Utensils to Use When Baking for One

Baking for one is just like baking…only much smaller.  Most baking tools are designed for full batches.  Because of this, the sad fact is that mixers, cake pans, and other traditional baking utensils don’t lend themselves to baking for one.  However, you probably already have everything you need to bake small batches in your kitchen.  The following items are what I use most when baking for one.

• Cereal bowls, pinch bowls, and coffee mugs.  To mix your ingredients, you need much smaller bowls.  You can really use any small bowl that is easy to mix in and scrape out.  I like cereal bowls and coffee mugs.  If you are making a really small amount of something (like a topping, etc.) pinch bowls or smalle ramekins work great.
• Forks.  I use forks to mill and aerate dry ingredients rather than sifting.  I also use forks for mixing.
• Small whisks.  If you don’t like mixing batter with a fork, you can use a small whisk.  Most kitchen stores sell tiny whisks that can be used to mix up small batches of batter.
• Muffin cups, mini loaf pans, and decorate mini cake pans can all be used to bake small batches of cakes, muffins or breads. 

Regular cookie sheets can be used for small batches of cookies or other baked goods that don’t require a pan with sides.

Why Single Serving Recipes are a Great Idea

I love cheesecake, and cheesecake loves me.  The problem with this is that cheesecake loves me too much.  When I bake a cheesecake, the cheesecake and I get along great.  Better than great.  We have an on-going love affair where all I can think about is that cheesecake.  From the moment I start mixing the batter until the moment the last of it is devoured.  And even after it's gone, it still sticks around, in the form of fat which seems to attach to my thighs. 

For awhile, I decided that I would simply stop baking cheesecake.  Because I live with my fiance, who doesn't eat sweets, and I really don't need to eat an entire cheesecake by myself before it spoils.  This didn't work out because not baking cheesecakes at all only made me want them more...the forbidden fruit syndrome.  So eventually I decided that the old adage "moderation is the key" would hold true in this case.  I could bake, and even eat, cheesecake, I just had to do it in moderation.  So, I had a few options.  I could bake an entire cheesecake and freeze it into tiny pieces (with most of them growing freezer burnt before I'd eat them), I could bake an entire cheesecake and give most of it away (co-workers and family members would benefit), or I could bake a single-serve cheesecake, using a fraction of the ingredients and time.  I decided that the last option was the best fit for me.  That doesn't mean that I never freeze desserts or that I never take them to my friends and family, but it does mean that if I get a sudden craving for cheesecake, I can make one on the spur of the moment and not feel bad about doing it. 

My decision to begin baking cheesecake (and single-serving desserts) wasn't easy, mainly because there aren't a lot of single-serving desserts published, and even if you have a recipe converter, downsizing a regular recipe to make one or two servings is tricky.  You have to deal with the fraction of an egg, the teeny tiny amounts of baking powder, baking soda, etc.  However, I have found that it's worth it.  Below is a list of all the great things about baking single-serving desserts.

• It's healthier for you.  Now, cheesecake may never become a dietician's dream, but eating one piece of it is definitely better than eating an entire cheesecake.  Preparing one serving of a cheesecake or other dessert allows you to enjoy a treat in moderation, without temptation to overeat.
• It saves money.  Baking with a small amount of ingredients is obviously much less expensive than baking an entire cheesecake.
• It saves time.  I've also found that single-serving recipes are faster to prepare, and that most of the ingredients can be mixed by hand (not to mention that mixers and other kitchen tools are made for larger batches, so they won't mix your ingredients well, anyway).  I can whip up cheesecake batter for one in a fraction of the time it takes me to prepare a regular batch.
• It eliminates waste.  Often, if I prepare a dessert at home, I'll have a few pieces, my fiance will have maybe one, and the rest of it gets thrown out when it gets old or dries up.  Baking a single-serving of my favorite dessert saves me from having to throw away leftovers.
• It allows me to be creative.  I've also found that I can really experiment when I'm preparing a single-serving recipe, because I have less time and ingredients (i.e. money) invested.  And, if I mess up or something goes awry, I'm the only person who will have to deal with the results.  I often don't like to experiment will full serving recipes because if my experiments end in disaster, I won't have anything worth serving.  This is not a concern when I'm only baking for myself.

Single-serving recipes have changed my daily life.  Although I still love baking regular batches of desserts, I have incorporated single-serving recipes for baked goods into my daily routine.