Player Insider: Aubrey Bledsoe

Washington Spirit  |   May 27, 2020
Player Insider: Aubrey Bledsoe Featured Image

Alejandra Martin
Washingtonspirit.com

On the field, she’s one of the best goalkeepers in the league, and at home, she is a world-class baker. We are, of course, talking about Spirit keeper Aubrey Bledsoe. On the team and in the Spirit community, Bledsoe isn’t known just for her abilities in goal, but also for her not-so-hidden talent: baking.

Goalkeeping can sometimes feel like an isolated affair between the posts, but baking has always been part of a collaboration for Bledsoe. She and her twin sister, Amber, have often thought about owning a bakery together, a dream that Aubrey says she would love to pursue after her soccer career is over. 

The still-fictional bakery has had plenty of thought put into it, so much so that it’s name has already been decided, “Two Sweet Baking Co.” cleverly alluding to the two Bledsoes leading the venture. 

When asked about a “go-to” recipe, Bledsoe brought up her Cookies and Cream Cookies because, as she says, “I’ve yet to find someone who doesn’t like them!” However, the 2019 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year continued on to say if she could only bake one thing for the rest of her life, it would be Chocolate Chip Cookies, because, “They’re a classic! I’ll never get sick of them and you can make them in a variety of ways.”

Bledsoe dropped a couple of her secrets to creating the perfect chocolate chip cookie for everyone who’s been trying to get it just right, saying, “The first secret is to use a combination of white and brown sugar, I personally use a little dark brown sugar in my chocolate chip cookies.” Bledsoe continued, “I also add cornstarch, which makes the cookies extra soft and thick. Letting the dough chill in the fridge helps the cookies to hold their shape when you bake them and not flatten out.”

Bledsoe also gave some tips for people who are wanting to start baking saying, “It’s not like cooking. The measurements must be precise to get the desired results. It’s well worth it!”

Aubrey isn’t the lone baker on the Spirit, as she let us know there were a few great bakers within the ranks saying, “Ashley Hatch makes one of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had! And a killer fruit pizza. Andi makes my favorite brownies, they’re so gooey, it’s 

practically brownie pudding.”

Bledsoe summarized her passion for baking with this quote, “A homemade cookie tastes much better than just placing the dough in the oven.”

This sweet side of Bledsoe has been with her for as long as she can remember, as her mom got her baking at a young age, something of a tradition in the Bledsoe household. 

“My mom first cultivated my love for baking,” Bledsoe said. “We always had freshly made chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen. My mom learned to bake from her mom and most of the recipes have been passed down through the generations.”

“Baking has always been a way to spread love from our family to others.” 

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