Welcome fellow home baker! My name is Karissa Parrish and I am the writer, photographer, and professional baker behind Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs.
My goal is to give every baker that steps into their kitchens the confidence to bake up homemade and tasty desserts with every recipe they try. I strive to provide you with easy to follow instructions, step by step photos, and all of my best tips.
Most of us have probably never been to culinary school or even taken a baking class. I want to assure you, though, that anyone can be an efficient home baker. We just need a little guidance and direction to get there and I hope through my recipes you'll feel more confident in your own baking skills.
After 6+ years of baking, recipe testing, and practicing in my own kitchen, you can have confidence that each and every recipe on the blog can be baked by you at home, in your own kitchens.
I'm so happy you're here and can't wait for you to start baking up delicious desserts.
Happy baking!
Jump to:
How It All Started
I didn't grow up having a passion for baking. In fact, my number one obsession in life was basketball. I played basketball from the time I was 5 until college! Once I finished up college basketball, I knew I needed another passion, something that would excite me to get up each and every morning to accomplish.
In late 2019 my husband pointed out that I needed a hobby. So, that's when I started looking into blogging.
I've always enjoyed food and knew I loved sweets, although I've only ever made chocolate chip cookies and boxed brownie mix.
For the next few months I started researching everything I could about blogging, how to start a blog, how do you create your own recipes, and so on. And then the shutdown happened in March of 2020. At that point I wasn't able to go to work and I was stuck at home. I took that opportunity to officially launch my blog!
What You'll Find On Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs
All of the baked goods you'll find on Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs have been carefully tested in my own kitchen after 6+ years of experience in order to give you amazing results when you try them.
I specialize in easy and approachable desserts that any home baker can successfully make in their own kitchens. I love simple ingredients that you will already most likely have in your own pantry and refrigerator. So that means, plenty of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs!
Some of my favorite dessert categories include cakes, cupcakes, frostings, and cookies.
I do have a recipe index where you can easily filter through the different categories, such as type, season, and even holidays.
You'll find right away that I love to bake with pumpkin (I am that pumpkin spice loving girl!) and chocolate. Those are definitely my two favorite ingredients to work with.
If you ever have any recipe requests or questions always feel free to email me at [email protected] or DM me on Instagram. I keep a running tab on Google Sheets of different recipe ideas and am always looking for more!
Fun Facts About Karissa
- I am 100% a self-taught baker and photographer. I've never taken a course, so everything I know is because of practicing over the last 6+ years.
- Fall is my favorite season and I count down the days until summer is over and pumpkin spice season (oops, I mean fall) begins.
- Because I grew up playing basketball I love sports! My favorite teams are the Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Cowboys, and Oregon Ducks.
- I was born and raised just outside of Portland, OR and have continued to live within the metro area my entire life.
- I am 29 years old, have been married to my husband for 7 years, and have an almost 1 year old son.
Inspiration Behind The Name
Choosing a blog name was definitely challenging, but I couldn't be happier with the name Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs.
In high school, my best friends nicknamed me ginger snaps. To this day, they have me saved in their phones as "ginger snaps". So after all of these years, I've finally succumbed to their nickname for me and proudly named my blog Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs.
The logo for the blog was created by my incredibly talented 19-year-old sister, Kimberly. She is very artistic and did such a great job with the design!
My Family
I have been married to my wonderful husband, Jason, for a little over six years now and we have an adopted cat named Gus who is now 6 years old. We also have a son who was born in March of 2024.
Being married is awesome. I have the most loving, supportive, and truly remarkable man as my best friend and husband. I couldn't be more thankful.
Together we help lead worship at our church. He leads and sings from acoustic guitar while I sing and play the piano. We also love to watch anime together and eat Thai food. If we could have Thai food every night for dinner, then we most certainly would!
Work With Me
I have had the privilege to work with several brands that I love and use in my kitchen for my own baking.
Some of these include: Scharffen Berger, Lifeway Kefir, Local Hive Honey, Spice Islands, and Oregon Blueberries.
Although you will see some sponsored content and affiliate links on Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs, all of my recommendations are genuine and true. I would never recommend a product that I don't already love and use in my own kitchen.
Wanting to work together? Check out my portfolio here and send me an email at [email protected].
Connect With Me
I am confident you'll find a recipe that will please you, your family, and your friends. The recipes I post are created from what I love to eat and what I think will be delicious to not just myself, but others as well. I have a large family and my husband has a ton of co-workers, so my desserts are well tested before I post them on Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs. Food is one of my passions and I hope you'll find a recipe you love just as much as I do.
Follow Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs on social media and subscribe to my email list. You'll find new recipes and dessert ideas for the different holidays and seasons.
If you make any of my recipes, please leave a comment and star rating. I love hearing from you!
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
Recipes To Try First
First published in February of 2020.
