So a few days ago, we received a large cookie order. Not unusual for us, but since COVID orders have been slow. Many of you know that my great-grandmother Lillie taught me to bake. She also taught my grandmother, aunts, and mother. Somehow, my Grandmother didn't get the baking bug like myself and Mom. She helps out at the bakery since retiring, but usually sticks to fruit arrangements and dipped fruit platters. So Grandmother was very reluctant when she was tasked with making several cookie dough batches to complete the large order. We gave her Great-grandma's recipe book, told her to go to work and follow the recipe. Let's just say the first couple of batches didn't turn out so good. In baking, your measurements have to be precise. You can't exclude or include a dash of this or that in baking like you can when cooking. Let's just say a few measurements were off, and we ended up with some batches salty, unsweetened, or tasting like flour. Cookies baked up like hockey pucks. We all had a laugh about it, teased her a lot, tortured ourselves eating the cookies, and got back to work. Once Mom took over, the cookies turned out great. I love being in the kitchen with them. Lots of laughs, messes, and life talks. This is one of the reasons why I love what I do.
The moral of this story folks...when baking, follow the recipe. After you've mastered the recipe, you can then use a little more of this and that, make ingredient substitutions, and adjust batch quantities. Don't ever let anyone tell you cooking and baking are the same. Baking is truly a SCIENCE!
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