Cold Canadian winter days call for staying indoors and keeping cozy. What better way to do that than by baking yourself a little treat? Bonus: turning the oven on will warm up your home, too! We’ve rounded up our very best baking projects for all skill levels. From sweet to savoury ideas, read on to get inspired.
Related: Are You Using the Right Butter in Your Baking? The Best Type for Every Baked Good
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1/10
Double Chocolate Cookie Dough Cinnamon Rolls
Can’t choose between baking cinnamon rolls and cookies? This recipe was made for you! Soft, pillowy cinnamon rolls are filled with rich double chocolate cookie dough then topped with a buttercream frosting, making for the ultimate decadent sweet treat. We promise this labour of love will be well worth your time and effort.
Related: Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
2/10
Rainbow Cookies
It may be grey and dreary outside, but it doesn’t have to be that way inside! Brighten up your day with these gorgeous slice-and-bake rainbow cookies. They certainly are a project: you’ll need to roll out several different sheets of coloured dough to achieve the rainbow effect, but that’s the fun of the recipe. Soft and buttery, these will remind you of the slice-and-bake cookies you grew up eating.
3/10
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cream Puffs
A cold winter day is the perfect opportunity to tackle an involved baking recipe you’ve always wanted to try making, like cream puffs! This peanut butter and jelly twist on the classic treat features a crunchy cookie crust perfectly paired with a pillowy peanut butter and strawberry jam filling.
Related: Two Classic Desserts Join Forces in These Delicious Tiramisu Cream Puffs
4/10
Gooey Brown Butter Maple Pecan Squares
These delightful squares are the perfect cross between pecan pie and butter tarts. A buttery shortbread base is topped with a sweet and gooey brown butter maple filling loaded with roasted nutty pecans and a healthy sprinkling of chocolate chips, making for the ultimate sweet treat. This is an easier baking project option if you’re looking for low lift and maximum results.
5/10
Savoury Heart-Shaped Pretzels With Honey Mustard Dip
Craving something savoury? Try your hand at making your very own soft pretzels! Don’t be intimidated: this dough comes together quickly and is really easy to work with, making it the perfect project for beginner bakers. Although traditionally soft pretzels are dipped in a lye solution to achieve their signature gold colour, this recipe uses a baking soda bath instead which is much simpler and safer to use at home.
Related: Anna Olson’s Best Savoury Recipes
6/10
Chinese Bakery-Style Hotdog Flower Buns
Yes, you really can make this Chinese bakery signature treat at home! They’re as pretty as they are delicious, and since they involve a lot of rolling and assembling, making them is the perfect way to spend a long winter afternoon indoors. Try drizzling with a little chili crisp for the perfect complementary hit of spice.
Related: Classic Chinese Spring Rolls
7/10
Strawberry Roll Cake
Looking to challenge yourself in the kitchen? This strawberry cake roll decorated with a pretty strawberry design is the perfect way to test your skills: it involves both creative and technical elements that result in a seriously adorable cake. Feel free to mix it up and try out different fillings and designs: lemons, cherries or blueberries would all make for great twists!
8/10
Chinese Egg Tarts
If dim sum is your favourite meal, making your own egg tarts at home is a must. With a rich eggy filling and flaky pastry shell, this dim sum essential is the perfect bite. To make it, you’ll need to whip up your own Chinese puff pastry dough and custard filling — the the hard work you put in will make each bite taste better than the last.
9/10
Puff Pastry Apple Roses
If you want your kiddos to get in on the baking fun, this is the perfect easy baking project to work on with them. Thinly sliced apples are rolled up in puff pastry with a dab of your favourite sweet preserves for a treat that looks so pretty and impressive.
Related: Cheesecake-Stuffed Baked Apples
Baking Wisdom
10/10
Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars
Another kid-friendly baking project option, this fabulous recipe from Anna Olson takes all the flavours you know and love from a chocolate chip cookie and puts them into a simplified bar format. If you’re looking for a simple project that you can whip up with ease, this is it.
Related: Anna Olson’s Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
