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HerBakingLab

she bakes, she experiments, she writes | a blog by Queenie Lu

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Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off

08/16/2021 By Queenie Leave a Comment

herbakinglab-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-bake-off

When I first came to the U.S and took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie provided at my college's orientation, I had serious doubts. They were dry, greasy, and wayyyyyy too sweet. I was so confused over the years that everyone except me seems to love chocolate chip cookies. It turned out, just like what converts me from a pie-hater to a pie lover, I just never had a good one. Because of my horrible first impression of CCC, I rarely eat them nor bake them until this year I had a good CCC from Metropolitan Market here in Seattle. That magical ...

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Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake

04/20/2021 By Queenie Leave a Comment

big-crumb-rhubarb-coffee-cake

Last year around this time, I was four months into studying LSAT full time while taking care of an infant. We were two months into the pandemic. I remembered those hard days and how going to the grocery store felt like a vacation. And I wrote this post "When there's rhubarb, there's hope" to cheer myself up when I saw rhubarb in the grocery store. What a year. I'm so grateful now we're fully vaccinated. To celebrate and to mark an ending for this unusual year, we took a mini road trip to Whidbey Island with little croissant. Oh boy. Does it ...

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herbakinglab-earl-grey-chiffon-cake-12

London Fog Chiffon Cake (and things I’ve learned so far from opening an online bakery)

I’m back! I was planning to get the “Mini Apple Cake Bake-off” post up before Thanksgiving, but who knew my little bakeshop actually SOLD OUT for Thanksgiving and also went full capacity on Christmas?!!! Oh well, now the holiday rush was ...

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Apple cakes I’ve baked so far (plus recipes I want to bake next!)

I’m very into fall baking this year. And I started early, like I cracked into my first can of pumpkin in late August. I have always loved baking with pumpkin, but this year my obsession is apple. Specifically apple cakes. Picking the right recipe is ...

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good-day-baking-co-about-photo

Meet Good Day Baking Co.!!!

I did a thing. It might be the closest thing I could have done to my ultimate dream (AKA opening my own bakery) while still sticking with the plan of going to law school in 2021. I opened an online bakeshop!! Okay, so first thing first - why did I ...

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Little croissant’s first birthday + DIY cake smash photo!

Little croissant is 15 months now, and I just started to edit his cake smash + birthday photos. If it tells you something, prepare to have a similar rhythm for life when you become a parent But wow how time flies. I still feel like making Mini ...

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herbakinglab-peach-pie-04

Perfect Peach Pie + BYE LSAT!

I AM FINALLY DONE WITH LSAT. I hope y'all can feel my excitement with these all cap letters. The funny thing is I’ve wakened up at least 3 times the night before score release day, with vivid nightmares of scoring only 129 (120=0 in LSAT world), ...

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Rhubarb pie yogurt cup

Now we all live in this crazy time, what do you miss the most from your normal routine? I definitely am missing the small things that I don’t even think are important in my daily life. Going to the farmer’s market, eating in a restaurant, talking to ...

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herbakinglab-rhubarb-post

When there is rhubarb, there is hope.

I’m not gonna lie. The last few weeks or months are not easy. I remembered sobbing silently on NYE after little croissant was asleep and thought “wow 2020 was not off to a good start”. And it wasn’t. I shouldn’t have complained. I am so grateful for ...

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herbakinglab-pumpkin-angel-food-cake-fall

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

We came back early from China, unexpectedly. It is kind of a bummer to everyone, especially little croissant’s grandparents and great grandparents. They teared up when saying goodbye to little croissant and I have never seen some of them ever teared ...

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Pumpkin-Spice-Bread-with-Cream-Cheese-Swirl-close-up

Pumpkin Spice Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

Two posts back, I shared my late summer favorite galettes and also said I’m so not ready for fall. Well, as the weather cools down and Seattle is now back to its grey rainy days, I started to crave all the warm spices and pumpkin stuff. The other ...

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How to make Mini Number Cakes + little croissant’s 100 days old!

Before little croissant is born, I told Mr.186 a hundred times that I can never be those moms who write baby books for their child. I have seen cute and creative baby photos and thought good for them, but nope, not me. Oh boy, haven’t I been all ...

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herbakinglab-summer-rye-galette-cherry

Late summer rye galette

This summer passed ridiculously fast. Or should I say, every minute passed ridiculously fast after little croissant was born. Don’t get me wrong. Even with all the exhausting nights, sleepy eyes and isolated feeling, I still enjoyed being little ...

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1-month-old-little-croissant

Little croissant’s first month + Mini Victoria Sponge Cake

Helloooooo I’m back! And I am officially a MOM now!!! OMG!! Okay too many exclamation marks, but you get it. It’s pretty scary and exciting at the same time. So let me introduce you, my little croissant. The cutest, most precious thing ever. He ...

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WHO IS SHE?

Queenie Lu

She is quiet, she is fun. She reads cookbooks like novels. Kitchen is her lab and baking is her therapy.

Welcome to HerBakingLab!

identiconMy name is Queenie, mom to little croissant, owner to Good Day Baking Co. and a law school 0L. This is the place I test recipes, share my thoughts, and experiment. Let's be (baking) lab buddies! Read More…

Favorite Recipes!

big-crumb-rhubarb-coffee-cake

Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake

herbakinglab-earl-grey-chiffon-cake-12

London Fog Chiffon Cake (and things I’ve learned so far from opening an online bakery)

herbakinglab-peach-pie-04

Perfect Peach Pie + BYE LSAT!

herbakinglab-pumpkin-angel-food-cake-fall

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

herbakinglab-summer-rye-galette-cherry

Late summer rye galette

herbakinglab-everyday-blackberry-ricotta-cake-2

Everyday cake – Blackberry Ricotta Cake

jam-filled-scone-kate-wood

Scone obsession

herbakinglab-copycat-trader-joe's-pancake-bread-recipe

Copycat Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread Recipe, maybe even better!

Herbakinglab-Matcha-Christmas-Wreath-Shortbread

Matcha Christmas Wreath Shortbread Cookie

Herbakinglab-Fresh-Fig-Salted-Fudgy-Brownie-cut-ins

Fresh Fig Salted Fudgy Brownie

herbakinglab-orange-cardamom-yogurt-loaf-cake-

Orange Cardamom Yogurt Loaf Cake

granola-biscotti-afternoon-tea-smitten-kitchen

Granola Biscotti – when afternoon coffee meets breakfast

korvapuusti-finnish-cinnamon-cardamon-sweet-roll-with-coffee-latte

Korvapuusti – Finnish Cinnamon Rolls

crumpets-recipe-how-to-eat-crumpets-like-a-pro-toppings

Crumpets – recipe and how to eat them like a pro

best-british-earl-grey-tea-shortbread-final

Best British Earl Grey Tea Shortbread

Bake Offs and Challenges

herbakinglab-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-bake-off

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off

Best Nine

My favorite King Arthur Flour Recipes – after 60 days of baking KAF recipes

kaf-60-day-challenge-day-60

The Complete List of 60 King Arthur Flour Recipes I tried in the past sixty days

best-bagel-in-seattle-great-bagel-off-intro

Great Seattle Bagel-Off – Finding the best bagel in Seattle

herbakinglab-open-faced-victoria-sandwich-caption

Book Larder Bake Off Winning Recipe – Open Faced Victoria Sandwich

#ba30daychallenge-bon-appetit-best-recipes-day-24-salty-chocolate-chunk-cookie

BA’s Best #30daychallenge Recap – Reviews & Favorite Recipes

Browse Recipes

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🥮Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!中秋节快乐🎑 🥮Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!中秋节快乐🎑
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It’s the second biggest holiday in China (like Thanksgiving in the US) and it’s a day for family to reunion and gather. 🌕 It’s one of my favorite traditional Chinese holidays. 
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I can’t recall the last time I actually spent Mid-Autumn Festival with all of my family members. The last time I traveled back to China, it’s pre-Covid and little 🥐 was just 4-month-old. I haven’t seen my dad since then and I really really miss him. 😢
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Hope the situation will get better and I can soon hug my dad in person. 💛
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off!! 🍪👑 ⁡ I’ Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off!! 🍪👑
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I’ve never liked CCC during my years living in the states but some magical moments happened and I am now fully converted (read the full story linked in bio!). 😂 
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Normally I’ll just head to @thepancakeprincess and pick a winner recipe from her bake off. But wait. There are THREE kinds of CCC bake off on her site and I have no idea what kind of chocolate chip cookie I like. 😨
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So I did my own Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off. I know the six CCC recipes I chose are distinctly different. It’s less a “find the best recipe” kind of bake off but more like a way for me to find out what kind of CCC I enjoy the most. 
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Head to the link in my bio and check out the post🥳 It only took me about six months to write this post (I blame little 🥐 for the procrastination🤪)
26🍰 I haven't posted anything in a long while. 26🍰
I haven't posted anything in a long while. TBH I didn't even feel like baking. The past few months have been a blur. Somehow I didn't have the energy to do anything. I severely underestimated how hard it is to single parent a toddler. During the pandemic of course. 
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I was living in a fog this whole year I guess. I am someone's mom, someone's wife, someone's daughter, someone's daughter in law and somehow I lost myself in all those roles. 
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This week, little 🥐 started daycare. He cried and I cried in the parking lot too. Tears for sadness, guilt, relief, and all sorts of mixed feelings that I don't have a word for. 
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But I also felt like a new woman. I finally can see the light through the fog. Now I don't have to be with little 🥐 24/7, I hope I can restore myself, piece by piece. 
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Thank you @deepseasugar for spoiling me with all the cakes. Cake helps. A lot. 
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Here's to a brighter 26🥂
Little 🥐 turned 2 this week! Still can’t beli Little 🥐 turned 2 this week! Still can’t believe how he grows so fast🥲On the brighter side, he can now be my official hand model!🤣

Brown butter banana bread recipe by @kalesuckz , which is one of 🥐’s favorite breakfast item🥰 I may or may not bought extra 🍌 to (im)patiently wait them to rippppppe and make @kalesuckz banana bread again!
You do you. I’m just here, admiring my morning c You do you. I’m just here, admiring my morning coffee situation☕️💕🍰

Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake is on the blog🤎Click the link in my bio to get the recipe! 
Happy weekend baking🥳
Double Chocolate Rye Cookie from @joannebchang Pas Double Chocolate Rye Cookie from @joannebchang Pastry Love🤎 Zoom in to see all (my intentionally) underbaked gooey mess. 

I’ve been wanting to post this picture for days and even thought about the caption to be “Moody”. But I’ve been pretty darn happy and calm lately and I’m tired of waiting for a moody day to post this🤣 Guess I can just never be as cool as my cookie idol @thaliaho 

But you should never wait to make this cookie! So rich. So indulgent. So satisfying. So GOOD. This double chocolate rye cookie, dare I say, is a better alternative to brownies for chocolate lovers. I used my favorite @valrhonausa CARAÏBE🍫& @kingarthurbaking organic rye flour🌾And sprinkled some @maldonsalt on top
✨New recipe on the blog!✨BIG CRUMB RHUBARB COF ✨New recipe on the blog!✨BIG CRUMB RHUBARB COFFEE CAKE💖

If you saw my Whidbey Island trip recap (saved in the story!), you knew I brought back fresh rhubarbs from a local farm stand as a souvenir🤣 As soon as I got home, I baked them into this Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake. 🥰 It’s everything I want for a perfect spring coffee cake.

It only calls for half stick of 🧈 for the cake batter, which results in a moist but not oily or heavy kind of coffee 🍰. It’s light enough to be breakfast but sweet enough to pair with your afternoon ☕️ The streusel topping creates some beautiful big crumbs, which we all know that’s what we actually want for coffee cakes🤪AND you do NOT need sour cream, buttermilk or any kind of special dairy and NO NEED for a mixer either. 

Get yourself some rhubarbs and bake my Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake this week! 💕 Recipe linked in bio😘
OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE🍪   We’re going to OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE🍪 

We’re going to Whidbey Island for a mini road trip tomorrow!! 🥳 First trip since the pandemic and let’s just say I’m so ready for it😷 But it’s also little croissant’s first overnight trip as a toddler... So let’s see how it’ll go🤣

I finally become the mom who carries a bag of homemade cookies around🥲These oatmeal raisin cookies (recipe from @nytcooking @clarkbar ) have been little 🥐’s favorite lately. I remembered I hated raisins as a child but little croissant eats all the raisins from his granola first😂 Oh well. Better than chocolate chips I guess? 

I’m going to steal a 🍪 while little croissant is napping now. Enjoy the rare full week of ☀️ next week! 💛
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