People enjoy desserts. Whether eating, baking, or decorating, many individuals find joy in some baked treats. They can have a bold mix of flavors, smells, textures, and looks, the variety of them constantly growing. Desserts can help bring people together, helping bridge the gap between people or strengthening the strongest bonds. For sophomore Kyung-Ah Lee, baking is more than just a simple past time.
She’s been baking since she was a young kid, and over time, that has developed into an important part of her life. She began baking due to her family members constantly baking, giving her the inspiration to begin this new hobby.
“Baking was a core part of my childhood, and I would accompany and assist my mom a lot,” Lee said. “While my mom would make the core parts of desserts, I would tend to frost cakes or add other decorations such as fruit.”
Since then, Kyung-Ah has expanded her baking skillset, as she now bakes more complex recipes such as crepe cakes, which is her favorite recipe. Her journey in baking has had bumps along the way, as any attempt to learn new skills does.
“My greatest kitchen disaster was when I tried baking brownies by myself for the first time,” Kyung-Ah said. “I mixed all the ingredients together without reading the instructions.”
As most people do, Lee learned from her mistakes, stating that she’ll never waste that many chocolate chips again.
Even though Lee enjoys baking so much already, Kyung-Ah has ways to enjoy the experiences she has to the fullest. She loves to bake with others, as doing so can lead to the ability to make more quantity and variety of baked goods. And while Kyung-Ah knows that expanding one’s palate is good, she believes that sometimes it’s best to use what you know works.
“I prefer repeating recipes if they have worked in the past,” Lee said. “But I’m not against finding new ones if I want a new dessert or challenge.”
And after a good challenge, nothing is better than getting to taste all the hard work that went into it.
“[A dessert] tastes 100 times better because you are the one making it,” Lee said. “It feels like the hard work pays off.”
Despite maybe having the urge to eat all the treats she bakes, Kyung-Ah still shares the fruit of her labor with the people in her life. She often surprises her friends after a weekend of baking, bringing unmeasurable joy and pleasure to people’s taste buds.
“When Kyung-Ah brings desserts to lunch, I feel overjoyed with happiness,” Isabella Nikbakhsh, a sophomore and friend of Kyung-Ah, said.
So, while baking is an obligation or some small hobby to many people, Kyung-Ah sees it as so much more. Baking has become a constant in her life, allowing her to grow and have many new experiences, along with connecting with people. Maybe we can all learn from Kyung-Ah and pick up things that can bring us and others around us joy. While baking may not have a huge impact in the grand scheme of things, it can bring joy and elevate one’s life just enough to make a difference for them and the people around them.
