use recipes that go off weight and not volume lol, it usually seems to be more accurate.

Ooo, good point! That was pounded into my head in college, but i never really considered applying that to baking. THANK YOU!!!

I'd say look up recipes and such on youtube. There's a plethora of interesting treats to be found on there. Just, you know, really pay attention. I made an attempt at a 'jiggly cheesecake' the other day, and ended up with something that was more quiche than cake. My housemates like it well enough, so there is that.

My advice? Follow the cooking instructions carefully until you really start to understand the mechanics behind whatever it is you're making, be careful with ingredient substitutions, and know your oven. Never be afraid to estimate down when it comes to cooking times if you know your oven cooks faster or runs hotter. You can always cook more, but you can never cook less.

Also, never be afraid to just buy partially finished ingredients. If you're in a rush or feeling lazy, boxed cake mix tastes pretty much as good if not better than homemade, and you'll be much happier buying puff pastry from the store, as opposed to making it by hand.

If you want recommendations: I'd say try making puff pastry meat pies. So very very good. Like a customizable hot pocket. Chicken and beef work pretty well... just keep a careful eye on how much liquid the finished filling has, and don't be afraid to cook it down a little further, or add a thickener like flour.
Dessert-wise? Cupcakes are always fun (see if you can get a filler / bismark tip), larger cakes can be fun to decorate too, but make sure you watch some tutorials on Youtube, making a cake look good takes a lot of technique.
If you want something to knock the socks off of folks that isn't technique heavy, try a Mirror Glaze cake. That one's all in the prep, but it looks fantastic.

For pies, the nice thing about a pie is you can put pretty much anything in one. Meat? Sure. Pudding? Yup. Fruit? Certainly. Just make sure to match the crust to the filling, and if you're going for a double-crust (that is, completely covered), cut slits to let steam out.

I do mixed drinks, not so much baking

Ever since I moved in March, I’ve been playing Pokémon Go, and it’s been really fun getting lost in town! It’s helping me learn where things are, plus! I met a few strangers who are now my best friends lol. Oh! And I caught a Shiny Kyogre at a raid at Best Buy today XP

Do you like banana bread? With chocolate chips ? Nom nom

As far as tips and tricks go, keep your workspace clean, and clean up any waste materials immediately after you're finished with them. When measuring liquid components, be sure to do so over the bowl holding the other ingredients. When mixing in chocolate chips with an electric mixer, always use the lowest speed setting.

As far as recipes go, start simple, then move your way up to the more complex ones. No-brainer stuff, really

Umm ... Chocolate and butter make everything tastier?

1 cup sugar, one egg, one cup peanut butter. Mix together, make 1-inch ball of dough for each cookie and flatten with a fork on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. They're simple but SO GOOD. (I usually double or triple the batch)

I'm useless at baking, but if you ever need any help cooking, I'm your girl! Hehe

Kind of an old journal, but I figure I could share my two cent's worth and what I've learned.

A lot of people don't measure flour right, and I don't mean that in a bad way! Most recipes expect you to measure it a certain way, and sometimes your batter or dough can end up too thick and throw the texture off, or could end up being dry. Here's a great video that explains it a lot better than I could with just text:

https://www.allrecipes.com/video/63.....measure-flour/

Here's a great simple recipe, that I personally like:
https://www.verybestbaking.com/reci.....umpkin-muffins

Maybe it's a little out of season, but they are amazing. HOWEVER, I'd reduce the sugar to either 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups, and add this icing:

http://www.amish365.com/best-ever-b.....n-sugar-icing/

(Make sure you go for the icing - not the frosting that appears at the top of the page for me for some reason. Or you could try it if it sounds like something you'd like).

Also, as a general tip, if you want to try making anything that uses lemon, lime, or orange for flavor, don't be afraid to add the zest, if you have a way to grate it off, or if you have a food processor. Just make sure if the recipe calls for juice, that you reduce the juice a little if you want to add zest as well. This is especially true for lemons, because they can sour things up very quickly.

Good luck with your baking endeavors!