The sweet scent of baked cinnamon fills the kitchen. The oven emits a soft yellow glow. The sink is a mess, and finals loom before you — but when the oven timer dings, nothing else matters.
Baking is one of the most enjoyable and worthwhile endeavors you can pursue during the holiday season, especially when you’re a college student battling for an empty seat in Deering Library. Baking reduces stress, forces you to take a break and grants your taste buds something yummy to look forward to at the end of the day.
The delicious activity is not without its difficulties, though. As two roommates who have baked in Shepard Hall before, here are our tips for not letting the lack of space, privacy or tools prevent you from eating warm, chocolatey goodness:
Ask your friends for equipment.
Reach out to friends living nearby and ask if they have access to a baking sheet or a pan. Trust us, at least one person you know has a pan in their room. If not, wrapping foil on top of an aluminum plate works well in a pinch (though remember to place it shiny side down). The same thing goes for measuring cups, bowls and whatever else you may need. If you don’t have a measuring cup, just use a random cup from your room to measure all your ingredients. As long as the proportions are right, having nine cookies instead of 10 won’t make a difference.
Share ingredients with people on your floor.
No one needs a whole can of nonstick spray for one batch of cookies, so see if anyone has some communal supplies to share. Pro tip: butter or oil on a baking sheet also works wonders. Split a carton of eggs with a friend craving a homemade breakfast, or share a stick of butter with a sandwich-loving neighbor. If you have any leftover ingredients, take it as a sign to keep baking until you run out.
Find an on-campus kitchen.
If your dorm does not have a kitchen, befriend people whose dorm does. Also, check out the dorms that are dedicated to your area of campus that might have common areas available for public use. Elder Hall is available to all North Area students, Willard is perfect for all Southwest area residents, the McCulloch First Floor Lounge is a go-to for all Northeast area students, and the Shepard Engagement Center is accessible to all South Campus residents. And if those places are too far from you, almost all large dorms on campus have a kitchen. Hit up a friend and stake your claim on an oven. The delightful smells will lure in any potential new hungry friends.
That being said, there’s nothing worse than baking brownies with a small group and summoning all 100 people currently inside the building, asking if they can help in exchange for some treats. Do yourself and your eardrums a favor: Find an oven that is somewhat secluded.
Buy boxed or pre-made baked goods.
Purchasing boxed cake mix at the store ensures you only need to buy eggs and water. And pre-made cookie dough is even better. All you have to do is put the dough on a baking sheet and stick it in the oven. Short and sweet, and it saves you money, space and tools. No one is out there judging you for not baking from scratch, and it’s pretty much guaranteed your treats will come out tasting delicious (as long as you don’t burn them). Who cares if you didn’t stand in front of a stove browning butter for six hours — cookies are cookies.
Best of luck with all your future dorm baking adventures. Remember: there is no such thing as baking too much, and if you ever have extras, feel free to share them with us! So go blast some cheerful holiday tunes, gather your hungry friends and bake.
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
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