With 7 days to spare, I am proud to say that I finished my self-imposed challenge of baking the alphabet. I’d initially planned to complete the bakes within a year’s time, but kind of lost sight of the specifics as the weeks passed by. Vacations, holidays, work…all kinds of things tried to get in the way. At a certain point I couldn’t even remember what the starting date had actually been.
Turns out it was March 17. On St Patrick’s Day, 2023, a delicious rum-laden Apple Cake (technically a French Apple Cake, but it was my own challenge so the liberties to take were mine as well) came out of the oven and the game was afoot.
I had barely finished the last stripes on my Zebra cakes last Sunday and already a handful of people were asking…what’s next? It was suggested that I try a savory A-Z since I have clearly leaned toward the sweet side of things. I was told (with so much confidence in my abilities!) that I should open a bakery. I thought about baking breads from around the world…which still might happen.
But then I paused, which I don’t often do, and realized that I don’t often enough take the time to reflect on accomplishments. We are so rushed. I decided to press pause for one week and look back at the past year as it relates to my Scullery bakes. This week, I have come to appreciate the practice of reflection so much that I am determined to be more intentional about it moving forward.
My A-Z poster is filled with nostalgia. So much of your heart goes into each bake. Baking my own beautiful birthday cake with every shade of pink I could mix. Stella (my chocolate lab) setting up camp underneath the Danish-filled table. 16 hours of sweat with Maddy in the Scullery as we worked on every painstaking layer of the entremets – and her feeling so very sick the next day from all the sugar and gelatin. Mirror glaze, it turns out, is prettier than it tastes.
In a moment, my dad was gone. And there will never be another text (always somehow mistakenly sent with the ‘slam effect’) that says “Wow, Hill, that looks delish!” Though honestly I smile and can still hear him saying it when I put the final touches on a bake.
A summer-long adventure…mountains, car-top tents, rivers, cabins, lakes, ocean, campfires, laughter, rain, waterfalls, hikes, sunshine, miles and miles of driving, ferries, bierhauses, single-serving friends, family visits, oyster bars, ports, beaches…an unparalled, once-in-a-lifetime journey.
Then back to baking. 6 months in and I was only on “F.” Yikes! Time to get serious.
I learned to make ice cream (in a more modernish way), Madelines, ganache, Yorkshire pudding. I can discern subtleties that I couldn’t before. I perfected my buttercream. I won our family gingerbread competition along the way and started making liquor-filled chocolates (called “choc-tails” ha ha!!!) I shared bakes with friends, neighbors, students, and even strangers. I learned what “double cream” is and just how much Queen’s cakes can change someone’s day.
I don’t know what’s next. But after reflecting on the last year, I do know that I am extraordinarily fortunate on so many levels. I wanted to take this moment to tell you all how much I appreciate you sharing this journey with me. Thank you for reading, for listening, for tasting, for asking, and for being so incredibly supportive. I look forward to sharing new things with you in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. Stay tuned ❤
“Ignite the mind’s spark to rise the sun in you.” — Florence Nightingale
Hillary Danaher 