Minimalist, Meet Maximalist

Mark and I have pretty opposite styles when it comes to cooking. His recipes are known for their short ingredient lists and simplicity. I, on the other hand, like an odd ingredient or two, and tend to make things from scratch (e.g. culturing cream to make the butter to make the puff pastry to make the tarts) just for the extra challenge. He’s The Minimalist, and I guess you could call me a Maximalist.

For this installment of Holly Being Extra Because She Can, I’m adding some of my favorite ingredients that take my bakes to the next level. First off, dry milk powder — an ingredient I tend to add to most of my bakes now. The caramelization of the milk sugars enhances the flavor of almost anything, from cookies to cakes and breads.