If you bake, you’re probably already aware that it’s a soothing activity and that baked goods are feel-good, stress-reducing foods. After all, there’s wisdom in the idea that “stressed” spelled backward is “desserts!”
But as it turns out, there’s science to back it up.
Baking ignites the full array of senses, allowing you to see, feel, hear, smell and taste a recipe. This sensory experience and the meditative acts of cutting, chopping, folding and mixing can help keep you in the moment and out of anxious or depressive thoughts. Increasingly, baking and cooking programs have actually been instituted as a therapeutic tool to help combat depression and anxiety. There are even groups dedicated to baking to help heal depression.
The finished goods themselves can be helpful in stress reduction, too. As it turns out, eating or drinking sweets can decrease the stress-related hormone glucocorticoid, which has been linked to obesity. No, this isn’t free reign to eat all sweets all the time — but it is to say that giving yourself a quality treat can really satisfy your soul on a deep level!
Get baking and enjoy the health benefits that only sweets can provide.
Neon cake pops via fiestabak768014
Pop into a happy mood!
Cake pops are a double bang for your buck in the stress-reduction department. Not only are they a delicious sweet treat, but the act of decorating them can prove meditative and soothing. Craftsy’s free course The Wilton Method: Creative Cake Pops acts as a fantastic introduction to the world of cake pops, from the best types of cakes to use for your filling to some truly adorable decorating ideas for your finished pops. Deepen your knowledge with our blog post about how to properly dip cake pops!
Doughnut worry, be happy!
Doughnut worry, be happy! It’s hard not to smile when you have a fresh doughnut in hand. The process of making doughnuts is a lot easier than most people think, and the results are holey — er, wholly — rewarding. Whether you prefer yours baked or fried, filled or frosted, there’s a variety for everyone in Bluprint’s free downloadable guide, Delicious Doughnuts You Can Make at Home, which showcases 35 pages of recipes, tips, tricks and tutorials for making doughnuts at home.
Show-stopping sugar cookies
Since we eat with our eyes first, why not make cookies a visual feast in addition to a tasty treat? The Bluprint course Decorating Essentials: Designer Cookies will have you creating impressive and occasionally coo-worthy cute cookies in no time, covering baking basics before delving into decorating techniques with embossed fondant, ruffled buttercream and royal icing. Speaking of royal icing, this post details tips for how to work with royal icing in your cookie decoration, from timing out the process to helpful how-to tips.
Sweet secrets
Every baker needs a few tricks up his or her sleeve to streamline baking and keep things streamlined. This post details some of the essentials, including how to make confectioners’ sugar at home, the unusual household object that can be used to slice cheesecake and how to salvage burnt cupcakes. The more baking tricks you know, the faster you’ll have a finished treat to bust your stress!
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