EIFA Lists #2 Desserts to Master

Today, I am introducing a new segment, EIFA Lists. This will be lists of mine involving anything food or kitchen-related. More personal and opinion related, unlike my reactions which is just involving the article. 

Cheesecake- Store-bought cheesecake is never great. Not sweet enough, the crust will be barely hanging on, not enough of the flavor it is supposed to be, etc. Cheesecake factory has my favorite of all time. I love the white chocolate raspberry truffle and the Oreo extreme. However, once a slice is about $8 and the whole cheesecake can be near $60. I don’t go there enough to spend that kind of money when I want dessert. If I can learn how to make them myself, I could make maybe 3 different cheesecakes for $60. I already bought a springform pan so I’m serious about learning. If I can make a pie from scratch, I should be able to figure this out

Strawberry Cake- There has to be a better strawberry cake than just the boxed mix. I’m a huge fan of it but it’s hard to find. I have made chocolate and vanilla cake before so I feel like this is the next step. I want to master base flavors before I start doing the more specialty ones like German chocolate or black forest. Ideally, I can use fresh or frozen fruit for it, not artificial flavors because at that point I can make the box mix.

Fudge- Fresh fudge is my absolute favorite way to enjoy chocolate. I wish it was easier to find at other places besides boardwalks at beaches. I like getting it with peanut butter or Oreos. I really enjoy a specialty fudge. The closest beach is about 3 hrs away which is too far to travel for. I want to learn how to make a more legit version that the type that is based on the store-bought frosting. It would be such a fun gift to give. I would make it for people often because the ingredients aren’t that expensive and it is a special treat.

Macarons- I recently talked about my love for these in a previous post (insert link here). This would be an advanced project that I would need to prepare for. I have never made anything with almond flour or something that needs to be so small and a particular shape. These are a bit pricey and for a special treat, I will pay for them. However, I think it would be pretty impressive if I can make them myself. I need to at least get those mats that have the shape on them already.

Cookie Bars- I can bake cakes and pies but can not make the same batch of cookies consistently.  I don’t know what I'm doing differently every time. I haven’t attempted to make cookies in about a year. If I can make them into bars, I can cut them into their own shape when they’re done, so I wouldn’t have to worry about spreading. Also with bars, I probably won't have the chill the dough forever either. Plus how often do you really see a cookie bar?