While New Yorkers are stuck at home during the pandemic, many are getting reacquainted with their kitchens, and trying their hand at home cooking. Baked goods are always a good place to start, and Milk Bar owner Christina Tosi is looking to help these new bakers.

Tosi now hosts a daily bake club on her Instagram, and shares tips for cooking with limited ingredients. She says baking can be a great way for a family to spend quality time together, as well as to teach kids about subjects like fractions or chemistry as they remain home from school.

“I think it’s really just about delegating fun tasks to every member of the family so there is a shared collectiveness of ‘we’re going to accomplish this recipe, we’re gonna make these killer cookies or killer batch of brownies or whatever it is together and every single one of us is gonna play a role in it.’”

Currently, just three of the 11 Milk Bar shops here in the city are open for delivery and pickup. They are located in Manhattan’s East Village and the Upper West Side, and the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Milk Bar’s flagship store in NoMad was forced to close just a few months after opening late last fall.

Tosi says it's important for her and her employees to provide joy to first responders and healthcare workers, as well as anyone who has something to celebrate.

“[We want to] show up for everyone from medical care professionals to the folks that are, you know, celebrating college and high school graduations in quarantine, or birthdays or anniversaries even though they may be separated from their loved ones. We're really grateful for the opportunity even though it's a really challenging and uncertain time to be running a business outright especially one in the food and hospitality business."

This Friday is the last day to order from Milk Bar in time for Mother’s Day. But if you’d like to try out some of the recipes in your own kitchen, check out these Cinnamon Bun Cookies and Little Motivators.

Cinnamon Bun Cookie

Makes about 18 cookies

1 18 oz box Classic White Cake Mix

(Classic Yellow works well, too, but I LOVE Classic White)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

6 ounces (¾ of an 8 oz brick) Cream Cheese

Heat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, stir Classic White Cake Mix with melted butter, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Divide dough evenly into two bowls.

Stir 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon into one of the two bowls.

Fill half a cookie scoop, or half a large spoon with Classic White dough, and the other half with Cinnamon-Classic White dough. Pinch and twist the dough together with your fingers to form a swirl. Flip the cookie dough ball upside down and using your thumbs, create a cavern to hide 1 tablespoon cream cheese inside each, wrapping the cookie dough edges around to seal entirely. Place dough rounds with this seal down on the cookie sheet 2-3-inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Cool slightly (they’re AWESOME warm) or completely before digging in! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

Little Motivators

1 18 oz box Brownie Mix

(I love the Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix best)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso (ground, unbrewed coffee works, too!)

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, stir brownie mix with melted butter, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in coffee, nuts and chocolate chips.

On a greased baking sheet, scoop the dough into ⅓ cup domes, and place 2-3-inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Cool completely before fueling up! Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.