Some hobbies just taste sweeter
Their jobs are different as can be. But using tried-and-true ingredients, plus a trick or two, these three OMRF bakers turn out some binge-worthy desserts. And their coworkers couldn’t be happier.
The PERFECTIONIST
Human Resources Benefits Manager Beth Benefield prefers to make desserts she’d like to eat herself, so she’s pretty well perfected her recipes for chocolate cake, brownies and cake pops. A pie, cheesecake or batch of cookies may sneak in occasionally, but whatever it is, you can bet it’s been through a rigorous testing process.
“I’ll try a recipe over and over until it’s exactly how I envisioned it,” she says. Her coworkers have been the happy recipients of some of her “failed” attempts. But her favorite part isn’t the baking, she says. “It’s seeing people enjoy the end result.”
What sets Beth’s cakes apart from others? Her secret weapon: mayonnaise.
That old sandwich standby produces a super-moist cake, she says. Some people think it sounds unappetizing, so she normally doesn’t mention it until someone’s had a bite. “By that point, they just don’t care.”
The LEGACY
Before she could even spell the names of the recipes, Amanda Valdez, learned to create her great grandmother’s desserts, like delicate Polish crusciki and traditional Czechoslovakian cookies.
Now, Amanda, a research assistant in the Imaging Core Laboratory, is passing her love of crafting sweet treats to her own children. It’s a hobby she also shares with friends and coworkers. From cakes adorned with Minions, unicorns, LEGO men or Darth Vader, Amanda creates themed cakes in flavors ranging from standard chocolate and vanilla to pistachio, rum or peanut butter.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a good cook; I just specialize in desserts,” she says. “It’s great bonding time with my kids, and I love making people feel special on their special days.”
The ARTIST
For Institutional Review Board Coordinator Janice Gales, taste matters. But cake decorating is the part she really loves. “It’s art you can eat,” she says. And for this baker, the more intricate the design, the better.
A good foundation makes all the difference, she says, so she makes everything from scratch. “If it looks good but doesn’t taste good, what’s the point?”
Janice’s cake portfolio includes her favorites, a replica of a Star Wars death star, a nine-layer cheeseburger lookalike and intricate, multi-layer wedding cakes.
It’s messy and can be a little stressful, she says, but it’s worth it. “I joke with my husband that I’m going to die from ‘white lung disease’ from years of powdered sugar inhalation. But what a way to go!”
