It started December 2013 in this kitchen with Alton Brown’s chocolate chip cookies...
My sister, Melody, had just learned how to bake the typical crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside chocolate chip cookie that made the whole house smell like buttery goodness. We packed these goodies in Christmas treat bags found at the Big Lots clearance section and gifted them to our church friends. We thought we were so cool that we signed “Handmade Productions" on the back of each personalized card made with scrapbook book we've been hoarding for years.
Ever since, baking for church friends became our Christmas tradition. I would fall into a Pinterest rabbit hole and start planning for Christmas goodies as early as October. They evolved from cookies to puff pastries, truffles, waffle pops, chocolate barks, mini bundt cakes, and choux au craquelin. Each year we had to outdo the last. As the difficulty and number of steps in the recipe increased, I became the only one left in this Handmade Productions (but of course, my family know just the right time to come to the kitchen to taste test).
The aesthetic pictures on my Instagram only mask the storm that takes place in this tight kitchen. I always complain about our cluttered, cramped kitchen-- the ancient oven that is 30 degrees off, minimal counter space, inconsistent lighting, and pots in the oven (like any other Asian household). It wasn't until I was baking in another kitchen that I realized what a safe space this is for me. This humble nook baked so many sweet moments. I will still get annoyed when the oven lights don't turn on or when I have to shove all the rice cookers, slow cooker, and hot water kettle to one corner, but this is where it all happens.
Welcome to Handmade Productions. I want to keep track of all the sweet memories I’ve baked. I barely have any pictures of my old baked goods, which perhaps just means that they were unmemorable... My sisters died of laughter when they found my old “to-bake” list that consisted of chocolate chip cookies and brownies.
Since then, I've found my niche of the Asian, reduced-sugar desserts that my family and friends say, “I like it because it’s not too sweet.”
My baking is people-oriented and memory-inspired. I won't necessarily be sharing recipes, but rather, stories. My "to-bake" list has simply become a list of people I want to bless. So, stay tuned to read through my FLAVORS PPL LIKE note and kitchen endeavors. In the meantime, comment your favorite dessert and/or flavors. Maybe you'll be the next on my list!! :)
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