The BakedbyMaansi Story:
The reason I started BakedbyMaansi was because of the pandemic. I was bored at home with nothing going on, so I started baking (a lot) to pass the time. I loved baking prior to the pandemic, especially in my free time, but it was hard to find the extra time to bake -- I would bake maybe once or twice in a span of six months. During lockdown, I was able to bake at least three or four times a month, and I would post my baked goods on my Snapchat story. However, I wanted to start sharing my desserts for more than twenty-four hours so others could remember the creations I’ve made. As a result, my Instagram account BakedbyMaansi was born!
This Instagram account is a great way for me to not only share my passion of baking, but also document my growth. It motivated me to improve my skills as I learned new techniques and tried different recipes.
I’m also an eggless baker, so I thought it would be interesting to make that the focal point of my account since most people use eggs while baking. Even though I don’t use eggs or even eat them for religious reasons, I couldn’t let that stop me from pursuing my passion. So, instead of simply not baking at all, I simply found alternatives to eggs. I want to share eggless recipes online to show others, and even myself, that eggless baking is possible.
Pictured: Maansi Shah, creator of BakedbyMaansi (photo courtesy of Maansi Shah)
Lessons I’ve Learned While Running BakedbyMaansi:
One of the very first lessons I’ve learned while having this account is that you’re going to have bad days. There have been days where I’ve accidentally poured in too much flour or overbeat a mixture. Other days, the recipe I’ve tried simply just doesn’t work. I’m gonna be honest though, these mistakes are pretty discouraging. But what always keeps me from giving up is that ultimately baking provides me with an opportunity to unwind and relax. Now when I bake, I try to focus on relaxing myself instead of worrying about making the perfect batch of cookies. By shifting my mindset, I find that I end up baking so much better!
With that being said, another lesson I’ve learned is that “perfect” is subjective. I tend to be hypercritical of myself when I bake, especially when trying out new recipes for the first time. I may dislike the taste of a dessert I made, but others may find the dessert delicious! I remember the first time I ever attempted to make a cheesecake: it was a mango cheesecake for my parents’ anniversary. I was blindly following directions, hoping it would turn out well for my parents. Anyways, after cooling the cheesecake and tasting it, I thought that it tasted HORRIBLE! I thought the mango flavor wasn’t coming through, and that the texture wasn’t right. But when my parents tried the cheesecake, they LOVED it! They thought the mango flavor and the texture was “perfect”. Even when I first baked brownies for my friends I was nervous to know what they would think because that batch wasn’t as “perfect” as I had wanted it to be. But to my delight, my friends loved the brownies! These instances had made me realize that I can be too harsh on myself, especially when I’m baking for others and want the dessert to be “perfect” for them.
Lastly, I've learned that nothing is impossible. When I was younger, I believed it wasn’t possible to bake with eggs and that it was going to have a weird consistency if I left them out of the recipe. Needless to say I avoided baking a lot when I was younger. However, I love a good challenge! Over time I began to find egg alternatives that gave desserts the same or similar consistency to a baked good with eggs! And I’ve finally found the right alternatives to use for different types of desserts. For example, now I know that it’s best to use yogurt for desserts such as quick breads, muffins, and even cookies. Additionally, applesauce can replace eggs in brownies and works well in cakes too. By knowing what kind of egg replacement to use, I can successfully create tasty eggless desserts!
Summer Recipes to Try at Home
After reading about baking, why not try your hand at whipping up some yummy recipes? Today I’ll be sharing a few recipes perfect for summer.
This first recipe is ideal for those summer nights sitting around a bonfire! These are eggless s’mores cookies inspired by @PurelyKaylie on Instagram. I found her recipe online but modified some of the vegan ingredients to non-vegan ingredients (except for the marshmallows).
Eggless S’Mores Cookies
Yields 16 Cookies
Ingredients:
-1⁄2 C butter
-1 C brown sugar, packed
-1⁄4 C milk
-1 1⁄2 TSP vanilla extract
-1 1⁄2 C all-purpose flour
-1⁄2 C finely crushed graham crackers
-1 TSP baking soda
-1⁄2 TSP salt
-1⁄4 TSP ground cinnamon
-3⁄4 C chocolate chunks
-3⁄4 C vegan mini marshmallows
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add 5 graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until finely crushed.
- Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, cream butter, and brown sugar together. Add in milk and vanilla extract. Beat together once more.
- Combine the flour, finely crushed graham crackers, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the wet ingredients. Then, mix in the chocolate chunks and mini marshmallows.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes.
- The cookies should still appear puffy and under-baked when you remove them from the oven. Let the cookies rest for 10 minutes so they will de-puff and firm up.
Another one of my favorite summer recipes are blueberry muffins! I love picking fresh blueberries from Trax Farms to make these muffins. The blueberries add a nice tangy flavor which balances out the sweetness of the muffins. This recipe is inspired by cookpad.com’s “Eggless Blueberry Muffins”.
Eggless Blueberry Muffins
Yields 12 Muffins
Ingredients:
-1 C all-purpose flour (+ more to coat blueberries)
-1 TSP baking powder
-1⁄4 TSP baking soda
-1 C fresh blueberries
-1⁄4 C oil
-1⁄2 C sugar
-1 C hot milk
-1 TSP vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat the oven at 355 degrees F and line a cupcake tray with muffin liners.
- Mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda together.
- Coat blueberries in a separate bowl of flour.
- In another bowl, add oil and sugar and mix well. Add in milk and vanilla extract and combine.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients together. Once well mixed, fold in the blueberries.
- Fill each muffin liner 1⁄3 of the way with batter.
- Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, then enjoy!
Follow BakedbyMaansi on Instagram
Connect with Maansi on LinkedIn