Baked Desserts Ideas

Half of the enjoyment of baked desserts is crafting them.

There is something wonderful about baked desserts. Baking creates warm, comforting treats that fill your house with tempting aromas. Many baked goods are comfort foods that remind us of our childhoods. Whether you are a beginning cook or an experienced baker, there are a variety of baked dessert goods that you can create.

Cakes

Cakes are versatile in their functionality. Serve them after a casual mid-week dinner, as the dessert for a child's birthday party and following an elegant wedding. When considering cake ideas, think about your audience and how simple or intricate you want to make the cake. Simple layer cakes with frosting work in a variety of settings. Make them from scratch or using store bought cake mix. Cupcakes also fall into this category of baked dessert. These tiny versions of a regular sized cake are easier to serve. Bundt cakes, pound cakes, sponge cakes and tortes are other options that offer distinct textures and tastes.

Pies

Pies take a fruit filling and encase it inside of a pastry dough crust. Bake pies in a standard pie pan or in a deep dish pie pan with higher sides that allows you to create a more hearty pie with extra filling. Turnovers, cobblers, empanadas and calzones are all variations on traditional pies more suited to individual servings.

Cookies

Cookies are baked desserts that are suitable for a variety of occasions. Generally baked in batches of a dozen, cookies are easy to share and store for later. Chocolate chip is a traditional favorite, but there are several other cookies that can be satisfying. Other delicious and easy to make cookies include peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, shortbread and macaroons. Sugar cookies lend themselves to decoration with frosting, sprinkles, and other decorations.

Bars and Squares

Baked dessert bars and squares are similar to cakes and cookies because they formed from batter poured into a pan and sliced into individual servings once baked. Brownies are a well-known and loved example of this kind of dessert. Rice cereal bars, cheesecake bars, lemon squares and bars with granola are all variations that can allow you to experiment with the dessert that is most appetizing to you and your family.

Breads and Muffins

Dessert breads are distinguished by the pans that they are baked in. Batter poured into a loaf pan can make items like banana, chocolate, pumpkin or carrot bread. Muffins are another form of dessert bread. Muffins are identifiable by their dome shape. You can make muffins with different fruits and berries.

References

• Betty Crocker: Baked Dessert Recipes
• Joy of Baking: Top Tested Recipes For August
• Delish: From the Oven to the Plate: Amazing Baked Goods
• The Pastry Sampler: The Pie Family and All the Cousins: Pies, Tarts, and Everything in Beween (Or On Top Of) Pie Crust; Renee Shelton