Others cave dive in water-filled caves in total darkness for a 15 minute adrenaline rush.

And me?

I stand anxiously over a pan with the existential dread of burning butter, chasing that instantaneous transformation into something nutty, toasty, and caramel-like.

Yes, yes, I know. I’m a wild one.

But I’m sure you can relate to the mystique of baking with brown butter.

Because brown butter almost feels magical the first time you experience it. One moment it’s just butter. Then suddenly, it smells like toasted hazelnuts, caramel, and pastry shops.

But brown butter isn’t magic or voodoo.

It’s chemistry.

More specifically, it’s driven by the Maillard reaction: heat transforming proteins and sugars into lots of new flavor compounds.

Which got me thinking:

• What if you don’t have butter?

• What if you can’t consume dairy?

Can you still experience something similar to that brown butter flavor?

I present: toasted flour.

In today’s lab session, we’ll answer some key questions:

• Does toasted flour taste similar to brown butter?

• Are there any significant trade-offs?

• How should we use it in our bakes for the best outcome?

But first, let’s get to the experiment.

To test the idea, I made four batches of chocolate chip cookies:

• a control

• a brown butter version

• a toasted flour version

• and one with both 🤯

The recipe for each batch was the same. However, the flavor development strategies are totally different. Namely, toasting the flour or browning the butter.

The Experiment

The flour was toasted in an oven until it reached a warm tan color and smelled almost like graham crackers.

I made sure it wasn’t burnt, just deeply nutty.

For the brown butter batches, I cooked the butter until the milk solids turned amber and smelled toffee-like.

Then I baked all four cookies together at the same time.

The Unexpected Part

I won’t lie. Before I baked the cookies, I thought this experiment was mostly going to be about flavor.

But while the toasted flour absolutely changed the flavor, it also changed something I completely overlooked:

The structure of the cookie itself.

The toasted flour cookies actually spread less than the control.

At first glance, that felt backwards. But after thinking about it more, it makes sense.

Toasting flour doesn’t just change flavor. It changes the flour itself.

The heat dries the flour out and alters its starches before the cookies even enter the oven. The dough felt noticeably different, almost slightly dehydrated, and the cookies held their shape more aggressively while baking.

None of these are bad things, but they are important to keep in mind before you start swapping toasted flour into recipes expecting identical results.

Flavor Notes

Control

The control was a classic chocolate chip cookie. Sweet, buttery, familiar.

Not to much to say here, but it set the tone for what a typical cookie tastes like.

Brown Butter

The brown butter cookie was deeper in flavor and richer. There was more caramelization (seen in the browner color) and the flavor lingered longer.

To be specific, it was warm and nutty, with caramel notes. Exactly what a simple brown butter cookie should be.

Toasted Flour

This is where it gets spicy… or should I say toasty.

This cookie wasn’t buttery in the same way as brown butter, but it was definitely nutty.

The overall flavor felt warm and deeply baked. Slightly graham cracker-like. Almost like the “baked” flavor of a cookie had been turned up.

There was also this comforting toasted quality that made it almost nostalgic to eat. This is the ultimate wintertime cookie if you know what I mean.

Lastly, let me address the structure.

When I first saw this cookie, I was worried the interior was going to resemble a piece of biscotti that had been left out in open air for three days.

But what awaited me was a soft, tender crumb with a respectable amount of moisture!

Both Combined

The strongest overall flavor by far.

Deeply toasted, almost butterscotch-like, with a much heavier roasted note than the other cookies.

Having toasted flour and brown butter in the same cookie created a depth of flavor that genuinely challenged what I thought a cookie could taste like.

The interior was also like the toasted cookie I just described. This was probably my favorite batch.

How to Use Toasted Flour

If you’ve read this far, you can probably tell I like the idea of toasting flour.

It’s relatively easy to do and introduces a warm, nutty, toasted flavor to baked goods, which is honestly not the easiest flavor profile to create in baking.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t explain how to actually use this method effectively.

Earlier, I mentioned that the toasted flour cookies spread less and had more structure than the control batch. And if you’re anything like me, you probably enjoy cookies that spread a bit and have some chew to them.

So the elephant in the room is…

How do you enjoy the flavor benefits of toasted flour without accidentally engineering a hockey puck?

Do we truly live in a world this cruel?

Thankfully, no.

The easiest solution is to simply add back a little more moisture or encourage spread elsewhere in the recipe.

That can look like:

• using melted butter instead of softened butter

• slightly increasing sugar

• adding a touch more liquid

• combining toasted flour with a higher-moisture dough overall

In other words, toasted flour is less of a “replacement ingredient” and more of a balancing ingredient.

You’re trading a bit of spread for deeper flavor, and once you understand that tradeoff, you can start designing around it.

Verdict: Can Toasted Flour Replace Brown Butter?

Brown butter and toasted flour are not identical techniques. But they are related.

Both use heat to push ingredients into that deeper flavor territory through browning reactions.

They just start from different places: dairy vs grain.

And weirdly enough, the toasted flour changed more than just the taste. It changed the behavior of the cookie too.

So if you want an honest opinion, I would say toasted flour is not an exact 1:1 replacement for brown butter.

When it comes to flavor, toasted flour gets surprisingly close to that warm, nutty, deeply baked quality that makes brown butter so appealing in the first place. Not buttery, necessarily, but comfortably in the same family.

When it comes to structure, it’s a different story.

The toasted flour cookies spread less, held themselves together more aggressively, and felt slightly more structured overall. This means toasted flour doesn’t just act like a flavor enhancer. It acts like a behavioral ingredient too.

To me, this isn’t a bad thing. It’s just something that you need to plan around.

If you use the tips I shared for baking with toasted flour, you’ll remove the one major difference between these two flavor development techniques.

And if you do that, we have a solid argument for toasted flour being a true replacement for brown butter.

I’ll probably keep experimenting with this idea because I think there’s something genuinely useful here, especially for recipes where you want deeper flavor without relying entirely on butter.

And if nothing else, I think toasted flour deserves way more attention in baking than it currently gets.

And considering this may be one of the cheapest ways to introduce a toasted, nutty flavor into baking, I’m pretty sold on the technique.

Let me know if toasting flour seems appealing to you or if you have any recipe ideas where you think it could shine. It would be really cool to develop a recipe based on suggestions from people in our community!

Until next time, wishing you good bakes and good health.

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It felt premium but still accessible. Something you could reach for without thinking too much about it.

And then, that changed.

Trips to buy chocolate at the grocery store no longer felt spontaneous.

Instead, they became calculated, with an unreasonable awareness of what that self-checkout monitor was going to flash me on the way out.

Over the past year, cocoa prices rose to levels the market hadn’t seen before, climbing from a long-standing range of around $2,000–$3,000 per metric ton to peaks above $12,000 in 2024.

Even after falling back down, prices remain elevated compared to where they historically sat.

But the more I looked into it, the less it felt like a sudden problem, and more like the result of something that had been brewing for years.

This isn’t simply about chocolate being expensive.

It’s that chocolate prices have fundamentally changed what baking with chocolate costs.

And once you see that, it’s hard to ignore.

Because chocolate isn’t just another ingredient anymore. In many cases, it’s the most expensive part of the recipe.

So in this piece, I want to do two things:

• Break down why baking with chocolate is expensive

• Give insight on how to work with it in your own baking without overspending

The Brownie Test

This is the field journalism that no one asked for, but I’m still gonna do anyways ;)

I went to a few local grocery stores with a simple goal:

Buy the chocolate I’d need to make a typical fudgy batch of brownies.

Not anything elaborate. Just a solid, tasty recipe.

What I looked for:

• 2 Chocolate bars (for melting)

• 1 Cocoa powder

What I found:

• Lindt 70% dark chocolate (3.5 oz): $7.65

• Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate (3.5 oz): $6.95

• Guittard baking bars (6 oz): $9.99 (on sale) $10.99 (regular)

• Ghirardelli cocoa powder (8 oz): $9.49

• Hershey’s cocoa powder (6 oz): $4.99

What these prices mean for us

The recipe I’m working with calls for 200g of chocolate (about two standard bars) plus cocoa powder.

That means:

$14–$15 just for the chocolate bars alone

And once you factor in cocoa powder…

Yep.

You’re realistically looking at about $20–$25 before butter, eggs, or sugar.

Nothing here looks expensive on its own. But once you start building a recipe, chocolate stops being a small addition and becomes the main cost.

And that’s for a relatively standard setup.

If you start adding anything even slightly specialized: higher percentage chocolate, better cocoa, or a special ingredient that you’re featuring (like black sesame) into the recipe, that number climbs quickly.

This was when I realized chocolate isn’t just another ingredient anymore. It’s one of the most expensive parts of the recipe.

Even on Sale, It’s Still Expensive

One of the more surprising parts of this wasn’t just the prices. It was how they held up even when discounted.

The Guittard baking bars were listed at:

$9.99 on sale (down from $10.99)

At first glance, that looks like a deal.

But at 6 ounces, that still comes out to:

~$1.65 per ounce (even at a discount)

So even when you’re trying to be cost-conscious, even when something is marked down, chocolate is still operating at a higher baseline than it used to.

Inflation? Not Really

It’s easy to assume this is just another case of inflation.

But cocoa tells us a different story.

Prices rose roughly 180% in a single year (2024). This was driven largely by supply shortages, not just general economic trends.

And even after falling from the peak, cocoa prices haven’t returned to where they used to be.

This suggests this isn’t just a temporary spike, but something more intrinsic to the way cocoa is produced and supplied.

The Structural Issues

My goal isn’t to bore you with statistics or pretend to be an expert of cocoa farming. But, I think it’s important to have a general sense of why this is happening.

Aging Cocoa Trees

Many cocoa trees are decades old which means they produce less and become more vulnerable to disease. Couple that with the fact that replanting is expensive and slow, and you have a perfect recipe for declining yields.

Also, being a cocoa farmer isn’t exactly easy and many farmers lack the resources (money, time, tools, and manpower) to replant trees efficiently.

Farmers Leaving Cocoa Farming

Speaking of the farmers, let’s shed light on something new I learned.

Cocoa farming isn’t a gold mine. If anything, cocoa operates on very thin and unstable margins. As costs rise and profitability drops, many farmers are switching to other crops or leaving agriculture entirely.

This doesn’t reduce supply overnight, but it does chip away at it over time.

And when less cocoa is grown, year after year, the long-term effect is pressure on prices.

Climate Volatility

Cocoa is extremely sensitive to environmental conditions.

Extreme weather (both heavy rainfall and drought) has made yields less predictable and harder to sustain.

The issue isn’t just climate change but unpredictability.

Farming becomes harder to manage when conditions swing dramatically and you’re already strained on resources.

Taken together, these structural issues aren’t just temporary disruptions.

As Reuters has reported, “the cocoa market is facing a structural deficit after years of underinvestment and poor yields.”

If you ask me, we’re looking at a system that’s stretched thin. Now, we’re seeing the cost of that.

Baking With Chocolate, More Intentionally

So what can we do?

I promise, this won’t be about avoiding chocolate. Instead, let’s focus on using it differently.

Let Chocolate Be a Highlight

Use chocolate as an accent when it makes sense. It doesn’t always need to be the foundation.

To some bakers, this might seem obvious, but what I’m getting at is being more intentional about when chocolate becomes the base of a bake.

Ask yourself:

• Does my bake have multiple flavors?

• Is there already a dominant flavor?

• If someone described this bake, should chocolate be mentioned first or as an afterthought?

If you answer yes to any of these, it’s worth reconsidering how much chocolate you use. Not every bake needs chocolate to carry.

Instead, consider using:

• Chunks

• Layers

• Finishes

Choose When It Matters

Spend on chocolate when it defines the bake.

Save when it doesn’t.

Not every recipe needs premium chocolate. If I had to boil it down, it would look something like this:

• Brownies → worth investing

• Chocolate cakes → worth investing

• Chips in cookies → more flexible

• Ganache (base) → depends on use

• Drizzles / finishes → often not necessary

This way of thinking lets you bake more confidently. You’ll know you’re not actually making a compromise when you choose a more accessible chocolate for the right role.

Using something like Hershey’s for a drizzle or garnish isn’t cutting corners. It’s matching the ingredient to its impact on the food.

It’s the same idea as crab rangoon. Most people don’t use real crab. They use imitation, because it works in that context.

But if I were making a crab bisque?

Yeah, I’m spending more for sure.

Lean on Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder delivers strong chocolate flavor easily and can reduce how much chocolate you need.

It’s especially effective in:

• Cakes

• Brownies (partial swaps)

• Frostings

Using more cocoa powder can drastically reduce how much chocolate you need, which means more money saved.

As a rule of thumb, cocoa powder tends to be more efficient when you’re after flavor, not structure.

Chocolate bars bring fat, texture and richness. Cocoa powder delivers concentrated flavor without that added cost.

So when the goal is to deepen chocolate flavor (not build the entire bake) cocoa powder is usually the place to start.

Blend Chocolate Types

Use a small amount of higher-quality chocolate alongside a more accessible option.

This will let you keep flavor complexity without increasing your cost. Think of it as layering flavor.

Instead of relying on one chocolate to do everything, you’re splitting roles:

• A higher-quality chocolate for flavor and aroma

• A more accessible chocolate for bulk and structure

This works because chocolate flavor isn’t perfectly linear. A small amount of good chocolate can shift the flavor of a bake.

If you’ve ever played around with this concept, I’m sure you can attest to the difference a bit of high-quality chocolate can make.

Where this works best:

• Brownies

• Cookies

• Ganache (especially blended bases)

How to apply it:

• Use a base chocolate (more affordable) for the majority of the recipe

• Fold in or finish with a smaller portion of higher-quality chocolate

• Let the higher-quality chocolate sit where it’s most noticeable (tops, chunks, layers)

You’re not just replacing good chocolate. If anything, you’re placing it where it matters most.

Some Final Thoughts

If you isolate the price of chocolate today, it may not seem like a big deal.

But once you start baking with it, the cost becomes more apparent as recipes often require multiple bars or ounces of chocolate at a time.

Every increase in price per ounce compounds with each additional ounce you use.

Recipes are built around relatively large quantities of ingredients, and chocolate isn’t an exception. So even modest price increases begin to stack up quickly.

But despite that, we still have ways to navigate around the rising costs.

I hope this small investigation can give you a few ideas for how to navigate the increasing costs tied to baking. Yes, this was about chocolate, but the same principles can apply to a lot of baking ingredients right now.

For me, it’s already changing how I write recipes. I want them to feel more flexible and more thoughtful about where ingredients matter most, and where they don’t.

At the end of the day, baking should be accessible. Understanding our ingredients is how we can keep it that way.

If you have any advice or tips on navigating high-cost bakes, I’d love to hear it and I’m sure others would too!

There’s no better place to share ideas and experiences than right here in this community.

Hope you’re all doing well, take care.

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A Few Things I Looked Into

If you’re curious and want to explore this a bit further, here are a few places I found helpful while putting this together:

• Reuters — reporting on cocoa shortages, farmer conditions, and recent price spikes.

• International Cocoa Organization — data on global cocoa production and supply trends. If you’re a data head, you’re gonna love this!

• World Bank — insights into farmer income and agricultural economics.

• Harvard Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability — research on how climate volatility is impacting cocoa production.

• Food and Agriculture Organization — broader agricultural data and long-term crop trends. Helped orient my understanding of broader topics.

This piece is a mix of that research and what I observed in my own grocery runs.

These brownies have a crackle you can hear from the first cut and a nutty, cocoa aroma you can smell from across the room.

They’re thick and fudgy with a pleasant toasted, nutty flavor from the black sesame.

The idea for these Crackly Black Sesame Brownies stems from my need to use leftover black sesame paste.

I know. Not the most poetic inspiration.

Despite that, this wasn’t just some haphazard attempt at using my remaining black sesame. I’ve always enjoyed chocolate with toasty, nutty flavors. I find that these flavors open up really well in the presence of fat, so I thought brownies would be a great vessel for this baking experiment!

For my brownie lovers, don’t worry.

This recipe uses ample chocolate and cocoa. It even features one of my favorite features of bakery brownies.

A crackly top!

To achieve this, dissolving sugar into hot butter is key. But, I learned it’s not the only thing that matters.

Buttermilk by Sam has a great break down of how to achieve a lovely, crackly top for brownies. Essentially, the other part comes down to small bits of chocolate being present in the batter that melt through the bake.

I like my brownie batter to have large chunks of chocolate dispersed in it, but I’m willing to compromise and let a portion of my chocolate bars be finely chopped if it means a crackly bite before reaching the fudgy inside.

These brownies can be made in one bowl, with an optional black sesame marble.

For the best results, let these brownies cool for at least 2 hours. It may seem like forever, but trust me— it makes a difference.

Yield: 9 thick brownies (3×3 cut in an 8×8 pan)

Active time: about 20–25 minutes
Bake time: 35–45 minutes (eye test triumphs time)
Cooling time: ~2 hours

Total time: about 3 hours (including cooling)

Ingredients

Main Batter

• 200g unsalted butter

• 400g granulated sugar

• 100g Dutch-process cocoa powder

• ½ tsp fine salt

• 1–2 tsp vanilla extract

• 4 large eggs, room temp

• 1 egg yolk

• 70g all-purpose flour

• 60–80g black sesame paste (80g will be a bit more prominent, if you like black sesame I recommend it!)

• 2 100g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate bars (50–70% cocoa), divided

  • 140–150g, rough chunks

  • 50–60g, finely chopped

Black Sesame Marble

• 40–50g black sesame paste

• 1 teaspoon of neutral oil to loosen (the goal is to have a ribbon like consistency so you can easily drizzle, add more oil if needed)

• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Build the base. Melt the butter in a bowl. While hot, whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until the mixture becomes thick, glossy, and cohesive.

2. Emulsify (this creates the crackly top). Let the mixture cool slightly. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking for 20–30 seconds after each addition until the batter thickens and develops a light sheen. Once the eggs are incorporated, add the egg yolk and whisk until combined.

3. Melt in the chocolate. Finely chop a portion of the chocolate bar. Add the finely chopped chocolate and stir until it partially melts into the batter.

4. Add black sesame. Whisk in the black sesame paste and vanilla. Gently fold in the flour until just combined (avoid overmixing).

5. Add chocolate chunks. Roughly chop the remaining portion of the chocolate bar into large chunks. Fold in the rough chocolate chunks. Let the batter sit for 2–3 minutes to slightly thicken.

6. Make the paste. In a separate bowl, whisk the black sesame paste, oil, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable. We’re aiming for a ribbon like consistency so you can drizzle it over the top of the batter.

7. Assemble. Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper (make a sling) and pour in the brownie batter. Drizzle the sesame mixture across the surface. If you have splotches, use a knife to make 3–4 light passes, creating a marbled pattern without overmixing.

8. Bake the brownies. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Bake the brownies for 35–45 minutes. Make sure to pull by sight and not time. Look for set edges, a slight wobble in the center when moved, and moist crumbs on a toothpick (not pure wet batter) when poked with a toothpick. The top should be glossy and crackled.

9. Serve. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 2 hours (this helps them set properly and makes them fudgy). After cooling, cut with a sharp knife and enjoy!

Storage

Room temperature.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The brownies will remain soft and fudgy, with the top gradually losing some of its crispness.

Refrigerator.
Store for up to 1 week. The texture will firm up slightly when cold. Let them sit at room temperature briefly before eating to bring back softness.

Freezer.
Freeze tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently to restore the fudgy texture from before.

Notes and Substitutions

Building the crackly top.
The glossy, crackly surface comes from properly dissolving sugar into the warm butter and fully emulsifying the eggs. Take your time when whisking each egg in. This is the step that sets up the entire structure of the brownie… but no pressure lol.

Black sesame intensity.
The sesame flavor is present but balanced against the chocolate. For a stronger, more forward sesame profile, increase the paste in the batter slightly. For a more classic chocolate brownie with a sesame accent, stay on the lower end of the range I provide.

Marbling technique.
Keep the marble relatively light. Drizzling the black sesame mixture across the surface is the easiest way to distribute it evenly. If you end up with a few larger splotches, use a knife to make a couple of passes and spread them out. Avoid overworking the surface. Too many passes will blend the batters together and can disrupt the crackly top.

Chocolate distribution.
Using both finely chopped chocolate and larger chunks creates a better texture. The finer pieces melt into the batter for richness, while the chunks form molten pockets throughout the finished brownies.

Doneness (when to pull).
These brownies are meant to be pulled slightly underbaked. The center should have a gentle wobble and will continue to set as it cools, resulting in a dense, fudgy interior rather than a firm or cakey texture.

Cooling for clean cuts.
Let the brownies cool completely before slicing (about 2 hours). For the cleanest edges, chill briefly and cut with a hot blade, wiping between each cut. This isn’t a necessity, but if you are bringing these to a gathering and want a clean look, this will help!

Substitutions

• Black sesame paste → Tahini

  • Can be used in equal amounts. The flavor will be milder and less roasted, but the texture and fat content are similar enough to work well.

• Dutch-process cocoa → Natural cocoa powder

  • It will work, though the flavor will be slightly more acidic and less smooth. Dutch-process is preferred for a more rounded chocolate flavor.

• Dark chocolate (50–70%) → Any dark or semi-sweet chocolate

  • Use what you have on hand. Higher percentages will lean more bitter, while lower percentages will be sweeter and softer in flavor.

• All-purpose flour → Gluten-free 1:1 flour blend

  • Can work with a similar weight substitution, but the texture may be slightly more tender.

• Butter → Neutral oil

  • Can be replaced by weight, but the brownies will lose some richness and structure. However, the final texture will be softer.

Did You Like This Recipe?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments. I always enjoy helping when I can and love hearing about any changes you made to the recipe. Thanks for reading!

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Use butter.

Don’t have it?

Use oil.

Still not enough?

Use shortening (and pray it works).

Sometimes they’ll even tell you it doesn’t matter that much.

But… It does.

Like, kind of a lot.

In fact, your choice of fat might be the single biggest factor shaping how your bake turns out.

Not just flavor, but structure, moisture, and how it feels when you bite into it.

It might seem overwhelming at first, but this isn’t about which fat is better, but what each one does in simple terms.

The Muffin Experiment

To make this clear, I made the same muffin batter three times. Nothing fancy, just a simple recipe (and yes, I ate them all).

Only one thing changed for each muffin. The type of fat used:

• Shortening

• Butter

• Oil

Everything else stayed the same for the muffins.

Same ingredients, same method, and bake time. Just a different fat for each batch.

At a glance, there are some visual differences.

But the most significant ones are happening under the surface.

Before we break down how each muffin turned out, let’s take a step back and look at what each fat is actually doing.

The Fat Matrix

If I had to pick the most important things that fat influences in baking, it would be:

• Structure = how well something holds its shape

• Moisture = how soft and tender it stays

And the biggest thing that determines where a fat lands?

Its physical state at room temperature.

Funny enough, this is something I started to pick up on during my college dorm baking days.

Let me preface this by saying—these were dark times for my baking journey.

Unequipped kitchens, expired ingredients, rusty tools, drunk frat bros stopping by to watch what you’re making with glossed-over eyes… you get the point.

And on top of all that, I didn’t live close to a grocery store and… I was lazy.

So I became a substitute junkie. If there was a way to replace an ingredient with something I already had, I’d try it.

And that’s when I started noticing a pattern.

Fats that began in a solid state (like butter and shortening) tended to produce bakes with more structure.

When I swapped in something like oil or ghee, things got softer. Sometimes too soft.

I didn’t have a framework for it at the time, but the pattern was there.

So what’s really going on?

Here’s how it plays out:

• Solid fats → more structure

• Liquid fats → more moisture

When you pick one over the other, you’re essentially trading moisture for structure or structure for moisture. It’s up to you to determine if the trade is fair or if you got robbed.

That will depend on the context of your bake.

Since I want everyone here to succeed and become the best version of themselves at making deals, let’s breakdown when to make which “trades”.

Shortening: The Structure Builder

Shortening stays solid longer than butter.

That stability helps your bake hold its shape as it sets.

You get:

• More defined structure

• Less spread

• A firmer crumb

But you lose flavor in the process :(

Shortening is what you use when shape matters more than taste.

Butter: The Balancer

Butter sits in the middle of the system.

It’s solid at room temperature, but melts very quickly once it hits the oven. This is why it sits slightly in the liquid region of the matrix.

This gives you:

• Some structure

• Some moisture

• And a lot of flavor

If you don’t know what to use, butter is usually the safest choice.

It doesn’t push too hard in either direction.

Oil: The Moisture Driver

Oil starts as a liquid and stays that way the entire time.

It doesn’t trap air.

It doesn’t firm up.

Instead, it coats the flour and keeps everything soft.

That leads to:

• A more tender crumb

• More moisture retention

• Less structure overall

This is why oil-based cakes and muffins stay soft for longer.

Use oil when preserving softness is the priority and structure is an afterthought.

The Results

Once baked, the differences are immediate.

Shortening Muffin

The shortening version stood a bit taller and held its form. When I squeezed it there was noticeable resistance.

It was firmer and less rich than the other fats. The crumb was very crumbly (no pun intended).

Butter Muffin

The butter version felt balanced and soft, but still structured.

It had some give to it when gently squeezed, but still remained firm. The crumb was softer than shortening.

Oil Muffin

The oil version was noticeably more tender. When I squeezed it, there was virtually no pushback due to lack of structure.

The moistness was very apparent when I teared this muffin. It didn’t crumble, but instead clung onto itself (a sign of high moisture).

When it came to holding shape, it did a decent job but it did lose height after cooling from the bake.

These all came from the same recipe. Yet, we have three completely different outcomes.

What’s Actually Happening

At first, “physical state at room temperature” doesn’t sound that interesting.

But it matters more than you’d think because most of us are working in a kitchen at room temperature.

So before anything even hits the oven, your fats already look like this:

• Shortening → more solid

• Butter → solid

• Oil → liquid

The starting point determines how they behave next.

Once they’re placed in the oven and exposed to heat, each fat begins to change (but not at the same rate):

• Solid fats hold their shape for a moment before melting. That brief window lets them create structure. Shortening which is more structurally solid shines here.

• Liquid fats don’t have that phase. They move throughout the batter immediately, coating the flour and limiting any real structure development as a consequence.

  • The result is a softer and more tender crumb, which is why oil is a go-to for bakes that prioritize softness.

And that’s all you need to remember.

How to Use This

If you want to adjust a bake, you just need to move along the matrix.

• Want more structure? → move toward solid fats

• Want more moisture? → move toward liquid fats

• Want balance? → stay near butter

It’s a simple but powerful principle if you ask me!

You can start tailoring your bakes to your specific needs with a single substitution.

At the very least, I hope this review of fat types was interesting and can help you navigate future bakes that require some tweaking.

Take care and get outside. Farmers market season is upon us!

An acceptable time to be financially irresponsible 🙂‍↕️

Continue the Bakerdex:
Entry 04 — The Cookie Matrix: Build Your Perfect Cookie Every Time

The Bakerdex is an ongoing index of baking frameworks and applied guides. New entries are added monthly.

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It’s been a fun start to 2026 to say the least!

The Nook has been growing over the past few months, and that’s been really meaningful to me. I’m working on so many exciting projects at the moment and I’m so happy I’ll be able to share them with every single one of you here :)

Now, before we get to my beloved kouign-amann project🫰, let’s talk quickly about what’s been going on!

The Bakerdex series is doing exactly what I hoped for when I decided to start it. A place to learn, think through, and talk about baking concepts.

I’m so grateful for the discussions and thoughtful questions around the Cookie Matrix.

I think the next Bakerdex entry will be a neat one. Something most bakers have probably wondered about at some point (Hint: fat is involved).

Breaking Baking was the latest series to launch in the Nook and I’d say it had a strong start. I thought brown butter powder made a great first entry to the series and I will not be abandoning that project. I’m sure I’ll have some ideas to improve it!

I have a couple more series I’m working on that should let me express my creative side a bit more.

A lot of what I’m making lives across formats: writing, filming, testing, and I’m thankful for the support as I get better with my crafts.

Nonetheless, I’m trying to remind myself to take breaks and be present for the “in-between” moments of life.

It wasn’t a Siberian wasteland for a change, so I grabbed my work and went out!

I ended up visiting one of my favorite cafe’s in the city that I haven’t been to in what feels like ages.

Good Ambler has some pretty smooth coffee, but more importantly they have an unreasonably good kouign-amann with a perfect caramelized crunch and flaky, buttery layers inside.

It’s legitimately one of my favorite pastries in the entire city and I don’t even care that I have to make a long-ish trip to the west side to get it.

So why haven’t you been back in so long you may ask?

Well, my work schedule could be likened to that of a resident on Grey’s Anatomy.

But despite that, I never stopped thinking of this pastry. So much so, that I actually had an idea.

What if kouign-amann could be reworked into something just as crisp, just as layered, but far less demanding to make?

Can you imagine a method that allows for clean, defined layers and deep caramelization without the need for a butter block or intricate sugar lamination?

Well, I’m currently working on a couple methods right now!

I’m curious if this is something you guys would be interested in seeing, so let me know.

As of now, I can confirm there will be no butter block.

I can also confirm that I won’t be using the butter grating method for faux lamination since I want nice, buttery, defined layers.

I’m sure it’s unrealistic to avoid any compromises when compared to a butter block, but I have to try anyways for all my fellow kouign-amann lovers 😌

We’ll see how close we can get. This is what I love to do after all.

Hope everyone is doing well and isn’t too busy. Remember to take some time for yourself and enjoy life’s in-between moments a bit more if you can.

I know I’ve found myself a bit caught up in it all, so I’ll be trying my best to do it too haha.

Take care.

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Homemade horchata on a moments notice.

Horchata is one of my favorite drinks.

Top 3 for sure.

It’s smooth, lightly sweet, and made from soaked rice and cinnamon. A simple base that turns into something creamy, fragrant, and incredibly refreshing.

Despite this, I actually find myself making it only occasionally.

This is due to the simple fact that making horchata requires patience (and I can only offer that patience so many times).

Traditionally, making horchata entails soaking rice for hours, blending it, and straining it — just to end up with something that only lasts a few days in the fridge, assuming you have the space for it.

But what if you could drastically reduce the time and effort it takes to make horchata?

What if you could drop a cube into a glass, add milk, give it a stir and just like that, you have genuine horchata.

Welcome to Instant Horchata Cubes.

These creamy blocks are genuine horchata, suspended in a frozen, concentrated form.

All you have to do is add milk and just like that, you have an ice-cold glass of horchata in seconds.

I mean… this is kind of ridiculous, right?

It’s like if astronaut food was actually enjoyable and not just interesting. Imagine if the astronauts on the latest moon mission could enjoy horchata in space?!

Erhmm… sorry about that tangent.

The point is, you can now enjoy horchata for weeks without having to start from scratch every time you want a glass.

And I can confidently say—

this tastes really good.

Like… surprisingly good.

I won’t bore you with a poetic description, but after going through the entire batch in just a few days, it’s safe to say I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I’ll probably be doubling the recipe next time.

Yield: 4 large cubes or roughly 12–14 smaller cubes, depending on your mold size

Active time: 20–25 minutes
Total time: 18–32 hours (including soaking and freezing)

Equipment:

• Blender (a stronger blender will yield a smoother result)

• Cheesecloth or nut milk bag

• Fine mesh sieve

• Silicone ice mold

The Ingredients

Horchata Base

• 120 g long grain white rice, rinsed (~⅔ cup)

• 480 g water (2 cups)

• 1 cinnamon stick (~2–3 inches, lightly cracked)

After Straining, Add This

• 70 g sugar (~⅓ cup)

• 120 g whole milk (½ cup)

• 40 g sweetened condensed milk (~2 tbsp + 2 tsp)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

Cinnamon Swirl (optional)

• 10–15% of the finished base (about ¼–⅓ cup)

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)

• small pinch sugar

Instructions

1. Soak. Rinse your rice with water before soaking to remove excess starch. Combine the rice, water, and cinnamon stick. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge and soak for 12–24 hours.

2. Blend. Blend everything on high until fully broken down. The mixture should look cloudy and milk-like, not watery. After blending, let it sit for a few seconds. If you see sediment quickly falling to the bottom, that means there are still larger particles present. Continue blending until the mixture stays mostly cohesive and cloudy for at least 15–20 seconds after the blender stops.

3. Strain. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the bulk of the solids. Then, line the sieve with cheesecloth or transfer the mixture into a cheesecloth-lined setup. Gather the cloth into a loose bag and gently press or squeeze to extract the remaining liquid. You don’t need to force it, just apply light, even pressure until most of the liquid has been extracted.

4. Build the base. Stir in the sugar, milk, condensed milk, vanilla, and salt until fully combined.

5. Reduce (optional, but recommended). Simmer gently for 5–8 minutes to slightly concentrate the mixture. Let cool completely.

6. Make the swirl (optional). Set aside a small portion of the base and mix with ground cinnamon. For a deeper flavor and color, simmer this portion briefly for 2–3 minutes, then cool.

7. Fill and marble. Pour the base into a silicone mold, filling each cavity about 75–80%. Add a small amount of the cinnamon mixture and gently drag with a toothpick to create a marbled effect.

8. Freeze. Freeze for at least 6–8 hours, or overnight.

To serve

Let the cubes thaw for 5–10 minutes or heat briefly (explained below).

Add 1 large cube (or 2-3 smaller cubes) to a glass and pour over 6–8 oz milk. Stir until fully dissolved.

I like to finish with a light foam and a dusting of cinnamon. If adding ice, do it after the cube dissolves.

Bonus tip: Heat up the cube for 10-15 seconds in the microwave if you’re in a pinch or just don’t want to wait (me half the time lol).

Store the cubes in the freezer for up to a month. For best flavor, use within 2–3 weeks.

If working with the liquid base, it will keep in the fridge for about 3–4 days.

This is meant to be made once and used at your whim. The cubes hold their flavor well in the freezer, with the best results in the first couple of weeks!

Notes and Substitutions

The importance of blending.
This is one of those recipes where your blender quietly does a lot of the work. A smoother blend leads to a smoother final drink. If your blender is less powerful, blend a bit longer and strain thoroughly. You’ll still get great flavor!

Cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon.
A cinnamon stick gives you a cleaner, more balanced infusion during the soak. Ground cinnamon is better used later for the swirl, where it adds both flavor and visual contrast.

Texture after straining.
Even after blending, some separation is normal. What matters is that the mixture feels smooth (not gritty) after straining. If needed, you can strain a second time for an even cleaner result.

Sweet level.
The base should taste slightly sweeter than you’d normally want to drink. This is intentional since the cubes are diluted when served.

Cube size.
Use what you have! Larger cubes are easy to portion and melt more slowly; smaller cubes dissolve faster. Large cubes = 1 per drink. Small cubes = 2–3 per drink.

The cinnamon swirl.
The swirl is optional, but it gives a nice look and a more pronounced cinnamon note. A quick simmer of the swirl portion deepens the color and aroma.

Storage tips.
Store the cubes in the freezer for up to a month. For best flavor, use within 2–3 weeks. If working with the liquid base, it will keep in the fridge for about 3–4 days.

Substitutions

• Long grain white rice → Jasmine rice

  • Jasmine rice is a great alternative if you want something slightly more aromatic. Avoid brown rice or instant rice.

• Milk → Plant-based milk

  • You can use lower-fat milk for a lighter result, but the drink will be less creamy. Coconut milk works especially well and adds a subtle, complementary flavor. Almond or oat milk can also be used, just expect the taste to shift more drastically than using coconut milk.

Creative Use Cases

After making something like this, I had to get my brain churning on what else we could do with it! This is breaking baking after all.

• Horchata Lattes

  • Add to iced coffee or cold brew for a creamy, cinnamon latte

• Pancakes or French Toast

  • Add a cube to milk, then use for pancake batter or french toast custard

• Horchata Milkshakes

  • Blend a cube with ice cream and milk

• Frosting or Glaze Flavoring

  • Melt cubes and use for icing and glaze (would be great for cinnamon rolls)

I’m happy to finally get this project out!

It’s been in the works for a while, so I’m excited to share it with everyone here in the Nook.

I’ve really appreciated all the conversations over the past couple of weeks, and I’m looking forward to meeting more of you!

Hope my horchata lovers are eating good with this one 😌

— Miles

Breaking Baking is an ongoing series where we design useful ingredient systems, streamline the tedious, and rethink what’s possible in our kitchens. New experiments drop periodically.

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Maple and honey.

Two of nature’s best sweeteners, and it only felt right to bring them together after getting a jar of maple syrup from my friend’s family farm.

Making maple syrup is a slow process. It takes gallons of sap just to get a small amount of syrup.

So you can imagine how hyped I was to get a full jar as a surprise.

I’ll be doing many bakes with this syrup, but the first one will be maple honey buns!

Honey and maple work well as a pair, especially in the presence of butter and milk, where they round each other out a bit.

These maple honey buns are soft, with a really pleasant natural sweetness.

The glaze is the main carrier for the maple flavor, so make sure to be generous when glazing the buns.

After all, it wouldn’t be a honey bun if we didn’t cover every conceivable part of it with glaze.

Sorry for the lack of photos of the finished buns. Most were on my camera and the SD card is unreadable as of now 🙄

Yield: 8–10 buns
Time: 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours

The Ingredients

Dough

• 300 g (2 1/2 cups) bread flour

• 130 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) whole milk, warm

• 1 large egg

• 35 g (2 tbsp + 2 tsp) granulated sugar

• 25 g (2 tbsp) maple sugar

• 6 g (1 tsp) salt

• 6 g (2 tsp) instant yeast

• 45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

Glaze

• 180 g (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar

• 60 g (3 tbsp) maple syrup

• 18 g (1 tbsp) honey

• 25–40 g (2–3 tbsp) milk, as needed

• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Mix the dough. In a bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast, granulated sugar, maple sugar, and egg. Add the flour and salt, then mix until a shaggy dough forms.

2. Knead and develop the dough. Knead the dough for 6–8 minutes until it begins to smooth out, then add the softened butter gradually. Continue kneading until the dough is soft, slightly tacky, and elastic.

3. Let the dough rise. Cover the dough and let it rise for 60–75 minutes, or until it looks puffy and airy.

4. Roll out the dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle about 10 x 14 inches and roughly ¼ inch thick.

5. Shape the buns. Roll the dough from the long side into a log, keeping the roll moderately snug but not tight. Avoid stretching the log after rolling.

6. Cut and arrange the buns. Slice the log into 1.5–2 inch pieces and place them onto a lined baking tray with a bit of space between each. Lightly press each piece just slightly to encourage a relaxed spiral.

7. Proof the shaped buns. Cover and let the buns rise for 45–60 minutes, or until noticeably puffy.

8. Bake the buns. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 14-16 minutes, or until lightly golden and soft.

9. Prepare the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, honey, milk, and salt until smooth. The glaze should be fluid and pourable, but thick enough to coat.

10. Apply the first glaze layer. Let the buns cool for 5–10 minutes until warm, then place them on a wire rack and pour the glaze over each bun, allowing it to coat and drip naturally. Don’t be shy here, coat them!

11. Apply the second glaze layer. After the first layer has slightly set, thin the glaze with a little more milk and lightly drizzle a second layer over the tops to create a glossy finish.

Store the buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They’re best the day they’re made, but will stay soft for a day or two thanks to the glaze.

To reheat, warm briefly in the microwave (10–15 seconds) to soften and refresh the crumb.

Refrigeration is not recommended, as it can dry out the buns and firm up the glaze. If needed, reheat before serving to bring back softness.

Freeze unglazed buns in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then warm and glaze before serving for best results.

Notes and Substitutions

Maple sugar in the dough.
If you don’t have it, replace it with an equal weight of granulated sugar. The buns will still be great, just slightly less maple-forward.

Balancing the glaze (maple vs honey).
This glaze is focused on maple with honey as a supporting note. If you prefer a more classic honey bun flavor, increase the honey slightly and reduce the maple. For a stronger maple flavor, do the opposite.

Dough hydration and softness.
This dough is intentionally slightly higher in hydration for a softer, more tender bun. It will feel a bit tacky during mixing but avoid adding extra flour unless truly needed.

Dough temperature.
If your kitchen runs cool, proof the dough in a turned-off oven with the light on. A room temperature around 75–78°F will give you the most consistent rise and soft texture.

Kneading by hand.
Expect about 12–15 minutes of total kneading. The dough should go from shaggy to smooth and elastic. It should feel soft and slightly tacky, but not sticky.

Glaze thickness.
Your glaze should be fluid and pourable, but not watery. If it runs off too quickly, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick to pour cleanly, add a small amount of milk to loosen.

Substitutions

• Bread flour → All-purpose flour

  • Can work, but texture will be slightly less chewy and structured.

• Milk → Plant-based milk

  • Works well, though richness may decrease slightly depending on the milk used.

• Butter → Neutral oil

  • Can substitute with equal weight neutral oil, though flavor and structure will change a bit.

• Maple sugar → Granulated sugar

  • Use an equal weight replacement. The buns will still be great, but with less of that maple taste in the dough.

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Most cookie recipes look completely different.

Different ingredient lists. Different techniques. Different instructions.

But underneath all of that, most cookies are just a balance of a few key forces: fat, sugar, flour, and egg.

If you change the ratios between those ingredients, you change how the cookie spreads, how it holds structure, and what the final texture feels like.

I like to think of this relationship as something I call the Cookie Matrix.

I know, I know. I like to use matrices a lot.

But honestly — how can you not lol.

They show relationships between two variables way too well.

Anyways…

Instead of thinking in terms of dozens of different recipes, the matrix lets you think about cookies as positions on a map.

Some cookies prioritize spread and chew.
Others prioritize structure and height.

Most cookies live somewhere in between.

The Cookie Matrix

The two axes represent the main forces that shape a cookie.

Spread (X-axis)

Driven mostly by butter and sugar.
Higher fat and sugar encourage the dough to relax and spread outward during baking.

Structure (Y-axis)

Driven mostly by flour and egg.
These ingredients form the framework that holds the cookie together as it bakes.

A simple way to remember these relationships:

Spread = butter + sugar
Structure = flour + egg

Every cookie lands somewhere within these two forces.

To help visualize this idea, I made four cookies representing different regions of the matrix.

Thin & Chewy Cookies

Thin and chewy cookies sit in the high-spread, low-structure region of the matrix.

These cookies use higher butter and sugar ratios, which encourages the dough to spread as the fat melts and the sugar dissolves.

At the same time, these cookies keep flour and egg relatively restrained, which means there isn’t as much structural resistance pushing back against that spread.

The result is a cookie that:

• spreads wider
• develops wrinkled edges
• stays chewy in the center

This is the kind of cookie that often develops the classic rippled surface, crisp edge, and chewy center. These cookies have a tendency to show up in cafés because they look great in a display case.

Classic Cookies

Classic cookies sit closer to the center of the matrix.

Here, the forces of spread and structure are balanced.

Butter and sugar are present in large enough amounts to create chew and caramelization (browning), while flour and egg provide enough structure to keep the cookie from spreading too thin.

The result is a cookie that feels familiar:

• moderate spread
• chewy interior
• soft but stable structure

Most traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes live somewhere near this part of the matrix.

Thick Cookies

Thick cookies move toward the high-structure, lower-spread side of the matrix.

These cookies increase flour slightly while reducing butter relative to the thin cookie style.

With more structural ingredients, the dough resists spreading and instead bakes upward into a taller cookie.

The result:

• less spread
• thicker shape
• denser bite

This style is often associated with bakery-style cookies that keep a dense interior.

Cakey Cookies

Cakey cookies sit in the highest-structure region of the matrix.

Here, both flour and egg are increased, which pushes the dough toward a texture that’s closer to cake.

Egg introduces additional water and protein, while flour strengthens the internal structure.

During baking, the dough lifts and sets into a softer, more airy crumb.

The result is a cookie that:

• holds its shape
• has a softer crumb
• feels closer to a cake than a chewy cookie

This style of cookie can be quite polarizing to say the least haha. If you’re a cakey cookie lover, I’d like to know!

The Cookie Table

While the matrix helps visualize where cookies live, it can also be translated into a simple table that makes it easy to adjust a recipe at home.

All percentages are based on flour = 100%.

This is a standard baker’s percentage convention that allows recipes to scale easily.

How to Use the Table

You don’t need to make a new cookie recipe to use this system.

You can start with one you already like!

First, look at how much flour the recipe uses. That becomes your 100% reference point. From there, compare the butter, sugar, egg, and flour ratios to the table above.

If you want a cookie that spreads more and chews more, you can increase butter and sugar relative to the flour.

Example (thin & chewy):

Flour in recipe = 200 g

According to the table, butter is 85—95% of the flour weight.

Let’s use the midpoint (90%) of this range. If you want to maximize spread, the upper bound (95%) can be used.

200 g flour x 0.90 = 180 g butter

In this instance, 180 g butter will be needed to make thin and chewy cookies with the following recipe.

Over time, you start to see that cookies are less about individual recipes and more about balancing these ratios.

The Guide

I made a guide that contains The Cookie Table and instructions for how to use it.

The goal was to show the core information in one place, along with clear instructions for how to make your perfect cookie!

Download it here :)

Demonstration of using the table.

What I Learned

• Most cookies are built from the same handful of ingredients

• What changes is how those ingredients are balanced

Once you start thinking in ratios instead of recipes, you can begin to design cookies intentionally rather than chasing the many, endless variations.

In other words

You don’t need twenty cookie recipes.

You just need one and the ability to manipulate it to your needs.

Let’s Start a (Messy) Discussion

How can I write something like this and not ask…

Which cookie type is the best?

I expect all responses to be in MLA format, double spaced.

Okay, maybe not that detailed.

But still, let’s hear it y’all ✍️

Thanks for stopping by the nook!

If this Cookie Matrix and accompanying guide can help you in anyway, that’d would make me very happy.

As always, I’d love to hear from y’all in the comments.

Hope things are going well for everyone, and if not, it’s only a matter of time before the tide changes.

Take care.

Continue the Bakerdex:
Entry 03 — Four Different Butters, Same Cookie

The Bakerdex is an ongoing index of baking frameworks and applied guides. New entries are added periodically.

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Sometimes, I don’t want an iced latte that has a week’s worth of sugar.

I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy those types of lattes, buy hey.

Yours truly is trying to cut back on avoidable sugar consumption. And as someone who drinks coffee throughout the week, this drink has been my go-to.

A Brazilian Condensed Milk Iced Latte is a simple blend of condensed milk and Brazilian coffee. Caramel sweetness, and a light nutty finish from the toasted coconut flakes.

This is easy to make and takes about 5 minutes to assemble.

Yield: 1 16 ounce glass

Time: 5 minutes (plus cold brew steep time if making from scratch)

The Ingredients

Base

• 1–1½ Tbsp (20–30 g) sweetened condensed milk

• 1 Tbsp (15 g) whole milk (to loosen base)

Coffee

• ¾ cup (180 ml) strong cold brew (or ½ cup cold brew concentrate diluted slightly)

• Ice, to fill glass ¾ full

Cold Foam & Garnish

• ¼ cup (60 ml) cold whole milk (for foam)

• Pinch ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp toasted coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Start at the bottom. Add the condensed milk to a tall clear glass. Stir in 1 Tbsp whole milk to loosen it slightly (this helps the caramel sweetness disperse evenly once swirled). Fill the glass ¾ full with ice.

2. Add the coffee. Slowly pour the cold brew over the ice. Pour gently (over the back of a spoon if you want defined layers).

3. Make the cold foam. Froth ¼ cup cold milk until thick but still pourable. Spoon gently over the coffee.

4. Garnish. Dust lightly with cinnamon. Sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes.

5. Swirl it! Stir 3–4 slow rotations. Let the condensed milk lift from the bottom and marble through the coffee before fully blending. Serve immediately.

Notes and Substitutions

Cold brew options.
Best: Brazilian coffee beans (medium to medium-dark roast) with chocolate, nutty, or brown sugar notes. Store bought cold brew that’s described as chocolatey or smooth works as well.

Sweetness level.
If you like your lattes slightly sweet, 1 Tbsp condensed milk. If you like your lattes sweet leaning but balanced, 1½ Tbsp.

Tips for cold foam.
Keep the cold foam unsweetened. Condensed milk handles sweetness. If you prefer a richer top, add 1 tsp cream to the milk before frothing.

Substitutions

• Cold brew → Chilled coffee (brewed strong)

  • No cold brew? Brew coffee stronger than normal and chill completely before using.

• Milk → Plant-based milk

  • Any plant-based milk will work, but flavor may change slightly. Nothing bad though :)

• Coconut flakes → Sliced almonds or chopped hazelnuts

  • Honestly, don’t feel pressured to substitute for coconut flakes if you don’t have it. However, sliced almonds would work here very well. Even toasted hazelnuts (finely chopped).

Did You Like This Recipe?

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Brown butter is one of the most dramatic transformations in baking. Butter goes from being fatty and neutral in flavor to toasted, nutty, and caramel-like in a matter of seconds.

But there are a couple limitations.

Brown butter is inconvenient.

Don’t have a lot of time?
You’ll still need to babysit and constantly stir the melting butter.

Need a small amount?
You’ll still need to melt at least an entire stick.

Misjudge your pull time?
You’ll have a pan full of burnt butter (I’ve been here more times than I care to admit).

Since brown butter is liquid, it changes structure.

Add it to cookies?
You lose water.

Add it to cake?
You change hydration.

Add it to frosting?
You disrupt emulsification.

These pain points made me question if we could separate the flavor from the structure of brown butter.

What if we could take the toasted milk solids (the real flavor of brown butter) and turn them into something dry, concentrated, and useable?

That’s where brown butter powder comes in.

What Is Brown Butter Powder?

Brown butter powder is made by:

1. Browning butter

2. Amplifying the toasted milk solids with milk powder

3. Separating, dehydrating, and grinding those solids into a fine powder

Instead of just isolating what butter naturally contains, we increase the browning reaction itself. This creates more of the nutty, caramelized compounds that make brown butter so irresistible.

The result?

A deeply toasted, concentrated, dry flavor that can be:

• Whisked into flour

• Folded into streusel

• Added to glazes

• Sprinkled over whipped cream

• Mixed into sugar

• Used as a finishing dust

It delivers all the flavor of brown butter without altering hydration, emulsification, or fat ratios.

For a series called Breaking Baking, this felt like the right place to start.

Why Not Just Dry-Toast Milk Powder?

The reason I toast my milk powder in the butterfat instead of using dry heat is that fat helps carry and amplify flavor. As the milk solids brown, their nutty, caramelized aromas dissolve into the butterfat (similar to how spices are often bloomed in oil or milk).

Dry-toasting milk powder works well and produces a toasty dairy flavor, but browning the solids in butterfat creates something closer to the flavor of true brown butter. The goal here was simple: push that nutty, browned-butter flavor as far as possible!

The Science

When you brown butter:

• Water evaporates

• Milk solids sink

• Those milk solids undergo the Maillard reaction

• Flavor compounds form

The milk solids are where most of the nutty depth lives. Once fully dehydrated, they can be ground into a powder.

That’s the hack.

We’re isolating the flavor from the fat structure.

Yield: About 120 to 150 g (Enough for 10–12 bakes, depending on usage)

Time: 60 to 90 minutes (25 minutes active time, plus drying and cooling)

The Ingredients

• 454 g (2 cups / 4 sticks) unsalted butter

• 100 g (1 cup) nonfat dry milk powder

  • Whole milk powder can be used but it’s more prone to clumping

Instructions

1. Make the brown butter. In a large, light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until:

• Foaming subsides

• Milk solids sink

• Butter turns deep amber

• Aroma becomes nutty and toasted

Remove from heat immediately once solids are a deep golden brown. Do not let them burn. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a heatproof bowl. The toasted milk solids will remain in the strainer. Gently press to remove excess fat. Set the toasted milk solids aside on a paper towel. Keep the butterfat.

2. Amplify the browning.

Reduce heat to low. Add the melted butterfat back to the pan. Whisk in the milk powder directly into the hot browned butter. Cook 3–6 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture will:

• Thicken

• Foam slightly

• Turn progressively darker

• Develop a toasted, cookie-like aroma

Stop once the mixture is a rich golden-brown (not dark brown).

3. Strain and Separate. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a heatproof bowl. Gently press the milk solids to remove excess fat.

Reserve the butterfat for another use.

4. Dehydrated. Spread all the toasted milk solids thinly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a paper towel, lightly press on the milk solids to remove excess grease. Dry in the oven at 200°F (93°C) for 20–35 minutes or use a dehydrator at 135°F. Stir once, 15 minutes through the bake. Depending on oven conditions and thickness, drying may take up to 45 minutes. They are ready when:

• Fully dry

• Crumbly

• No visible grease

• Break apart easily

Rely on touch and sight for this portion. Not necessarily time.

5. Grind. Transfer dried solids to one of the following:

• Spice or coffee grinder (these work very well)

• Small blender

• Food processor (mini bowl)

Pulse 2–3 seconds at a time. It’s likely that even your dried milk solids will start to become a paste after a pulse or so. If this happens, no need to panic. This is a good sign because it means excess fat is being removed from your milk solids.

Remove all milk solids from the grinder/blender and spread them thinly on a new sheet of parchment. Pat the milk solids with a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.

Dry in the oven at 170–200°F (93°C) for 5–10 minutes max. Remove, them once more, pat the milk solids with a paper towel until you see little to no fat being absorbed by the paper towel. Let it cool for about 60 minutes before storing or grinding further (if you desire a fine powder).

A bit of moisture is okay before storing, but don’t be afraid to let the powder dry beyond 60 minutes if needed.

Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 weeks for peak flavor. Beyond 5 weeks, aroma will fade.

Usage Guide

In Flour-Based Bakes

(Added directly to dry ingredients)

Use based on flour weight:

• 2–4% of flour weight → subtle warmth

• 5–8% of flour weight → noticeable brown butter flavor

• 9–12% of flour weight → bolder flavor in cookies and great for crumble toppings (like streusel)

Example:

For 200 g flour:

• 4–8 g = subtle

• 10–16 g = somewhat pronounced

• 18–24 g = bold but still balanced

Whisk into flour before combining with wet ingredients for even distribution.

Note: In flour-based doughs and batters, the brown butter flavor can sometimes read as more subtle than expected. Ingredients like sugar, eggs, and fats naturally compete with or dilute the flavor. If you’re looking for a stronger brown butter presence, feel free to experiment slightly above the ranges listed here!

In Sugar

(Flavor-infused sugar)

Mix into granulated sugar:

• 1 tsp per cup sugar → lightly aromatic

• 2–3 tsp per cup sugar → noticeable flavor

• 1 Tbsp per cup sugar → brown butter sugar

Let it rest for 5–10 minutes after mixing for more even aroma (kind of like when making cinnamon sugar).

Use cases for the brown butter powder:

• Add to cookies

• Sprinkle on popcorn

• Fold into streusel

• Mix into glaze

• Dust over pancakes or donuts

• Mix into whipped cream

Notes

Is your brown butter powder too dark?

If the final powder looks very dark brown (bordering on chocolate-colored), the milk solids may have over-browned.

Try tasting it.

If it’s:

• Bitter

• Sharp

• Slightly acrid

It likely went too far.

To prevent this next time:

• Remove butter from heat as soon as solids turn deep golden brown

• Keep heat low when toasting the added milk powder

• Dry gently — you’re removing moisture, not deepening color

Once burnt, it can’t be fixed. I’ve tried to think of ways to revive, but ultimately it must be remade.

Too many clumps?

A few small clumps are normal and can be broken up. Large, sticky clumps usually mean:

• Residual moisture

• Or fat release during grinding

If you are using whole milk powder, some small clumping is normal and benign.

To fix this:

• Return solids to a low oven (200°F) for 5–10 minutes

• Pat solids with paper towel

• Cool completely

• Re-grind

If still greasy, they were ground while warm.

Avoid grinding milk solids while warm.

If ground while warm, residual butterfat can liquefy and coat the particles.

This causes:

• Clumping

• A paste-like texture

• Loss of that fine, sandy powder structure

Always allow solids to cool completely before grinding.

Sift after grinding.

For an ultra-fine texture, sift the powder after grinding. Re-grind any larger particles.

This step is optional, but useful if incorporating into delicate batters or glazes.

I hope these notes are helpful for you guys. I definitely learned some things by trial and error and wanted to share.

If you’ve read this far, thanks for stopping by the Nook.

This project took a bit of time and persistence, but I’d say it paid off.

I hope this brown butter powder can become a staple in your pantry and save you some time and peace of mind.

Breaking Baking is an ongoing series where we design useful ingredient systems, streamline the tedious, and rethink what’s possible in our kitchens. New experiments drop periodically.

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I love Japanese milk bread.

But…

I don’t love going out of my way to get it.

With such a dilemma, the most obvious answer would be to make it at home. So, despite my commitment to rot on the couch, that is exactly what I did!

This Black Sesame Japanese Milk Bread is tender, lightly sweet, and balanced by the deep, toasty flavor of black sesame. For my toast lovers, please give this bread a try toasted! I love to swipe whipped honey butter on it for a warm, lightly sweet finish. It melts into every layer.

Milk bread might seem like a difficult thing to make at home, but it’s very approachable and customizable. You can even use this recipe to try other flavor variations besides black sesame (more on this in my notes section).

This recipe doubles as a base template for milk bread.

Yield: 1 standard 9x5 in (23x13cm) loaf

The Ingredients

Tangzhong

• 20 g (2 Tbsp + 1 tsp) bread flour

• 100 g (7 Tbsp) whole milk

Dough

• 300g bread flour, all-purpose flour works but less chew

• 35g sugar

• 6g instant yeast

• 6g salt

• 1 large egg (50g)

• 110g whole milk (room temp)

• All cooled tangzhong

• 35g unsalted butter, softened

Black Sesame Filling

• 50g black sesame paste

• 25g sugar (or honey for gloss)

• 20g softened butter

• Pinch fine salt

Instructions

1. Make the tangzhong. In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk until completely smooth (do this before turning on the heat). Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a paste and you see trails forming as you stir. It should resemble a loose pudding. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before using.

2. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine, bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Whisk briefly to distribute evenly. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and cooled tangzhong. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix with your hands or a dough hook until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Knead and develop gluten. Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead until it begins to smooth out (about 8–10 minutes by hand).

You’re looking for:

• Less stickiness

• Stronger structure

• Slight elasticity

Once the dough begins to feel cohesive and stretchy, gradually incorporate the softened butter. Continue kneading until fully absorbed and the dough becomes smooth, supple, and elastic (another 3–5 minutes).

Optional: Add toasted black sesame seeds during the final 2–3 minutes of kneading for a speckled look.

The dough should pass a soft windowpane test (stretchy without tearing easily).

4. First Rise. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm environment (75–80°F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. Shape the Swirl. Turn the dough out and divide into 3 equal pieces. Round each into a ball and let them rest, covered, for 10–15 minutes. Roll one piece into an oval (about 8–9 inches long and 5 inches wide). Spread a thin layer of black sesame filling over the surface, leaving a ½-inch border along the far long edge (the edge across from you). Fold the left third toward the center, then the right third over that (letter fold).

Rotate 90 degrees. Roll tightly from the edge closest to you, away from your body, forming a compact log. Seal the seam. Repeat with remaining pieces. Place logs seam-side down in a lightly greased 9x5 loaf pan, spirals facing the short ends of the pan.

6. Final Proof. Cover loosely and allow to rise until the dough reaches the rim of the pan or just slightly above it (45–75 minutes depending on temperature, avoid proofing in cool rooms). Perform the poke test: a gentle press should slowly spring back and leave a slight indentation.

7. Bake. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly brush the top with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk). Bake for 25–30 minutes, until evenly golden brown. If browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil during the last 5–10 minutes.

Allow to rest in the pan for 5–8 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Once fully cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

To refresh: warm slices in the microwave for 8–10 seconds before serving.

Notes and Substitutions

Does tangzhong matter?
Tangzhong increases water absorption, resulting in a softer, longer-lasting loaf. Don’t skip it if you want true milk bread texture.

Dough temperature.
If your kitchen runs cool, proof inside a turned-off oven with the light on. Final dough temperature should ideally land around 75–78°F.

Kneading by hand?
Expect 12–15 minutes total kneading time. Resist adding excess flour (this dough should feel slightly tacky but not sticky).

Black sesame paste.
If using store-bought paste, taste before adding sugar (some are pre-sweetened). You can also make your own by blending toasted black sesame seeds with sugar and a small amount of neutral oil!

Speckled dough option.
Whole toasted seeds create speckling. Lightly crushed seeds increase aroma while keeping texture more subtle.

Flavor variations with this recipe.
If you want to try flavors besides black sesame, go for it! Simply replace the sesame paste with:

• Cinnamon sugar

• Sweetened matcha paste

• Ube halaya

• Any thick, spreadable filling (paste or suspension)

Some fillings (like black sesame or matcha powder) benefit from added sugar and a small amount of butter for balance and spreadability.

Others, like ube halaya or cinnamon sugar, can be used as-is — skip the steps to make make the filling.

Substitutions

• Bread flour → All-purpose flour

  • Can work, but texture will be slightly less chewy.

• Milk → Plant-based milk

  • Works, but richness may decrease slightly.

• Butter → Neutral oil

  • Can substitute with equal weight neutral oil, though structure and flavor will change.

• Sesame paste → Cinnamon sugar, Matcha paste, or Ube

  • These are all great options for variation.

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The Bakerdex is an ongoing index of baking frameworks, comparisons, and concepts. Each entry stands on its own, but together they form a growing reference for how we can think about baking. Discussion is encouraged :)

Butter Isn’t Interchangeable

I recently tested four different butters using the exact same sugar cookie recipe.

This is either dedication… or a cry for help haha.

Same ingredients.
Same method.
Same oven.
Same bake times.

The only thing that changed was the butter.

If butter really were interchangeable (something I think most of us assume by default) the cookies should have looked and tasted basically identical.

Spoiler: They did not.

Why I Even Tried This

Butter is one of those ingredients we tend to treat as background.

We’ll have a full Ace Attorney courtroom battle over flour types, sugar ratios, and even adjust bake times.

But butter? It usually gets a free pass (as long as it’s unsalted, lol).

Today, that changes.

From a baking (and food-science) perspective, that never really sat right with me. Butter isn’t just fat. It’s a system of fat, water, and milk solids — and that system shifts depending on:

• animal source

• fat percentage

• processing method

So instead of just theorizing, I wanted to see what actually happens.

The Setup

This endeavor wasn’t about finding the “best” butter.

It was about isolating butter behavior.

Every variable that can reasonably be controlled in a home kitchen was kept constant:

• Same recipe

• Same ingredient brands

• Same dough weight

• Same mixing time

• Same chill time

• Same oven temperature

• Same tray and parchment

Only the butter changed.

Each dough was baked to two endpoints (A and B) to surface differences that might not appear at a single pull.

Why Sugar Cookies?

I chose a plain sugar cookie intentionally.

There are no mix-ins to mask behavior.
No cocoa, spices, or inclusions to hide flavor.
No structure tricks to override fat behavior.

If butter behaves differently, a sugar cookie will show it – in spread, browning, texture, and flavor.

Basically, a plain sugar cookie was chosen so butter had nowhere to hide.

What Changed When the Butter Changed

Standard Cow Butter (Control)

This behaved exactly as expected.

The spread was tight and consistent and the browning was pretty restrained. Texture landed squarely in slightly crisp edges, tender center territory (the usual).

Also, there were light cracks throughout the surface of this cookie.

Nothing flashy here, but extremely reliable. This is the baseline most recipes are written around because of the neutrality.

As the bake progressed, spread increased and cracks started to deepen. However, not to much browning occurred by endpoint b.

Buffalo Butter

Buffalo butter produced cookies that held their structure slightly better, with a slightly deeper color at the later bake.

The texture felt richer and more tender, almost plush.

I know this project isn’t about picking the best butter, but this one was actually my favorite.

The taste of the sugar cookies with buffalo butter were very pleasant to me. They were buttery and almost creamy. If standard cow butter feels predictable, buffalo butter feels indulgent.

So much so that I’ll share my personal take on this butter later on in this entry.

Longer bake time did not result in any major differences. There was a slight increase in spread, but that was about it.

I purposefully picked the chipped cookie for endpoint a to showcase just how tender these cookies were.

I made sure to be gentle while moving all cookies and a small chunk still broke off this cookie.

Goat Butter

This one was the most surprising.

When it comes to spread, nothing crazy here. The cookies did have a softer set and an interesting porous surface.

Once cooled, the flavor was noticeably more dairy-forward, with a subtle tang. There was even an aftertaste that I was not expecting haha.

All in all, not bad or anything, just unexpected. In plain cookies like these, it was hard to ignore the differece.

Goat butter seems to facilitate spread pretty well. There was a noticeable increase in spread from endpoint a to b.

Beyond this, there was nothing else worth mentioning.

Cultured Cow Butter

This one quietly reinforced the entire point of the experiment.

Same animal as the control (cow) but a different process.

Cultured butter undergoes a fermentation step before churning, where bacteria convert some of the milk sugars into lactic acid and flavor compounds.

This results in browning being a bit deeper and more aromatic, with subtle nutty and caramel notes. The flavor had more complexity and a gentle cultured tang.

If goat butter leans sharper and more acidic, cultured butter feels more balanced in comparison.

These cultured butter cookies reminded me that process matters just as much as source.

There was a solid increase in spread as the bake progressed for these cookies. Also, color deepened slightly more after endpoint a.

Overall, these cookies had the most notable browning.

What This Changed for Me

The biggest takeaway for me wasn’t which butter was the “best.”

If anything, it was that butter choice is a design decision.

If you want:

• control and neutrality → standard cow butter

• richness and tenderness → buffalo butter

• softness and tang → goat butter

• browning and flavor complexity → cultured butter

Knowing how each butter behaves gives us more control over our baking than we might’ve assumed.

And honestly, that excites me more than it probably should – because butter impacts structure, texture, and browning more than most other ingredients ever could.

Final Thoughts & My Personal Takeaways

All in all, this experiment has me thinking differently about butter, especially in baking.

To me, butter is no longer just a background ingredient we default to without question. It’s one of the most influential components in how a pastry feels and tastes.

I’ve caught myself many times thinking,

“What can I add to make this better?”

instead of thinking,

“How can I manipulate what’s already here?”

This experiment didn’t make me abandon standard butter. But it did shift how I think about staple ingredients in general.

Most baking staples are standardized to limit user error — not necessarily to produce the best possible result.

If you’re at the stage where you’re tweaking recipes to reach specific outcomes, it might be time to look beyond additions and start rethinking your base ingredients.

And don’t worry, I’m not anti-add-ins. I do that a lot too.

This is just a reminder from the Nook to assess all your options.

My Obligatory Buffalo Butter Shoutout

Y’all. I won’t lie.

This butter has me questioning why I haven’t used it sooner. Is there some conspiracy to gatekeep this from home bakers?

Okay… maybe that was dramatic. But still.

Buffalo butter was rich and indulgent without being overpowering. It creamed beautifully, softened quickly, and felt easier to work with than standard cow butter.

I’ll definitely be using it again.

The Bakerdex is only getting deeper from here — subscribe if you’d like to follow along.

Thanks for stopping by the Nook!

Continue the Bakerdex:
Entry 02 — Using the Glaze Matrix to Make Any Glaze

The Bakerdex is an ongoing index of baking frameworks and applied guides. New entries are added periodically.

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This is a chocolate-forward cookie.

I’ve worked on a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years. Sometimes I tweak the sugar, sometimes the butter, sometimes the bake. But in all those variations, I kept overlooking the most important part of a chocolate chip cookie.

Drum roll, please.

The chocolate.

Yes, I know. Groundbreaking stuff. But these are the cookies that finally made me a purist again.

These Chocolate Pool Cookies are built around the chocolate first. Glossy pools, soft centers, and just enough dough to hold everything together. They’re simple, intentional, and designed to be made at home!

These chocolate pool cookies are easy to make, and I sized them large for that classic bakery-style look.

The Ingredients

Dry

• 300 g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda

• ¾ teaspoon (4 g) fine or kosher salt

Wet

• 170 g (¾ cup / 12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, soft but still cool

• 150 g (¾ cup, packed) light brown sugar

• 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 large egg yolk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate

• 220–250 g (about 8–9 oz) chocolate total, divided:

• 1 dark chocolate bar (around 60–70% cacao), rough-chopped (most chocolate bars are about 100 g / 3.5 oz)

• The rest: chocolate wafers or fèves (reserve a few for topping)

• Flaky salt, for finishing (optional)

Recommended chocolate bars for this recipe include dark chocolate bars in the ~60–70% cacao range:

• 70% Lindt EXCELLENCE Cocao

• Ghirardelli 60–70% Bittersweet

• Guittard Extra Dark 70%

All in all, use your favorite quality chocolate. Just avoid very high cacao percentages (80%+) as this can affect the melt and flavor balance.

No scale? If you don’t have a scale, using one standard chocolate bar and filling in the rest with chocolate wafers works perfectly.

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan and oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C. Line a light-colored baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. If baking multiple trays, bake one tray at a time for the most consistent results. Note: If possible, use a light-colored baking sheet for even browning. If using a darker pan, check the cookies a minute earlier.

2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

3. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until smooth and fully combined, but not fluffy.

4. Add the whole egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until just incorporated and glossy.

5. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low speed until the flour is almost fully absorbed. Stop as soon as the dough comes together to avoid over-mixing, which can tighten the crumb.

6. Fold in the chocolate. Roughly chop the chocolate bar into medium pieces, then add it to the dough along with most of the chocolate wafers, reserving a few wafers for topping. Using a spatula, fold gently until evenly distributed.

7. Portion and shape the dough. Divide the dough into large portions and shape each into a tall puck rather than a ball. This shape encourages thicker cookies with a soft center and controlled spread. I like to make pucks that weigh 115–120 g (8 cookies / big bakery style) or 92–96 g (10 cookies / large).

8. Top with additional chocolate. Press a few extra pieces of chocolate wafers (or fèves) into the top of each dough puck to ensure visible chocolate pools on the surface after baking.

9. Chill the dough. Transfer the shaped dough pucks to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. If you don’t want to wait overnight, the cookies will still bake up thick and chocolatey after a shorter chill. Overnight chilling simply helps the dough hydrate more fully and makes the bake a bit more consistent.

10. Bake. Place the chilled dough pucks onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them well apart. Bake straight from the refrigerator for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still appear slightly underdone.

11. Rest and serve! Remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This allows the cookies to set while keeping the centers soft. Serve warm for the best texture.

Storage & Handling

For the dough:
Shaped dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, tightly covered. For longer storage, freeze dough portions until solid, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding a minute or two as needed.

Baked cookies:
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For the best texture, enjoy within the first couple of days. Cookies can be gently warmed to restore softness. To reheat, microwave a cookie for 12–15 seconds.

Notes and Substitutions

Chocolate options.
This recipe is intentionally chocolate-forward. Using a mix of chocolate wafers/fèves and chopped bar chocolate creates both smooth pools and irregular melt throughout the cookie. If you can buy wafers or fèves, you will not be disappointed.

Chocolate chips alone will work, but the cookies will have a more uniform look and less dramatic melt.

Butter types.
Unsalted butter gives you the most control over salt content. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt slightly. I don’t recommended brown butter for this version, as it reduces moisture and shifts the flavor away from a clean chocolate focus.

Possible flavor additions (extracts).
From time to time, I love to add almond extract to these cookies. However, it should be used in very small amounts if desired. It’s best treated as a subtle variation rather than a defining flavor.

Vanilla extract adds warmth and balance and should not be removed. If using almond extract, keep the vanilla present. No change is needed for the amount of vanilla.

Things to Consider

Dough temperature matters.
This dough benefits from chilling. Cold dough:

• Holds its shape better

• Bakes more evenly

• Produces thicker cookies with softer centers

For best results, bake the dough straight from the refrigerator.

Shape affects the bake.
Shaping the dough into tall pucks instead of balls encourages thickness and reduces excessive spread. This small step has a noticeable impact on the final texture.

Bake by look, not just time.
Ovens vary. The cookies are ready when the edges look set and the centers still appear soft and slightly under-baked. They will continue to set as they cool.

How to make Chocolate Pool Cookies

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Recently, I’ve been in a seasonal banana milk phase.

The kind where you start looking for excuses to drink it with everything. Somewhere in that state, I had the idea to try it in overnight oats. I thought the banana milk would be the star of the show.

Then, I noticed a few aggressively brown bananas on my counter and remembered I had about two days before my kitchen had a compost pile.

Then it clicked. Banana Milk Overnight Oats with Banana Bread Crumble.

These overnight oats are creamy, spiced, and come with all the flavor of banana bread, without mashed bananas or making a loaf.

They’re easy to make, hold their texture overnight, and they're finished with a very generous crumble cap!

Yield: 2 small jars

Time: 4 hours 30 minutes (mostly chill time)

The Ingredients

For the Oats

• 110 g (~1 1/3 cup) rolled oats

• 240 g (1 cup) banana milk

• 60 g (¼ cup) Greek yogurt or skyr (optional, recommended)

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp fine salt

For the Crumble

• 45 g (½ cup) rolled oats

• 30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour

• 40 g (3 Tbsp packed) light or dark brown sugar

• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp fine salt

• 35 g (2½ Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

• 1–2 tsp banana milk, just to help clumping (optional)

Instructions

For the Oats

1. Make the oats.
Combine oats, banana milk, yogurt (if using), vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and sweetener in a bowl or jar.

2. Mix it well.
Stir well until the oats are fully hydrated and evenly mixed.

3. Cover and store.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Target texture
Creamy and spoonable, with fully softened oats and no excess liquid.

For the Crumble

4. Preheat the oven.
Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

5. Make the crumble.
In a bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and mix until sandy with some pea-size clumps. Spread loosely on the prepared baking sheet.

6. Bake and cool.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until deep golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before using.

Texture note
The crumble should be crisp once cooled. If it feels soft while warm, it will firm up as it cools.

Assembly

7. Assemble the overnight oats.
Spoon oats into jars or glasses to about 2/3 of the jar height. Add a thin layer of crumble, then add more oats. Finish with a generous crumble cap.

Storage & Handling

Overnight oats:
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Texture is best within the first 24–36 hours.

Crumble:
Store completely cooled crumble in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Assembled jars:
For best texture, store oats and crumble separately and assemble just before eating. If pre-assembled, expect the crumble to soften slightly after 24 hours. It will still be crunchy, just not at 100% crunch.

Notes and Substitutions

Banana milk only?
Use store-bought banana milk or homemade banana-infused milk. The banana flavor should be present but not super sweet or artificial. Avoid using artificial banana flavoring for these overnight oats.

Yogurt!
Greek yogurt or skyr adds body and keeps the oats creamy, not loose. You can skip it for a looser, more pudding-like texture.

Sweetener types.
Maple syrup or honey both work for these overnight oats. Just remember to keep it somewhat light (the crumble adds sweetness later).

Oat types.
Go with rolled oats only. Quick oats get mushy; steel-cut won’t hydrate properly overnight :(

Flour in crumble.
All-purpose flour keeps the crumble classic. Almond flour works for a slightly richer, café-like crumble.

Butter (unsalted or salted).
Unsalted butter is preferred, but salted butter works too! If using salted, reduce the added salt slightly.

Did You Like This Recipe?

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This post builds on The Bakerdex — Entry 01, which introduces the fat–liquid framework behind the Glaze Matrix.

The Bakerdex is an ongoing index of baking frameworks, comparisons, and concepts. Each entry stands on its own, but together they form a growing reference for how we can think about baking. Discussion is encouraged :)

When it comes to baking, one of the easiest things to rush is the finishing glaze. Especially after all the work you’ve already put in.

I’ve definitely been there. By the time I reach the final stretch of a bake, glazing can start to feel like something to get through rather than think about.

Not because glazes are simple, but because most glaze recipes are. A recipe can only take you so far, but it can’t adapt in real time.

That’s why I decided to create The Glaze Matrix.

Almost every glaze you’ve ever made comes down to two choices:

• How much liquid you add

• What kind of liquid (fat level) you use

The Glaze Matrix organizes those two variables so you can build or fix a glaze without guessing.

A Note on Variables (and Why I Chose These Two)

Yes, there are other variables that affect glaze behavior.

Things like:

• Temperature

• How warm the pastry is

• How long the glaze sits

• Humidity

All these matter.

But liquid amount and fat level are the variables most responsible for the final outcome: how a glaze flows, sets, feels, and looks once applied.

That’s why the matrix focuses on these two first.

If you control them, most glaze problems disappear.

The Two Variables That Control Glaze

1. Liquid Amount (Thickness)

Liquid amount controls how a glaze behaves:

• Less liquid → thick, firm, minimal drip

• Medium liquid → controlled drip

• More liquid → thin, fluid, brushable

In the matrix, this is the vertical axis:

• Thick

• Medium

• Thin

2. Fat Level (Mouthfeel + Finish)

Fat level controls how a glaze sets and feels:

• Low fat (water or milk) → classic sugar glaze, clean set

• Medium fat (butter + milk) → soft, rich, bakery-style

• High fat (cream + corn syrup) → glossy, elastic, professional finish

This is the horizontal axis of the matrix.

A Quick Clarification on “High Fat” Glazes

Butter is technically higher in fat by percentage.

However, glazes made with cream and corn syrup behave richer because:

• The fat remains fluid at room temperature

• Sugar crystallizes more slowly

• The glaze stays elastic and glossy instead of crusting quickly

That’s why cream + corn syrup earns the “high fat” category in the matrix. It’s based on behavior, not pure nutrition labels.

How the Matrix Works

Once you choose:

1. A thickness

2. A fat level

You simply look at where those two intersect.

That intersection tells you:

• How much liquid you need

• What kind of liquid to use

• How the glaze will behave once applied

You don’t need to memorize a recipe for this, just the logic. Everything else falls into place.

About the Ratios

All ratios in The Glaze Matrix are expressed as a percentage of powdered sugar.

Powdered sugar is always the reference point.

Everything else scales from there.

This means you can:

• Make a small batch or a large batch

• Fix a glaze that’s too thick or too thin (I’ve been there 100 times haha)

• Adjust richness without changing flow

Once you understand the percentages, the matrix becomes very intuitive and quick to use!

A Quick Example

Let’s say you want a medium-fat, medium-thickness glaze (the kind you’d use on cinnamon rolls).

1. Choose your sugar amount (for example, 100 g)

2. Medium thickness calls for 28% total liquid

3. Medium fat uses butter + milk

   • Butter = 5% of sugar

   • Milk = the remaining liquid

This same method is applied to every glaze you see in the matrix.

Why This Matters

Instead of asking:

“Which glaze recipe should I use?”

You can ask:

“How thick do I want it, how should it set, and how rich should it feel?”

Changing our mindset on this removes most of the guesswork from glazing.

The Guide

I put all of this into a visual guide that shows:

• The full matrix

• Each glaze class

• Ratios, behavior, and best uses

It’s designed to be something you can reference while baking, not just read once.

If glazing has ever felt inconsistent or unpredictable (which it has for me many times), this system is meant to make it consistent and repeatable.

Download Here :)

How to use The Glaze Matrix

I hope this guide serves you well on your glazing journey! Thanks so much for reading and take care!

This guide is part of a larger body of work I’m building around repeatable baking systems.

The Bakerdex is an ongoing index of baking frameworks and applied guides. New entries are added periodically.

Related Bakerdex Entries:
The Bakerdex — Entry 01: The Glaze Matrix

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This Lychee Rose Snack Cake is soft, plush, and lightly floral, with a pleasant rose aroma. The rose isn’t loud and it sits in the background, adding aroma rather than flavoring the cake outright. Lychee syrup keeps everything moist and subtly sweet, while the pale rose cream on top balances it all out.

It’s a simple, one-pan cake with no complicated steps, the kind you can make on a random afternoon or the night before a gathering. If you’re bringing something to share and want it to feel thoughtful, this is the one.

The Ingredients

For the Cake

• 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

• 180 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar

• 1½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp fine salt

• 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 2 tbsp neutral oil (canola or avocado works best)

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 160 g (⅔ cup) canned lychee syrup

• 2 tbsp whole milk

• 1½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

• ⅛ tsp beet powder or 1 drop red gel food coloring, dissolved into the syrup + milk

Pale Rose Cream

• 115 g (4 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

• 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 200 g (1¾ cups) powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (for slight speckled look)

• 1/4 tsp rose water (you can add a bit more if you want it fragrant)

• Tiny amount beet powder or red gel food coloring (optional)

Lychee Syrup Drizzle (Finish)

• 120 g (½ cup) reserved canned lychee syrup

• Tiny amount beet powder or red gel food coloring (a literal hair of it will work)

Instructions

For the Cake

1. Prepare the pan and oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a 8×8-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal. Grease the pan with butter or cooking spray (including the parchment paper).

2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.

3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, neutral oil, eggs, vanilla, lychee syrup, and milk until smooth and cohesive.

4. Add the color (optional). If using beet powder, dissolve it fully into the milk or syrup first. If using gel food coloring, add 1 drop to the wet mixture and stir until the color is evenly distributed (should be pink, not red).

5. Bring the batter together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as the batter looks smooth to keep the texture soft and plush.

6. Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Cool completely. Let the cake cool fully in the pan before frosting. After 20 minutes, remove the cake from the pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack or parchment paper. A warm cake will melt the cream.

Pale Rose Cream

8. Beat the base.
In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fully combined.

9. Add the sugar gradually.
Add the powdered sugar in stages, mixing on low at first, then increasing speed once incorporated, until light and fluffy.

10. Finish the cream.
Mix in the vanilla, then add the rose water last. Stop as soon as the frosting smells softly floral. Tint the frosting lightly with your dyeing agent of choice if desired.

11. Frost the cake.
Spread the Pale Rose Cream over the cooled cake in relaxed swoops using an offset spatula. Cover the top of the cake only (unless you don’t want that look haha).

Lychee Syrup Drizzle

12. Reduce the syrup.
Simmer the reserved lychee syrup gently over low heat until glossy and slightly thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon, and a finger dragged through should leave a clean line. If you want a subtle pink color for the drizzle, add a tiny amount of dye to the syrup. Make sure to start very small. You can always adjust as needed.

13. Cool and drizzle.
Let the syrup cool completely, then drizzle lightly over the frosted cake as a finishing accent. Now, you can serve the cake!

Storage & Handling

Room temperature (best option)
Store the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. This keeps the texture soft and the frosting smooth.

Refrigeration (if needed)
If storing longer, refrigerate the cake tightly covered for up to 4 days. Let slices come back to room temperature before serving because cold cake reads firmer and dulls the floral notes.

Unfrosted storage
The cake itself can be baked a day ahead, wrapped well, and kept at room temperature. Frost and drizzle closer to serving for the best texture.

Handling and Transporting
Use a clean, sharp knife and wipe between cuts for neat edges. Smaller slices hold their shape better and fit the snack cake vibe. Chill briefly if needed to set the frosting, then transport covered. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

Notes and Substitutions

No lychee syrup?
You can substitute pear juice, white grape juice, or light simple syrup. The cake will lose some floral notes, but the texture will still be soft and plush.

Using fresh lychees?
Skip them for the batter. Fresh lychees add too much moisture and uneven texture. This cake works best with syrup-only flavor.

Rose water is optional but be careful.
If you’re unsure, start with half the amount or leave it out entirely. The cake will still be lovely and lightly floral from the lychee alone.

Food coloring vs. beet powder?
Use one or the other, not both. A drop or two of red gel food coloring is the most consistent option. Beet powder works if you prefer natural color, but keep it subtle.

Make it ahead.
The cake itself can be baked a day ahead and stored covered at room temperature. Frost and drizzle closer to serving for the softest texture.

Scaling up.
This recipe doubles cleanly for a quarter- or half-sheet pan. Watch the bake time and pull it as soon as the center is just set.

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What is the Bakerdex?
The Bakerdex is an ongoing index of baking frameworks, comparisons, and concepts. Each entry stands on its own, but together they form a growing reference for how we can think about baking. Discussion is encouraged :)

I’ve made a lot of glazes that should have worked.

Same ingredients. Similar ratios. Same bake.

One comes out glossy and smooth. Another sets dull. Another looks right for five minutes and then goes cloudy.

Most glaze recipes don’t really explain why that happens. They usually stop at “mix and pour,” which is fine… until it isn’t haha.

So this is me trying to stop guessing.

What this is (and what it isn’t)

This isn’t a recipe and it’s not even finished.

The Glaze Matrix is a reference tool I’ve been building to help think about glazes based on outcomes, not just ingredients.

Instead of starting with “what do I have?”
It starts with “what do I want this glaze to do?”

Shiny or matte.
Thin or thick.
Soft-set or firm.

The Matrix just maps how a few key variables interact so you can make a better call before you make a glaze.

The Matrix

Across the top: fat level

• Low fat

• Medium fat

• High fat

Down the side: glaze thickness

• Thick

• Medium

• Thin

Each square is the same base dough, glazed differently, baked the same way, and allowed to set under the same conditions.

How to read it

• Read it left to right if you’re thinking about richness.

• Read it top to bottom if you’re thinking about flow and how the glaze will set.

Some immediate patterns jumped out to me:

• Low-fat glazes can read very clean and reflective when thick, but that shine is surface-level and can turn plasticky if pushed too far.

• High-fat glazes can read very glossy when thin, but an increase in thickness can mute shine quickly. They’re forgiving, but they skew matte and can feel heavy if you’re expecting a classic bakery finish.

• Medium-fat + medium thickness is often the safest middle ground when you don’t want surprises.

• Thickness matters more than ratios in some cases. A thin glaze with the “right” ingredients can still look dead if it sets too fast.

None of these are rules, just tendencies.

A few things this helped me unlearn (popular myths)

• More sugar does not automatically mean more shine

• Two glazes can look identical when warm and behave completely differently once set.

• Milk doesn’t guarantee richness. It mostly changes how light moves across the surface.

The Matrix made these differences obvious in a way written recipes never really did.

How this fits into my process

This is the reference I wish I had during many baking sessions in the kitchen. Now, I can ask myself questions like:

• Do I want this to drip or sit?

• Do I want it to stay glossy after 10 minutes?

• Do I need contrast against a darker bake?

Now I can answer those questions first and adjust accordingly.

Where this goes next

This is version one.

I’m sure I’ll revise it. I’ll definitely add more variables over time (temperature, sugar type, acidity).

If you’ve ever had a glaze behave strangely, or do something you didn’t expect—I’d genuinely love to hear about it! That’s how this gets better.

This guide is part of a larger body of work I’m building around repeatable baking systems.

The Bakerdex is an ongoing index of baking frameworks and applied guides. New entries are added periodically.

Related Bakerdex Entries:
The Bakerdex — Entry 02: Using the Glaze Matrix to Make Any Glaze

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Masala chai cinnamon rolls weren’t an accident. Chai is often treated like a single flavor, but it’s really a balance of warmth, spice, and structure — and those qualities already exist in a good cinnamon roll. The fat in the dough, the filling, and the glaze gives chai spices somewhere to open up, soften, and layer instead of feeling sharp or flat.

This recipe leans into that idea, using Assam tea and carefully balanced spices to create rolls that feel fragrant, rich, and cohesive rather than overly spiced. Warm, comforting, and meant to be eaten slowly, ideally with coffee.

The Ingredients

Dough

• 240 ml whole milk (1 cup)

• 1 1/2 tsp (3–4 g) CTC Assam tea (or 2 black tea bags or 1 tbsp loose-leaf Assam)

• 57 g unsalted butter (4 tbsp / 1/2 stick)

• 550 g all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 cups, spooned and leveled)

• 1 packet (7 g) instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

• 60 g granulated sugar (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp)

• 1 tsp fine salt

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Chai Filling

• 113 g unsalted butter, browned (1/2 cup / 1 stick before browning)

• 150 g light brown sugar (3/4 cup, packed)

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cardamom

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/8 tsp ground fennel (finely ground)

• 1 small pinch star anise or clove (1/8 tsp, optional but adds depth)

• 1/2 tsp salt

Masala Chai Syrup (Cinnabon-style soak)

• 240 ml water (1 cup)

• 1 1/2 tsp (3–4 g) CTC Assam tea (or 2 black tea bags or 2–2 1/2 tsp loose-leaf Assam)

• 75 g granulated sugar (about 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)

• 1 small cinnamon stick

• 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed, (or 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, added during the final minute of simmering)

• 1 thin slice fresh ginger, (or 1/4 tsp ground ginger, added during the final minute of simmering)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 170 g cream cheese, softened (6 oz / about 3/4 cup)

• 30 g unsalted butter, softened (2 tbsp)

• 180–220 g powdered sugar (1 1/2-1 3/4 cups)

• 1–2 tbsp chai syrup (to thin and flavor)

• Pinch of cardamom

• Pinch of cinnamon

• Splash of vanilla

Instructions

1. Infuse the milk. In a small saucepan, gently warm the milk over low heat until steaming but not boiling. Add the Assam tea and let it steep until the milk is deeply aromatic, about 5–8 minutes, then strain out the tea and set the milk aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

2. Optional yeast check (recommended for overnight proofing). If you’d like to confirm your instant yeast is active (especially when working with milk and an overnight rise) stir the yeast into 2–3 tablespoons of warm water (about 100–105°F) with a small pinch of sugar. After 5–8 minutes, look for light bubbling, a faint foam, or a yeasty aroma. You’re not looking for a full foam cap, just signs of life. If inactive, start with fresh yeast. Use immediately.

3. Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the warm infused milk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. If you performed the yeast check, add the yeast mixture now; otherwise, add the instant yeast directly to the dry ingredients before mixing. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test; the dough should feel soft and supple, not sticky.

4. First rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let it rise at room temperature until slightly puffy and relaxed, about 60–90 minutes; it does not need to double fully.

5. Prepare the chai filling. While the dough rises, melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook until lightly browned and nutty. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, fennel, black pepper, and salt until a spreadable paste forms, then set aside at room temperature.

6. Roll and fill. Once risen, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 18 by 12 inches (45 x 30 cm). Spread the chai filling evenly across the surface, taking care to reach the edges, then roll the dough tightly from the long side into a log. If the filling becomes hard to spread, simply heat the mixture for 5–10 seconds or add a small splash of milk.

7. Cut and cold proof. Slice the log into evenly sized rolls, about 1½ inches thick, and arrange them in a lightly buttered baking dish with space between each roll. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to slowly ferment and develop flavor.

8. Final proof. The next day, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature until relaxed and slightly puffy, about 60–90 minutes; the dough should spring back slowly when gently pressed. We aren’t looking for a large increase in size here.

9. Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), then bake the rolls until lightly golden and set through the center, about 20–22 minutes.

10. Make the chai syrup. While the rolls bake, bring the water to a gentle simmer and add the Assam tea. Steep for 2–3 minutes, then immediately strain and return the tea to the saucepan. Add the sugar and spices and simmer until slightly thickened, about 4–6 minutes. To check consistency, remove saucepan from heat and drag a spoon through the syrup. If the line holds for a few seconds before slowly filling in, it’s ready. Remove from heat and keep warm.

11. Brush with syrup. As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush them generously with the warm chai syrup, focusing on the spiral seams so it absorbs evenly, then let the rolls rest for a few minutes to soak it in.

12. Prepare the glaze. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add the powdered sugar, chai syrup, vanilla, and spices, mixing just until glossy and pourable and adjusting the consistency as needed.

13. Glaze and serve. Once the rolls are warm but no longer steaming, spoon the glaze over the tops and allow it to gently drape down the sides, letting it set for several minutes before serving.

14. To reheat. For leftovers, reheat individual rolls for about 15 seconds in the microwave to soften the crumb and bring the chai aroma back to life!

Masala chai cinnamon rolls are at their best the day they’re baked, but leftovers keep well. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 4–5 days. The glaze will firm in the fridge, so rewarming helps bring back the softness.

To reheat, microwave a roll for about 15 seconds or warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–8 minutes until soft and steamy again. Avoid overheating, which can dry them out.

For longer storage, freeze the baked, unglazed rolls individually. Thaw in the fridge overnight, reheat, and glaze before serving. You can also freeze the unbaked, cut rolls after the first rise: freeze solid, store in a bag, then thaw overnight in the fridge and let them proof until puffy before baking.

The spices may bloom slightly over time, so the chai flavor can taste even deeper the next day.

Notes and Substitutions

Black tea: You can use any strong black tea that holds up well to spices, but CTC Assam or English Breakfast will give you the richest chai flavor. Darjeeling works too but creates a lighter, more floral flavor. If using loose-leaf tea, measure about 1 tablespoon per cup of milk/water.

Avoid Earl Grey unless you specifically want the bergamot note. If you prefer caffeine-free rolls, rooibos can be substituted; it won’t taste exactly like chai, but it mimics the color and body well.

Chai spices: Feel free to adjust the spice blend to your preferred heat and aromatic level. If you don’t have the individual spices, a high-quality chai masala blend can replace the combined spices in the filling (use 1½–2 teaspoons, depending on intensity).

Whole spices (cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves) always give better flavor clarity in the syrup, while ground spices are best in the filling. If you use a chai blend and it leans heavily on pepper or clove, reduce slightly so the rolls stay balanced and not medicinal. Freshly grinding spices (especially cardamom) will noticeably elevate the aroma.

Brown butter: Brown butter is optional but highly recommended because it mellows the sharper spices and creates a deeper, more rounded filling. If you’re short on time, you can use regular softened butter, but reduce the pepper, fennel, or star anise slightly to avoid sharpness.

For a dairy-free version, you can use vegan butter, but it won’t brown properly. Simply melt and cool it, and rely on cinnamon and cardamom for warmth rather than pushing the stronger spices.

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Cold brew is one of those things that feels like a luxury habit until you realize how easy it is to make at home. If you drink cold brew regularly, making it at home just makes sense. It’s cheaper, it keeps better than you’d expect, and once you dial in a method you like, you’re set for the week.

With just coffee, water, and a little patience, you can have a smooth, bold cold brew concentrate that lasts all week! No more daily coffee runs required (this used to be a way of life for me haha). This cold brew recipe is simple, flexible, and designed to fit into your routine, whether you drink it black, with milk, or topped with cold foam.

Download my one page guide for making Cold Brew Concentrate!

Check out my video on How to Make Cold Brew Concentrate on my Instagram!

The Ingredients

For the Cold Brew

• 60 g whole coffee beans, coarsely ground, dark roast preferred

• 2 cups (480 mL) filtered water

Optional Flavorings

• 6–15 g chicory root (10-25% of coffee weight)

• 2 wide strips orange zest

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1–2 cracked cardamom pods

Yield: About 4 servings of cold brew

Instructions

1. Grind the coffee. Measure 60 g whole beans and grind them coarsely, similar to raw sugar or sea salt. A coarse grind helps prevent bitterness and makes filtering much easier.

2. Combine the coffee and flavor add-ins. Add the ground coffee to a medium bowl, pitcher, or container. If you’re using optional add-ins—such as chicory, cinnamon sticks, or wide strips of citrus zest—add them in with the grounds. Avoid grated zest, as it can turn bitter during the long steep.

3. Add the water. Pour in 2 cups (480 mL) of filtered water and whisk or stir until all the grounds are fully saturated. Proper saturation ensures even extraction and prevents dry pockets of coffee from under-extracting.

4. Cover and steep. Cover the container and refrigerate for about 18 hours—this is the sweet spot for a smooth, fully developed concentrate. If you prefer a lighter brew, steep for 12–14 hours; for a stronger, more intense flavor, you can go up to 20 hours, but avoid steeping much beyond that to prevent woody or papery notes.

5. Strain the mixture. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a clean bowl or pitcher and pour the cold brew mixture through it to remove the larger grounds. Discard or compost the grounds.

6. Strain again for clarity. Line your strainer with cheesecloth, a nut-milk bag, or a paper coffee filter and pour the liquid through a second time. This step removes micro-sediment and results in a cleaner, smoother concentrate. If you used chicory or spices, this second strain helps catch any fine particles.

7. Bottle and store! Transfer the filtered concentrate to a mason jar or sealed bottle and refrigerate. The concentrate stays fresh for up to 10–14 days, with the best flavor during the first 4 days. Shake gently before using, as natural sediment may settle at the bottom.

8. Serve and dilute. To serve, fill a glass with about 1 cup of ice. Add 90–95 mL (4 oz) of cold brew concentrate, then dilute with 180–240 mL (6–8 oz) of water or milk. This creates a smooth, balanced drink. For a stronger brew, reduce the diluting liquid; for a lighter brew, add more in ½-part (≈60 mL) increments. Stir gently and enjoy immediately.

Cold brew concentrate will have its optimal flavor for 1–4 days. After that, there may be some slight flavor loss but the cold brew concentrate will remain good for another 10–14 days.

Store it in an airtight container to prevent oxidation and flavor loss. I prefer using mason jars as they have measurements (metric and US) on the sides of the glass.

Notes

Whole coffee beans

• Freshly ground is key. Pre-ground coffee oxidizes quickly and loses aromatics, which are already more subtle in cold brew. Grinding right before brewing gives you noticeably deeper flavor.

• Grind size: Use a coarse grind, similar to raw sugar or sea salt. A too-fine grind can lead to muddy, over-extracted flavors.

• Bean quality: Because cold water extracts fewer bitter compounds, even inexpensive beans can shine—but better beans = noticeably smoother concentrate.

Flavorings (optional)

You can customize your cold brew by steeping add-ins with the grounds:

Chicory Root (New Orleans Style)

• Add 10–25% of the coffee weight (e.g., 6–15g per 60g coffee).

• Chicory adds roasted nuttiness, gentle bitterness, and a signature café-au-lait vibe.

Citrus Zest (Orange, Lemon, etc.)

• 1–2 wide strips of zest add brightness without adding acidity.

  • Strip size: 1–2 inches long (2.5–5 cm) and about ½ inch wide (1–1.5 cm).

• Works especially well with darker roasts and chicory combos.

• Remove before filtering—don’t leave it in the final concentrate.

Warming Spices

• Try cinnamon sticks, clove, cardamom, or nutmeg.

• Start small: ¼–½ of a cinnamon stick or 1–2 cracked cardamom pods.

• Whole spices are preferred (ground spices can cloud the brew).

*Avoid sugary syrups in the brew. Add them after dilution.

The Cold Brew Concentrate Guide

Download my one page guide for making Cold Brew Concentrate!

I condense as much info as possible into one page:

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Download my one page guide for making Restaurant Style Instant Pancake Mix!

Instant pancake mix might be one of the best inventions of all time, but... that’s not without it’s drawbacks. Sure, it saves time and energy, but usually at the expense of pancake quality. So… what if there were a better way?

I’m excited to share my restaurant-style rendition of instant pancake mix! This homemade recipe walks you step by step through making a high-quality mix that includes everything needed to give your pancakes that true restaurant vibe.

These pancakes are golden brown, tender, and fluffy—everything you’d expect from a diner short stack, but made in minutes at home.

The main things that make a pancake “restaurant style” are:

• Flour type

• Acidity

• Butter

We will further explain each of these components in the next section.

Check out my video on how to make Instant Pancake Mix (Restaurant-Style) on my YouTube!

The Ingredients

For the Dry Mix

• 4 cups cake flour (480 g)

• 1 cup dry milk powder (100 g)

• 3/4 cup buttermilk powder (70 g)

• 3 tbsp sugar (36 g)

• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder (17 g)

• 1 tsp baking soda (5 g)

• 1 tsp salt (5 g)

For the Pancakes (makes 4 pancakes)

• 1 cup mix

• 2/3 cup water

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp melted butter (up to 2 tbsp butter for extra richness)

Scaling

• 1 cup mix = ~4 pancakes

• 2 cups mix = ~8 pancakes

• Full batch (~5½ cups mix) = ~20 pancakes

Instructions

For the Pancakes (Restaurant-Style Basic)

1. Make the pancake mix. In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, buttermilk powder, dry milk powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla powder (if using). Now you have your instant pancake mix!

2. Make the wet mix. In a separate bowl or container, whisk together the egg, water, melted butter, and vanilla extract (if not using powder).

3. Make the batter. Add the pancake mix to the wet mix and stir until just combined (small lumps are fine).

4. Cook the pancakes. Let the batter rest for 5–10 minutes while the skillet heats over medium (or medium-low if using cast iron, adjust heat up later if needed). Lightly grease the skillet with butter and/or canola oil. Pour in the batter and cook until bubbles form and the edges begin to set (2–3 minutes), then flip and cook until golden brown (1–2 minutes).

5. Serve! Enjoy warm with maple syrup and your favorite toppings. I personally love blueberries 🫐!

Diner Upgrade (Optional)

Swap the water for either:

1. 2/3 cup fresh buttermilk (tangy, fluffier pancakes)

2. 1/2 cup milk + 1 tbsp maple syrup (subtle sweetness & deeper browning)

Pantry (airtight): Will last up to 2 months.

Refrigerator: Use an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.

Freezer: Best for long-term storage; bring to room temp before use to prevent clumping. Will last for 6+ months, but quality will suffer after 6 months.

Notes

• Cast iron skillet. Not a necessity, but cast iron skillets provide excellent browning for pancakes. If you have one, consider using it. Just keep an eye on the pancakes to prevent burning.

• Use butter and canola oil. I like to cook pancakes with a mix of butter and canola oil. The butter adds rich flavor and promotes browning, while the canola oil helps create a crunchy, caramelized crust.

• Rest the batter. For the best results, let the batter rest for 5–10 minutes. This gives time for the acid (from the buttermilk powder) and the leavening to react, resulting in fluffier, more tender pancakes!

Substitutions

Cake flour*: Flour type is an important part of making pancakes and is often overlooked. In this instant pancake mix recipe, we use cake flour. Cake flour has a finer milling and less gluten than all-purpose (AP) flour. This gives our pancakes a tender crumb and a lighter texture. If you prefer, you can also create a blend of cake flour and AP flour. Adding AP flour will make the pancakes a bit denser, which some people enjoy.

Buttermilk powder: Acid is an important part of making restaurant-style pancakes. But with instant mixes, we need an acid that can be incorporated into the dry ingredients. Traditionally, liquid buttermilk provides this acidity in pancake batter, but since we want this mix to stay “instant,” water should be the main liquid used when preparing the batter.

Buttermilk powder solves this problem! It’s acidic yet shelf-stable, so we can include it directly in the mix. If you’re unfamiliar with it, buttermilk powder contains the same milk solids found in liquid buttermilk—proteins, lactose, and minerals—in a concentrated, dehydrated form. In short, buttermilk powder is simply buttermilk in powdered form.

Dry milk powder: Most restaurant-style pancakes contain dairy, so if we want to make a true restaurant-style instant pancake mix, we need to include dairy in the dry ingredients. Dry milk powder is an excellent choice because it provides that subtle creamy, milky flavor many people associate with diner-style pancakes.

Vanilla extract or powder*: Vanilla is a quick and easy way to elevate pancakes! If your goal is to make an instant pancake mix that’s as hands-free as possible, consider using vanilla powder and adding it directly to the dry mix. This eliminates an extra step when making pancakes, since you won’t have to measure vanilla extract every time. But if you’d rather not use vanilla powder, no worries! Vanilla extract is easy to add to the batter—and honestly, you can even eyeball it to save time 😂.

The Instant Pancake Mix Guide

Download my one page guide for making Restaurant Style Instant Pancake Mix!

I condense as much info as possible into one page:

Did You Like This Recipe?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments! I always enjoy helping when I can and love hearing about any changes you made to the recipe. Thanks for reading!

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