Why were Grandma’s baked goods so delicious?
We spoke to chefs and everyday people about what they learned about baking from their grandmothers.
And that something sweet always went directly into her grandchildren’s mouths.
Jocelyn Delk Adams, cookbook author and founder of Grandbabycakes.com, with her grandmother.Photo: Photo by Chuck Olu-Alabi; Design by Tyler Stendhal
Why were Grandma’s baked goods so delicious?
“She took the time to knead the dough, to chill the butter.
So I learned from my grandma to be true to the dish that you’re making.
If you’ve got to knead the dough with your hands, then knead it.
Don’t take no shortcuts.
‘Cause all the small things that might seem tedious are things that make a big difference.”
“Miss Maggie Mae’s cakes were sorta famous there.
“My Big Mama always believed in adding salt to everything she baked,” she said.
“She thought it helped keep her nail polish from chipping.
It cracked me up but later I realized how smart it was.”
What they did do, though, was use real ingredients.
New York-based food justice advocate and chefYadira Garciarecalled her grandmother making her famous Dominican tres leches cake.
But when she was making these things, she was grabbing eggs from her farm.
She was getting fresh milk.
She wasn’t thinking about how many calories Dominican cake has in it.
She was making these things for joy and for pleasure and for memories.”
Her grandmother, Angie Czajkowski, helped launch the family farm in western Massachusetts.
“It was always a tray bake.
I remember these cobblers because she had all this fresh fruit from the farm.
They grew strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb and raspberries, too.”
The lesson that sticks with her is to bake with simple but seasonal ingredients.
Better with bacon
Bacon fat, it turns out, can even make desserts better.
“My momlovedher grandma’s apple fritters,” saidEatingWellfood features editor Carolyn Malcoun.
I actually didn’t even know pastry cutters existed until my 30s!
