Written for Doisy & Dam
What's the deal with baking in lockdown?
You must have noticed social media has suddenly become a display of sweet treats and endless variations of banana bread! We’re totally in to it, drooling over our instagram feeds and long may the great bake continue, however we also can’t help but wonder what is it about baking that’s got us all hooked. As it's Mental Health Awareness week we wanted to look in to the benefits of baking and why we should carry on even after this is all over.
A BIT OF CHILL TIME
Baking has always been therapeutic, which could be why we’ve all decided to master it. It’s a relaxing way to pass time in lockdown a little faster, and, as it’s always important to try your bakes, gives you an excuse to reward yourself after! Of course getting into the great outdoors is vital for mental well being, but with limited places to venture at the moment it’s just as important to feel good at home. You need to put your energy somewhere and it’s a great skill to learn.
A (SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN) MOOD BOOSTER
The best thing about making tasty treats? Sugar consumption increases serotonin, which regulates mood, appetite, memory, and even social behaviour. Put simply, it makes you happy. And while we don’t recommend eating brownies for every meal of the day (or do we…), they make a delicious afternoon pick-me-up!
A DE-STRESSER
Baking also helps your mental health as it gives you an activity to focus on – something many people are looking for at the moment. It’s a distraction from what’s going on and, if you’re making something that requires kneading, then you can take out all those pent up feelings on the dough.
NO MORE NASTY INGREDIENTS. YOU'RE IN CONTROL.
You choose the ingredients, you make the bake. It’s totally in your hands – no more traipsing around the supermarket trying to find the best dark chocolate cookies that are free from palm oil, e-numbers and everything in between. You choose what goes into your cookies, and, if one of those ingredients happen to the best vegan chocolate around (otherwise known as Doisy & Dam) then that’s fine by us!
Baking is helping us all get through lockdown and we are loving it. It’s teaching us to take time for ourselves again, spend time with family and to make food from scratch – not everything has to be fast and now. We need to remember to take a step back and be proud of what we’ve just achieved.
It’s the same approach we take with our chocolate, top quality, simple ingredients, appreciating the work and effort that goes into every product, from bean to bar, and making sure we take stock of what we are doing and the impact we are having.
If you’re stuck for baking inspiration, try some of our favourite chocolatey bakes (with no bananas in sight!).
Blondie bars
These indulgent vegan blondies are sooo good and a yummy change to usual brownies. Try serving these warm with a scoop of non-dairy ice cream for dessert.
Chocolate cupcakes
There’s nothing more fun than decorating these cupcakes, so go wild and get creative! Our favourite topping is a mixture of our vegan buttons, ballers and drops (although we may be a little biased!).
Maple chocolate chip cookies
This twist on classic oatmeal and raisin cookies is filled with our delicious ethical chocolate. They contain plenty of fibre, protein and slow-releasing carbs, which makes them perfect for breakfast right?
