Thanks for that hint @Elsieb. The Pioneer Woman recipe uses “everyday” ingredients. The Stella Parks recipe calls for specialty cocoa powder, available online at $20/pound. – not “affordable” in my definition, although Serious Eats pretends it is. Standard Hershey’s is less than half that per pound and available in 8 oz size; with my baking that’s enough for about a year.
So true, I have some items from her recipes that haven’t been used again. I have to curb my urges to make recipes with odd ingredients or methods😉
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I totally understand what you mean about those expensive ingredients. I have given myself permission to freely substitute where ever I see fit. And I have not been disappointed when I have done so!
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Crick crackers which were posted in Dorie xoxo newsletter last Friday. I used everything bagel as topping. Very addictive
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Add images here
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If I could buy it in small (half-cup to 1 C) quantity, I’d love to try the specialty cocoa for side-by-side comparison. Sometimes I think over-the-top dessert reviews are written by folks who’ve not had chocolate for a few years. 
SallyT :
“I’m most proud of mastering macarons - I always wanted to make them and finally took a class at Sugar Glider Kitchen in VT and that was all I needed (and tips from Skleg who hopefully sees this!) This pic is from the dinner after my daughter’s bat mitzvah - every time that I was stressed I made macarons and froze them, and then served them for dessert. Huge hit”
Welcome @Stef_bakes, nice to see that you found your way.
@sallyt shared her Macron spread on the welcome baking thread quote from above.
Perhaps you would like to share some of your tips and tricks over there so others can benefit from your knowledge (by replying to sallyt’s post)?
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Ah, Sally is such a wonderful baker, she didn’t need much help. Her macarons where cracking and I suggested that she double tray and turn trays over when baking. I first tasted my first decent macaron in Paris and knew that I had to try baking them. I started having a bit of success and then my oven gave out. Although I bought a gas oven again it was difficult to figure out the right temperature. I watched many YouTube videos and the one that gave me success was Pie and Tacos. I now even use carton egg whites to make them.
Olivia I notice your sunflower and ukrainian flag. I am Canadian Ukrainian and my kids are first generation Canadians. It’s a very sad time for us.
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Macarons are on my bucket list but I’m not there yet in my baking skills.
My Parents and Grandparents were Displaced Persons.
Yes, it is indeed a very sad time for us however, the silver linning is that Ukraine is in the News now.
Nice to meet another “Uke”.
Oh my I would rather not see all this destruction an misery. That’s not a silver lining.
I’m in full agreement that part is difficult to watch.
What I meant by “silver lining” is that it has brought awareness about the present and past history of which many people were unaware.
My family was happy to leave things in the past and move forward. The problem with soldiering on is that you lose the family history that you are unable to share with your own children.
Seeded spelt rolls for some cold cut sandwiches later.
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Inspired by @Elsieb above, I made the Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake (aka Texas Sheet Cake). A half recipe, in a 9x12 half-sheet pan since we’re a household of two. That recipe doesn’t say to grease & flour the pan but 2 other recipes included it in their instructions, so I did. Edited to add - I measured my “2 heaping T” of cocoa (for half recipe) and learned I was putting in 3.5 level T; seemed right to me. 
I got distracted mid-way through assembly and put in the full amount of buttermilk (2 T SACO powder plus 1/2 C. water). Cake still came out just fine - did not overflow the pan and was done at the 20-minute baking time listed. “Yummy” was the reaction as we sampled the still slightly warm cake. Slide show to see the cake slice on a plate…
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Happy to hear this can be done in a 9x12". I was thinking of giving it a try.
Half recipe fit just fine.
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SK’s recipe for “pizza babka” is one of our favorites. It involved more twisting than a simple roll, but it is so worth it! I usually make a double recipe so we have leftovers.
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That’s a really nice photo. I find sandwiches kind of hard to photograph to make them pretty.
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Thank you!
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I love bulk stores for that… Bulk Barn here in Canada is one of my favourites…
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I’m skeptical that such a specialty item (natural cocoa powders with at least 14% fat content) would be sold at most bulk stores. Does Bulk Barn have that?
I’ve seen what happens at the bulk bins at stores around here. (wild children often access). Not a fan.
