Cooking Up Success

Senior%2C+Caroline+Wagner%2C+shares+her+baking+secrets+while+connecting+with+other++bakers+online.+

Alexis Hoedeman

Senior, Caroline Wagner, shares her baking secrets while connecting with other bakers online.

Emma Johnston, Staff Writer

Since a young age, senior Caroline Wagner has loved working in the kitchen. For her, there is nothing more fun than experimenting with recipes and sharing her love for baking with her friends and family. “When I was little my mom used to always have me get a kitchen chair and stand and watch [and] help, so she has definitely influenced [my interest] in baking,” Wagner said.

Wagner’s interest in confectionery arts started as a casual pastime and has turned into a serious hobby. “I watched shows like Cake Boss and DC Cupcakes and that got me into it a lot more,” Wagner said.

She began to bake for her friends and family; with her growing interest, her dad proposed that she showcase her talent to more people through a baking blog. “My dad told me a couple years ago, ‘Why don’t you start this? You can share what you’ve made.’ And it kind of got neglected for a while because I forgot about it, but this year I have really been getting back into it,” Wagner said..

The blog allows her to express herself through personalized notes and share her favorite recipes. One of her most impressive posts includes a twenty-five day countdown to Christmas with recipes like Peppermint Brownie Bars, Spritz Cookies, and Peppermint Stick Ice Cream Pie. “I did a twenty-five days of Christmas series this year and tried to [post] every day. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been fun,” Wagner said.

Many of Wagner’s recipes come from her family members like her grandma and aunt. This year she has branched out to find different and more interesting baking options. “[I used] Pinterest this year, especially for Christmas recipes, because I didn’t have twenty-five different ones, [it] has been really helpful,” Wagner said.

Although Wagner hasn’t sold her baked goods yet, she plans to keep baking and one day open her own shop. “I definitely want to continue through college next year. My dream is to open my own cupcakery after college,” Wagner said.

Wagner understands the difficulty of baking: not everything always turns out the way it is meant to. “I’ve definitely burnt stuff. I’ve had times where my icing is like soup. You’ve just got to follow the recipes and be patient,” Wagner said.

Despite frustrations and failures, baking remains a source of joy in Wagner’s life. “I know some people hate baking, and that it can be really stressful, but I love it,” Wagner said.

 

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