Sarah Kieffer, author of 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More
General Nonfiction category
Each week leading up to the 33rd annual Minnesota Book Awards announcement, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our 36 finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
In a year defined by a pandemic and its fallout, virtually everything about our lives has changed in some way. How has COVID-19 impacted your writing habits and preferences? Has the unique zeitgeist of the past year influenced your writing output in any ways that you can pinpoint?
I find I am baking even more than usual, and that my recipes this past year have tended toward both the descriptives “simple” and “comfort”; with my entire family home working or schooling, I’ve needed both those things in my life.
Would you tell us one or two things about your finalist book that you are particularly proud of, and why? (Sure, it may feel a bit un-Minnesotan to say so, but it’s not boasting if we ask!)
It was a lot of work creating and testing 100 unique recipes, and I feel pleased that I accomplished that, as well as truly loving each recipe in the book. I can’t pick a favorite!
What do you hope that your audience learns or takes away from your book?
I hope that my book inspires new bakers to not be intimidated by baking but to dive in and try out some recipes; cookies and bars are a great place to start. I also hope that all my readers see the joy and fun in baking.
Minnesota enjoys a reputation as a place that values literature and reading. If this sentiment rings true for you, what about our home state makes it such a welcoming and conductive place for writers?
I find the long autumn and winter months, tucked away in my home, are the perfect time for all the tedious work: rough drafts, editing, getting a recipe just right. When spring and summer come around and everything and one wakes from hibernation, I see things start clicking in to place: I find that right word I was searching for, my flavor profiles are finally balanced, and those summer berries make every recipe shine.
Sarah Kieffer is the self-taught baker, photographer, and blogger behind the Saveur award-winning The Vanilla Bean Blog. She is also the author of the Vanilla Bean Baking Book.