Makala's Bakes

If your grocery store is like mine, you may still be struggling to find all of the ingredients needed to do your at home baking. I specifically have not been able to find yeast.  Yeast is the magic ingredient that makes bread light and fluffy. It works by consuming the sugars and producing carbon-dioxide and alcohol.  I have been wanting to try my hand at bread making, but since there is no yeast to be found, I’ve been looking into no yeast breads. In our Covid-19 world we should not be left without bread! It seems like the solution is to make a denser bread that only needs baking soda to rise. The results are chewy and thick bread that leaves you satisfied.  Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, people have been rushing to the grocery stores and buying up all of the yeast, flour, and eggs so that their baking pantries will be stocked. If you weren’t one of those panicked people you may be lacking some of those ingredients now. Luckily this is a nation-wide issue so m...

My blogging experience has been a positive one. My personal life has been chaotic during this class, but having an online platform that I can keep concise and full of content I enjoy was a great outlet.  I enjoyed coming up with blog posts for the week, mostly because mine usually included some sort of yummy bake. Since I have had a blog in the past, I understand that you should be making frequent posts, but I was never able to accomplish that before Makala’s Bakes.  I think that I will continue posting on this blog when the class is finished. Posts won’t be coming out as often, but when I bake something I will be sure to share. I’ve enjoyed sharing my baking with others. I’ve never taken the time to document each step as I bake, but I have come to really enjoy the process. It was a learning curve using Blogger, but now I think that I’d recommend it to anyone looking to start their own blog. To give some perspective though, the most challenging part of the class was learning t...

This week we encountered another obscure holiday this week, Flag Day. Seems like it's the prequel to the Fourth of July, but not as hyped. So I looked into it and made some patriotic cupcakes!   Flag day was established in 1916 to commemorate the adoption of the American flag that was passed in 1777. This Flag Resolution stated that  "the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." Every second Sunday in June we also celebrate the creation of the U.S. Army which happened in 1775.  Another event remembered on Flag Day is the Bear Flag Revolt on the Pacific Coast. American settlers and mountain  men arrested a Mexican General and declared themselves an independent republic. The bear can still be found on the Californian flag today.  Now that we've got a little understanding of Flag Day, let's dig into some yummy cupcakes!  This...

1. Batter Up Cakes     This little shop is located in downtown Greeley and offers cupcakes and custom cakes. It has great               ambiance and the employees are very friendly.  2. Just a Pinch Bakery     Located in Loveland, this bakery offers a wide variety of baked goods. However, they are most well       known for their kolache.  3. Marketplace Bakery     This bread shop is located in Longmont and the delicious smell of fresh bread should lead you right in! 4. The Cupcake Gypsies     This cupcake shop specializes in creative designs and unique flavors.  5. The Little Bird Bakeshop      Over in Fort Collins, this adorable bakery will satisfy any sweet tooth.  6. Daddy Cakes Bakery     This Fort Collins based bakery focuses on custom order cakes. Their designs are amazing and one of a       ki...

You may have heard of this zero-calorie sugar substitute called stevia, but what is it? Well I had the same question so I got to reading and this is what I learned.  Stevia is a plant that grows in South America and is related to the daisy and the ragweed and grows a bush-like plant. The leaves are dried and the result is a powder that is around 200 times the strength of sugar.  Diabetics everywhere should all get on board with stevia since it doesn't contribute any calories or carbohydrates to your diet and does not affect blood sugar or glucose levels. Even after a meal, blood sugar levels are still low. A natural sweetener like that is hard to come by!  Stevia is easy to come by and it is starting to show up in more of our favorite drinks, snacks and deserts. It is reasonably priced and a little goes a long way. So if you're looking for a way to cut some sugar out of your diet, here is an easy place to start. I plan on picking some up at the store and using it in my ne...

The other night I had a craving for a fruity desert to eat with vanilla ice cream so I made some apple crisp! I recommend eating this while it's still warm and you definitely need ice cream. There are two parts to this recipe, the apple filling and the crumb topping.  Start with the filling: 3-4 Apples, peeled and thinly sliced 3 Tbsp. of Butter, melted 2 Tbsp. of Flour 1 Tbsp. of Lemon Juice 3 Tbsp. of Milk 1/2 Tsp. of Vanilla 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar 1/2 tsp. of Cinnamon  Dash of Salt Combine the melted butter and flour until well combined and then add lemon juice, milk and vanilla.  Next, stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Peel and thinly slice the apples. Pour mixture over the apples and toss to coat.  On to the crumb topping! 1/2 Cup of Flour 1/2 Cup of Old-fashioned Rolled Oats 1/2 Cups of Brown Sugar 1/2 Tsp. of Cinnamon Dash of Salt 1/3 Cup of Butter, cut into small cubes Combine all ingredients and mix until crummy. I recommend using the knife technique ...