedom to try new things. In a brave attempt to make my cinnamon roll dough from scratch, I created one of the best desserts I’ve ever made.
It’s incredibly important to build connections with the community around you. It’s vital to provide a welcoming space for others, especially now, when a lot of us are experiencing a transition from high school to college.
Whether it’s learning how to make a dorm-friendly sweet treat or cooking on a budget, I hope to share some of the things I’ve learned about cooking in college. Hopefully, you can use these tips to connect with the people around you and enjoy some comfort food while you’re away from home.
Even though I have access to a kitchen, I know most of you are working with just a microwave and mug. So, I’d like to share a dorm-approved version of my muffin recipe. These lemon blueberry mug muffins are sure to make your dorm smell like a bakery.
Here’s a few tips before we start:
First, when I say a small pinch of salt, I mean really a small pinch of salt. Trust me, a little bit goes a long way.
Secondly, there’s no exact science to it, but I like to count out about seven to 12 blueberries per mug muffin. These are weird numbers, I know, but they work for me. I also prefer to use frozen blueberries, but use whatever you have on hand.
And third, if you’re not allergic to tree nuts, I recommend adding a dash of almond extract to the batter. I always do this, and it just adds a little something extra to your dessert, making it 10 times better.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons milk
A splash of vanilla
A handful of blueberries
Steps:
Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and lemon zest together in a mug.
Add in the butter, milk and vanilla.
Stir in the blueberries.
Microwave the mug for one to 1.5 minutes, depending on your microwave. Start with one minute and increase the cooking time by 10 seconds at a time until the batter is cooked through.
And there you have it — a single-serving lemon blueberry muffin in a mug, perfect for your sweet treat cravings.