Happy New Year! 2016 was such an amazing year, I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store! 

The new year is a time to reflect on your goals and accomplishments from the previous year and think about the year ahead. Last year I posted a list of the 5 cooking goals I had for 2016…

Baked Donuts: 

Baked donuts are one of my favorite things to make now! We got a donut pan as a wedding gift and I couldn’t wait to try it out. You can check out 2 baked donut recipes I posted this year – Maple Baked Donuts and Baked Apple Cider Donuts. There are so many different variations of baked donuts you can make, the options are endless! 

Cinnamon Buns: 

I was so pleasantly surprised with how these turned out! They were perfectly crunchy on the outside and ooey gooey cinnamony on the inside.  I used this recipe from Gimme Delicious Food. They were so easy – plus you don’t have to really plan ahead like you do with a lot of other cinnamon bun recipes I’ve seen where you have to let the dough rise overnight. You use the oven to speed up the dough rising and you have fresh cinnamon buns in just 45 minutes! 

Flourless Chocolate Cake: 

I just made this a few weeks ago, you can fine the recipe here. It was not as hard as I thought it would be, but it was more difficult than the donuts and the cinnamon buns. The cake is fragile and you have to take care not to overcook it or it will dry out. But when you get it right it is fudgey, chocolatey deliciousness! 

My other 2 2016 goals were Sesame Balls with Red Bean Paste and Eggs Benedict. I didn’t get around to them in 2016 so I am transferring them to my 2017 list – that’s allowed right?! I still really want to make both of them, so I am making them a priority in the New Year! 

My other 2017 goals are: 

Fried Pickles: A few years ago I felt like fried pickles were on the menu everywhere we went, but lately I haven’t been seeing them nearly as much. Were they a fad? Did they go out of style? I don’t know… but I am a big fan and I’m not willing to give them up, so I guess I’ll have to take to making them myself! 

Soufflé: You know when you want to make something because you have the perfect dish to put it in? That is me right now with soufflés. We got the cutest Le Creuset mini-cocottes as a wedding present that are perfect for soufflés!

Gnocchi: I’ve never made any type of homemade pasta, so maybe I am wrong, but gnocchi seems the least intimidating and the best place to start. Plus, who doesn’t love it!? 

What are your cooking goals for 2017?