This post was sponsored by Meyenberg.

After making the goat butter switch in some of my favorite desserts, here are my top five reasons why you should give it a try.

The good news is that with just a few ingredients you can make them yourself! Bonus – they only take a few minutes to prep. 

The texture of the homemade version is a little different from the ones you can buy. The store-bought chips [paid link] are smooth, almost waxy, while mine have a texture that more closely resembles wet sand. When they are melted in baked goods, they remain a little coarse (but it’s not unpleasant).

John Whaite, a winner of the hit U.K. television series “The Great British Bake Off,” calls baking “a form of pill-less Prozac.” Still other research shows the benefits of pausing from other activities and spending some quality time in the kitchen.

Gather up your ingredients, put on some music (or enjoy peace and quiet), and read on for five ways that baking therapy works.

Freezing helps save those stray egg whites or yolks left over from meringues, custards, curds, marshmallow frosting, or even making cupcakes. It’s also a great way to make sure that you are prepared if you’re snowed in, sick, quarantined, or otherwise unable to leave your house.

What You Need to Know

• You can’t freeze eggs in their shells. If they aren’t cracked, they will crack in the freezer and may make a giant mess.
• If you are using only egg yolks, the yolks will thicken or gel when frozen.
  • To prevent this, stir in either salt (if they’re destined for savory dishes) or sugar (if they’re destined for sweet dishes).
• Frozen eggs can be stored for up to a year. Once frozen, store them in an airtight freezer bag as shown below.
• Once defrosted, they work the same way as regular eggs. I gave them the ultimate test after trying this technique myself – whipping egg whites into a meringue frosting. The defrosted egg whites worked just as well as fresh ones; I was sold!

Helpful Tips

If you freeze all the eggs together in one big container, it’s not convenient when you you want a two egg omelet for breakfast or need a couple of egg yolks for a recipe. I recommend using a muffin tin to freeze each egg – or groups of two yolks or whites – separately.

Get everything you need to know about this magical fruit – from where to buy it to the best foods to try with it.

What is It?

Vanilla bean paste is a thick syrup made using vanilla bean pod seeds and vanilla extract.

Not only will it make your desserts look pretty (see the vanilla flecks in the frosting photo below), but it will also give them an intense vanilla flavor – think of vanilla bean ice cream compared to plain vanilla ice cream.

While crumb cakes designed to be enjoyed with coffee are wonderful, sometimes you want the coffee flavor in the dessert itself. There are four ways that I recommend you impart that coffee flavor to your baked goods.

Four Ways to Make Coffee Desserts

There are four main ways to get the flavor of coffee into your baked goods. You can combine methods within a single dessert, and keep in mind that many of these methods can also be used when baking with tea, too.

Sugared strawberries are perfect to use on cakes, cupcakes, or other desserts – especially those served on special occasions like Valentine’s Day and anniversaries.

The best Super Bowl desserts are hand-held. People can grab them quickly and return to the game. Here are a few of my favorites!