Works-For-Me Wednesday: Baking with Single Serve Sizes

I love to bake. But with just Husband and me around to eat what I've baked most of the time, that's not always a good thing. And making things in smaller quantities is not always an option.

So I have discovered a few tricks that still allow me to bake, yet doesn't leave large amounts of tempting baked goods lying on the counter begging to be eaten.

Cookies: I love to bake chocolate chip cookies. And the people who frequent my dwelling enjoy them as well. So when I whip up a batch of cookie dough, I only bake what we will immediately consume. The rest of the dough I scoop with a cookie scoop (by far the best cookie investment ever) and freeze in a plastic container. (It's easier to scoop the dough when it's been refrigerated.)

When I need a quick dessert or the oven's already warmed up from dinner, I pop the pre-scooped dough out of the freezer and it takes only about 10 minutes to have warm, gooey, homemade cookies in the perfect quantity. (I've also been known to eat a frozen cookie dough ball or two in a moment of desperation.)

I've only done this with Chocolate Chip dough, but I'm pretty sure it can be done with whatever kind you prefer. No more falling prey to school kids hocking their fundraising cookie pucks because it's quick and easy. Besides, I like mine better anyway.

Cake: I've only done this with pound cake (because Sara Lee does it, I figured I could too), but it can probably be done with other types as well. After the batter is mixed, instead of pouring it into one big pan I use several small loaf pans. The disposable foil mini-loaf pans are the perfect size for us, and I can usually get about 5 mini cakes out of one batch of batter.

After the little cakes are baked, allow them to cool completely. Then wrap in plastic wrap and foil, label, and stack in the freezer. To thaw I usually just set the cake out on the counter for a while - it doesn't take long.

I'm sure I will find other things to freeze as I get bored with these and Chickster grows and is eating with us. But since we don't have a lot of freezer room I can't go crazy. But it works for us, and it certainly makes it easy to have "something" when there's "nothing" in the house.

Check out Rocks in my Dryer for more Works-For-Me Wednesday tips.