- Emily Ellet
Top 5 Favorites from Season 1 of Gingham and Steel Bakes!
The new year often means new beginnings, and here at Gingham and Steel, we’re no exception! I have decided to end what I’m calling “Season 1” of Gingham and Steel Bakes! for the time being. There are a few reasons for this, including:
I’m experiencing some technical difficulties that are proving difficult to overcame, particularly the lighting in my new apartment’s kitchen, which seems to turn the footage a weird shade of yellow-green. Certainly it’s fixable, but I’m just not equipped to deal with it right now, both in terms of time and money; but also…
The excitement of filming has waned to the point where the episodes now feel like an onerous task to complete. I have two more “seasons” all planned out and ready to go, but I’ve taken on some new projects in my life, and it doesn’t make sense to continue working on one that I’m not excited about right now. And finally…
The series started as a distraction from my divorce, and I don’t really need a distraction anymore! Which isn’t to say the divorce is smooth sailing (plenty of prayer and patience still required!), but that it’s not one of the main foci of my life anymore. This is good, I think! Forward to new, happier horizons.
I definitely think I will return to baking videos at some point, possibly even later this year. But right now, I want to clear my plate for some of the professional projects I’m tackling, like learning one new jazz song every WEEK to infuse my songbook with new material. That’s plenty ambitious, I think!
So in honor of finishing Season 1 of Gingham and Steel Bakes!, here are my top five favorites from the experience.
Favorite Recipe: Pistachio Cardamom Lemon Drizzle Cake (Episode 5). Tops in flavor, hands-down. It’s such a mouthful of a title, but it is SO worth it! The way the lemon drizzle and icing cut through the nutty pistachio flavors of the cake, as well as its incredible moistness, are really wonderful. Also, compared to the amount of time required by the Gingerbread House episode, it’s not really time-intensive, haa.
Favorite Repeated Bake: Gingersnap Gems (Episode 2). Guys, I made this recipe four more times! It’s a little bit labor-intensive (mostly in the rolling of the dough into balls), but people raved about these cookies at holiday parties, and given that I had a craving to make them just for my own consumption, I apparently agree with them.
Favorite “Set”: it’s a tie between White Chocolate Peppermint Pie (Episode 7) and Pistachio Cardamom Lemon Drizzle Cake (Episode 5)! Both kitchens (unsurprisingly, the two that weren’t apartment kitchens, haha) photographed beautifully, and my sister Katie’s backyard was perfectly picturesque for our tea party. We sat there for quite a bit of time, eating and chatting in that gorgeous afternoon light!
Favorite Pretty Shot: the credits screen of White Chocolate Peppermint Pie (Episode 7). I got to film this episode with my editor (my amazingly talented, enthusiastic brother), as opposed to my usual winging-it-on-a-prayer solo approach, and the spinning plate was his idea. So pretty! And would that I had the budget to fly my brother out to film every episode, haha.
Favorite Outfit: Caramel Apple Cookies (Episode 4). I learned a lot about on-camera outfits and hair and makeup during this series, and I was pleasantly surprised by how that green sweater popped. Though I have to admit, my favorite hairstyle was from Pistachio Cardamom Lemon Drizzle Cake – can’t go wrong with a good blowout. 🙂
I would love to hear your favorite moments from the series, as well as what sorts of recipes you’d love to see me do in future seasons! And thank you for joining me in this baking adventure!
photo credit: davidyuweb New Year Fireworks via photopin (license)