Pic and Chews: Buffalo Chowhounds of Instagram
Chowhound of the week: Blue Eyed Baker
Instagram: @blue.eyed.baker
Website: blueeyedbaker.net
Who said you can’t have your dessert first? For Alex Strazzella, a.k.a. Blue Eyed Baker, dessert is the only thing on her mind. Hailing from East Aurora, this local baker and pastry chef uses her ingenuity to create any baked good of your choice. Passing by her page isn’t easy either; you’ll be mesmerized by all of her homemade, handcrafted confections. This gal was raised on scratch baking, which sparked her interest at a young age and carried her into a career. “I’ve always been obsessed with food, as a kid my slogan was ‘food is my life,’” she says.
She’s lined her page with some of her favorite recipes, like Browned Butter Apple Crumb Pie and tons of French Macarons. “I love to customize the shells with different popping colors and get creative with the fillings,” she says. Her most recent creation was inspired by a childhood, Halloween favorite—“Boo-Berry” macarons. Two delicate teal meringues with a vivid purple butter cream filling sandwiched in between, her macarons are a dessert designed to awake your inner child.
Alex lives by a very diverse set of baking guidelines, old school with a contemporary twist; but much like a lot of masters of the craft she ranks one ingredient above all—butter. “The amount of butter I go through is absurd!” she says. One rule she always follows; no shortening and no corn syrup, everything is better with butter.
From cakes to cookies, biscuits to breads, Alex has a grasp on everything baked and everything homemade. Fear not, follow her page you can find a link to her website so you can taste these amazing morsels yourself.