As sophomore Claire Hsu carefully swirls the whisk in her hand, the cookie dough in her bowl steadily forms. Just fifteen minutes later, a fresh batch of cookies is completed, ready to share with her friends.
Hsu first learned how to bake in middle school when she took the cooking elective at Miller Middle School. The summer of seventh grade, Hsu took a cooking class with Sur La Table, which taught her how to make cakes and cookies. By the end of her freshman year in high school, Hsu was baking consistently about once a week.
“I got really into baking because I enjoy doing it, but also because I wanted to have something to do with my time,” Hsu said. “I also baked a few times with my mom and sister in elementary school, and they encouraged me to continue it as a hobby.”
When Hsu bakes, her sweet treats are usually for her friends at school and her family to enjoy. Baking has been a good method for her to talk to more people and become more social.
“I have always loved sharing food with my friends and family,” Hsu said. “Baking and sharing my treats is my way of showing that I care.”
Hsu’s baking includes various types of cookies, mini cheesecakes, tarts and apple pies. In the near future, she also wants to try new desserts such as tiramisu.
To find her recipes, Hsu looks them up online and adjusts the recipes based on the ingredients she owns. Her basic supplies such as butter and flour are constantly getting restocked, while ingredients like fruits are bought as needed.
“My friend once gave me some lemons from their house, so I decided to make something with them to say thank you,” Hsu said. “I ended up making some lemon crinkle cookies, and my friends really liked them.”
Her most memorable creation occurred the night before sophomore Homecoming when Hsu baked a batch of checkerboard cookies to share during the early morning practice.
“Throughout our Homecoming practices, I would always bring cookies and other treats to share,” Hsu said. “The night before Homecoming, I was baking at 10 p.m. even though we needed to wake up at 5 a.m. the next morning.”
In the future, Hsu plans to sell some of her desserts to her friends at school. After college, she wants to open her own bakery or cafe, where she can sell her baked goods and various drinks.
“I’m surprised by how baking has become such a major part of my life now,” Hsu said. “I used to feel a lot of pressure to find a passion, but now I’ve found something that I just really enjoy doing.”
