Bake

18 Weekend Baking Projects (For Making Brownies in Your PJs)

Pick a treat, any treat.

October 26, 2018
Photo by Julia Gartland

I'd like to propose a new law of mathematics:

To solve for the coziest-ever weekend, add one crisp fall day to one comfy, blanket-filled home, subtract any plans from your schedule, and then raise everything to the power of a weekend baking project that'll fill the whole place with so much warmth and joy, you'll wonder if you actually live inside your favorite bakery.

And according to my calculations—it's (checks watch) ABOUT TO BE THE WEEKEND!!!!! and you have a baking project to tackle. Except that by tackle, I really mean "bear hug." Just picture it: you, in super-soft pajamas, gliding across your living room to perform a very important taste test on some oven-bound batter. Rolling out the most buttery and flaky of crusts. The whole place filling with the scent of whatever you're about to enjoy—are you a chocolate person? Cinnamon-sugar? Can I interest you in some brown butter?

As for whether there's such thing as too cozy a weekend baking project, well: The limit does not exist.

Let's calculate your next cozy weekend right now:


Minimum Effort, Maximum Gooey Deliciousness

Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart:


All the Chocolate, All the time


Skip the Sweets, Head Straight for the Bread Basket

Ima's Challah:


I *Do* Have All Day—And I'd Like to Spend It Making An Elaborate Dessert

What's on your weekend baking agenda? Let me know in the comments!

The Magical Mini Guide to Cozy Weekends
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The Magical Mini Guide to Cozy Weekends

Whether you're in the mood for some soup-simmering, leaf-peeping, or nothing at all, your dream weekend awaits...

View Guide

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Ella Quittner

Written by: Ella Quittner

Ella Quittner is a contributing writer and the Absolute Best Tests columnist at Food52. She covers food, travel, wellness, lifestyle, home, novelty snacks, and internet-famous sandwiches. You can follow her on Instagram @equittner, or Twitter at @ellaquittner. She also develops recipes for Food52, and has a soft spot for all pasta, anything spicy, and salty chocolate things.

1 Comment

judy October 28, 2018
GREat ideas for weekend baking projects. I am disabled and don't have enough energy to get through most of these recipes. I have learned over the years to modify so that I can do and enjoy. These recipes are for teh most part easy for me to modify so that I can manage them. Sometimes it takes me several days tocompleteq a recipe. I enjoy the challenge that comes with figuring out how to make them with minimal effort, minimal vessels and utensils and minimal clean up. Sadly I'll never get to the croissant loaf. But for Cinnamon rolls I have learned to make a babka-type loaf that works well, but doesn't require so much effort. Thank you for they list for my holiday baking challenges, I think.