Bakers, find your AirPods. Podcast host Andrea Ballard is sharing recipes, recollections

This time of year, many lucky people are thinking about childhood memories, family traditions and gifts for loved ones.

Andrea Ballard of Olympia thinks about those things all year, because they’re at the heart of her passion for baking. With her good friend Stefin Kohn of London, Ballard produces and hosts the baking-and-treat-making podcast “Preheated.”

“When my grandmother would come to visit us, one thing she always did was make peanut brittle,” Ballard told The Olympian. “Now I make a fancy brittle, salted pistachio brittle, and I put chipotle powder in it because I like spicy things. That’s certainly not something my grandma would have made, but when I make it, there’s that memory.

“I think about her in the kitchen, and I remember when she’d add baking soda at the end, and it would bubble up. It was so exciting.”

Ballard and Kohn, who met when both lived and worked in Seattle, are as devoted to “Preheated” and their friendship as they are to all things sweet and sometimes savory.

They bake for the podcast — and talk to one another — every week, and they’ve released a new episode every Monday since it launched in October 2016.

Hearing the friendly conversation — about what the friends are baking, eating, reading and watching — is as much part of the podcast’s appeal as the baking tips and recipes.

Episodes — with monthly themes such as “Completely Corny” and “Confection Affection” — have been downloaded 150,000 times.

“Typically, we get over 1,000 downloads per episode,” Ballard told The Olympian. “We have over 550 people in our Facebook group.”

But Ballard and Kohn aren’t baking for fame. In fact, they aren’t baking any more now than they ever did.

“I’ve pretty much always baked every week,” Ballard said. “The podcast really was a natural extension of our lives and our conversations with each other. The way it’s pushed me is that I’m baking a lot of things I wouldn’t normally bake. We’re always trying new things.”

She gives away much of what she bakes all year long, making pies for friends’ birthdays, muffins for teacher-appreciation events and brownies for potlucks.

During the holidays, of course, the treat-making steps up because there are more events to attend and more gifts to be given. One of her favorite recipes for gift-giving is Happy People Fudge, which, she and Kohn concluded, does just what its name suggests.

It’s also quick and not intimidating for those new to fudge.

“I want things that taste really good that are fast,” she said. “Most people don’t have time at the holidays to do really elaborate recipes.”

‘Preheated’

• What: Devoted bakers and friends Andrea Ballard of Olympia and Steffin Kohn of London collaborate on this podcast about not just baking but homemade treats of all kinds.
• When: Ballard and Kohn release a new episode every Monday.
• More information: preheatedpodcast.com, hosts@preheatedpodcast.com, 802-276-0788

More podcasts for foodies

Here are Ballard’s faves plus a couple of recommendations from arts writer/foodie Molly Gilmore:

• The Lazy Genius: This podcast, often but not always food-related, “is here to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t,” according to its slogan. Details at thelazygeniuscollective.com
• Inside Trader Joe’s: You know the cool newsletter TJ’s puts out? Turns out the podcast is even better. It shares the inside stories behind the products, Ballard said. traderjoes.com/digin/category/Podcast
• Bon Appetit Foodcast: Recent episodes include “Win the Cookie Swap” and “Sky High Pies.” No wonder Ballard likes it. sporkful.com
• The Sporkful: This one — which has won a number of awards for best food podcast — has the slogan “It’s not for foodies, it’s for eaters,” and host Dan Pashman is opinionated, self-deprecating and funny. Do not miss “Jelly: A Musical Odyssey,” which winds up with an original song. sporkful.com
• Gastropod: Hosted by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley (whose British pronunciations are a great bonus for Anglophiles), this podcast is about science and history as much as it is about food, with episodes delving into peanut butter, tea, cannibalism and much more. gastropod.com

No baking required

Those who prefer to stay out of the kitchen don’t need to be left out of the holiday delights. Ballard recommended a few of her favorite locally made treats.

• Fruitcake from Blue Heron Bakery, 4419 Harrison Ave. NW, #108, Olympia: Ballard said she was “over the moon” when a friend gave her a chunk of Blue Heron’s whole-wheat version. She maintains that fruitcake would be a hit if rebranded “boozy nutcake.” 360-866-2253, blueheronbakery.com

• Gingerbread people from San Francisco Street Bakery, 1320 San Francisco Ave. NE, Olympia: “They’re fabulous,” she said. 360-753-8553, sfsbakery.com

• Sachertorte from Left Bank Pastry, 1001 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia: It turns out that Dec. 5 is National Sachertorte Day, and Ballard celebrated with Left Bank’s gluten-free chocolate-and-apricot cake. 360-350-0669, leftbankpastry.com

Happy People Fudge

This recipe, given to Ballard by her friend Donna Bishop, is “virtually impossible to mess up,” the podcaster said.

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• Dash of salt
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but Ballard and Kohn say they’re a must)

In large microwave-safe bowl, mix chips, marshmallows, salt and condensed milk. Microwave 2 or 3 minutes and stir. If mixture isn’t smooth, heat a few more minutes and stir again.

If you — like Ballard — don’t have a microwave, use a double boiler. (She makes an impromptu one from a small pan and a shallow bowl large enough not to fall into the pan.)

Stir in vanilla and nuts, if using. Pour into paper-lined 9-inch-by-9-inch pan. Refrigerate until set.

Variations:

• Use almonds and almond extract instead of walnuts and vanilla.
• Use pecans, almonds or hazelnuts instead walnuts.
• Use coarsely chopped pretzels or potato chips instead of nuts.
• Use crushed candy canes and peppermint extract instead of nuts and vanilla.

This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 6:00 AM.