I tackled Claire Saffitz’s kouign-amann recipe, a buttery French pastry made with laminated yeasted dough and plenty of caramelized sugar. While challenging, Claire’s detailed instructions and YouTube guidance make homemade kouign-amann surprisingly approachable. The result is crisp, deeply caramelized, perfectly sweet, and packed with heavenly, flaky layers throughout.
For my December 10 Years of SBIF challenge, I finally tackled Claire Saffitz’s Pistachio Macarons. The shells were finicky, hollow, and humbling – but the pistachio buttercream was silky, nutty perfection. Not every bake needs to be flawless to be worth making (or eating).
To celebrate ten years of Store Bought Is Fine, I tackled Claire Saffitz’s Everything Bagels – a true baking project involving kneading, proofing, boiling, and baking to golden perfection. They’re chewy, flavorful, and delightfully rustic, especially served with Tabasco butter, soft-scrambled eggs, and bacon. A new appreciation for the bagel pros!