Dear Friends and Fellow Bakers,

It’s a new day, it’s a new dawn and I’m feeling good! How about you? Did you have a nice holiday? Did you do all that you had planned? Me neither (!) although I thought about it at length and that alone took effort! It will all get done but at the same time, it never all gets done – so relax. We have another 365 days of a do-over ahead and many more lifetimes to get it right. 2024 is just hours behind and 2025 is upon us. Face it - we’re actually living in the future because that’s what 2025 sounds like to me. I half expect to walk outside my door and see the terrain of the Jetsons with flying saucers and robots (AI domestic help) tending to my housework and cutting the grass. What is real however is the lack of snow at the behest of global warming. Suffice to say, it hardly feels like New Year’s here in Montreal but I’ll take it.

I’m not one for resolutions or big resolutions but I am one for list-making, i.e. what I did accomplish last year and what I intend to do this year. I’ve kept things simple for 2025: stay clear of anything negative (people, new, bad recipes, mindless scrolling), build up a physical fitness regime, keep serene (or try and get there for the first time!), read more books and make space for sitting in cafes, just to think and people-watch. I am also on a do-not-engage quarantine (self imposed) or if I can’t say or anything nice or neutral then I steer clear of engaging with people. At best, it’s not full of positive outcomes and at worse, I am probably doing it as a distraction and not doing my work or living my life. Positive engagement is still allowed. I guess it’s a ‘social diet’ I’m on.

2024 was an incredible year re my own inner journey; the world: not so much although I still see hope and good things despite the headlines. I miss the days of BC where bad news didn’t travel because it couldn’t or when the bad news arrived, it was moot. A dinosaur had already attacked or a bolder had already rolled over a hut. The news, ever at our ears and fingertips is a lot to bear.

I changed a little in 2024, however. I used to be buoyant with optimism and joy; now I’m more stoic and realistic but I’ve kept the joy; just lessened the outer bubbliness. There are so few places where bubbliness is the little black dress of mood, so to speak, so I keep a lid on it these days. Ok, I can’t lie – the bubbliness is all there but I don’t share it with everyone. I share it with my family and friends at tango and I guess, with you, my dear baking readers. I know some of you are kindred spirits so I keep the light on.  I sometimes wonder if effervescence is genetic or nurtured but on a good day, mine is hard to quell and out of place.

In other news….

The diet (journey) is still a success and you can read about it here https://betterbaking.com/the-pastry-chefs-diet-or-eat-more-weigh-less/

if you want some to know a bit more of my approach. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t involve money, a pyramid scheme or medication.

I’ve leveled up in tango (in stamina, skill and creativity) and recommitted to writing; there are so many book projects waiting to be done. Yoga and swimming are in a rebuild cycle. I practise yoga at home with a few phenomenal You Tube teachers who offer a wealth of yoga lessons for free. It’s easy to carve out at least 20 minutes a day and you’re rewarded with a great night’s sleep and a flexible body. But more to the point, 99% of the yoga studios (except the YMCA and community centers which were too tame) are hot yoga aka sweat lodge/get should have insurance yoga. Some trends should never have taken hold and practicing flow yoga in 45 Celcius room is one of them.

I pared down the excess in my house and otherwise changed the décor but my passion for nesting is still a prime pursuit. I tried to lasso my perfume habit. Fortunately concerning my scented life, decants and wee (bargain-priced) samples are now available everywhere so my blind-buying days are over as are my Instagram scrolling. I can’t adopt a kitten; I don’t need another Best Concealer and I have all the Ruggables I need. So, I don’t have time to waste or replace or purchase so Instagram is out! There’s a bit of withdrawal but it’s nicely tonic-ed with books instead of scrolling.

I’ve noticed some nice trends in baking and am happy to share the links to these great baking features on the return of white bread, the best bakeries in America (I have my own Montreal list), and the new golden age of bakeries.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/25/t-magazine/white-bread-bakers.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

The Best Bakeries in America - The New York Times

What’s Wrong with White Bread? - The New York Times

The Golden Age of American Bakeries Is Upon Us. Here’s Why. - The New York Times

I’m sure there’s more to say or share but for now, I offer a few recipes I’ve been working on. They’re easy things and as most of my recipes are, the result of serendipitous thoughts in the kitchen. Enjoy, and happy New Year, may it be your best year ever.

Warm wishes from my kitchen to yours,

Marcy Goldman
Author, Master Baker, Publisher
Betterbaking.com, Est. 1997

Chocolate Orange Challah
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/chocolate-orange-challah/

This is a beauty of a bread that's mid-way between a babka and a challah and it’s lovely with tea and coffee or as a breakfast bread. I use Boyajian Orange Oil in this but if you don’t have any, you can omit it. This is an easy bread but as luscious and sophisticated as a French brioche loaf.

Free Recipe1,2,3, Raspberry Danish
https://betterbaking.com/free-recipe/
I discovered store-bought Danish dough! It’s not as good as homemade but in a flash, such as this quick and easy pastry, it’s a no-brainer. If you can’t find it, use your storebought puff pastry dough instead. This is a painless but helpful recipe to recover with from all the holiday baking before!

Italian Cherry Almond Biscotti
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/italian-cherry-almond-biscotti/
If you've ever had these Italian maraschino cherries in syrup over ice-cream you know how wonderful they are. Adding them to a biscotti batter (how much cherries on ice-cream can anyone eat?) is brilliant. They are sweet but a bit tart and the syrup makes for a wonderful fondant to coat these with after they cool. I use this brand of cherries but there are others.

 Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins
https://betterbaking.com/recipe-items/blueberry-bakeshop-muffins/
You can use yogurt to replace the sour cream, or use sweet milk, instead of buttermilk but there is a tiny bit more rise with the buttermilk. This is what I call a splendid muffin!