Are most people terrible bakers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Baking is a science. Very different from cooking. Hardest part in baking is following the recipe. Folks want to throw in adjustments and haven’t mastered the recipe first.

That's the funniest part about reading recipe comments. "Recipe called for 8 tablespoons butter but I wanted to cut out the fat so I only used half. Instead of sugar I used Splenda and I didn't have walnuts so I used pine nuts instead. We don't like raisins so just omitted those but threw in some chopped up apple for sweetness. Family didn't like it so threw it all in the trash. Ugh, waste of ingredients!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s not as easy as following the recipe. Some recipes are bad. And some techniques (like creaming) are not self-evident. The proper temperature and degree of doneness are hard too. I recently made a banana bread that required a full extra 45 minutes (and to je covered by foil) compared to the recipe. I only got it right because I took the internal temp.

Also most people don’t use Crisco or margarine anymore so the cookies are bound to get hard.

I was with you until your Crisco/margarine comment. I make shortbread holiday cookies as well as molasses cookies that stay soft for days. Literally just had one of my shortbread cookies with royal icing this morning (made a week and a half ago) and it was perfection. The molasses cookies last even longer (I do a gingerbread version with royal icing as well as a spiced drop cookie version rolled in orange sugar) because of the higher moisture content.

You can achieve this with butter, but temp of the dough when you stamp out the cookies and when you bake them is key.

But yes, a lot of people don't know any of this, try to follow recipes but don't know when to recognize the dough is too warm and needs to be chilled and other common cookie mistakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s not as easy as following the recipe. Some recipes are bad. And some techniques (like creaming) are not self-evident. The proper temperature and degree of doneness are hard too. I recently made a banana bread that required a full extra 45 minutes (and to je covered by foil) compared to the recipe. I only got it right because I took the internal temp.

Also most people don’t use Crisco or margarine anymore so the cookies are bound to get hard.

Agree. Even with some tried and true recipes, I'll still have a dud batch here and there. I think the temperature is pretty key with cookies--both when making the dough... and whether/the extent to which you chill first. Also even a minute or two difference while baking can make or break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Baking is a science. Very different from cooking. Hardest part in baking is following the recipe. Folks want to throw in adjustments and haven’t mastered the recipe first.

I used to work with a woman who loved to bake but always "tweaked" her recipes. Her tweaks always involved additives, usually alcohol but also often fruit or extracts. She clearly did not understand that when you add that kind of thing, you have to make adjustments to other ingredients because they will make the dough too soft otherwise with all the extra moisture. She also just added a crap ton of alcohol to things so that's all you'd taste and it's too much.

People raved about her baked goods but I truly think they were just drunk. I was politely complimentary but rarely ever finished more than half of anything she brought in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s not as easy as following the recipe. Some recipes are bad. And some techniques (like creaming) are not self-evident. The proper temperature and degree of doneness are hard too. I recently made a banana bread that required a full extra 45 minutes (and to je covered by foil) compared to the recipe. I only got it right because I took the internal temp.

Also most people don’t use Crisco or margarine anymore so the cookies are bound to get hard.

This made me think of "fold in the cheese".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baking is a science. Very different from cooking. Hardest part in baking is following the recipe. Folks want to throw in adjustments and haven’t mastered the recipe first.

That's the funniest part about reading recipe comments. "Recipe called for 8 tablespoons butter but I wanted to cut out the fat so I only used half. Instead of sugar I used Splenda and I didn't have walnuts so I used pine nuts instead. We don't like raisins so just omitted those but threw in some chopped up apple for sweetness. Family didn't like it so threw it all in the trash. Ugh, waste of ingredients!"

There’s an Instagram account devoted to this and it’s hilarious. My favorite was a person who was making a carrot cake but thought carrot are too sugary/unhealthy so they subbed in kale. They were astounded that the cake was disgusting. They then blamed the author of the recipe for wasting their time/ingredients. Amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s not as easy as following the recipe. Some recipes are bad. And some techniques (like creaming) are not self-evident. The proper temperature and degree of doneness are hard too. I recently made a banana bread that required a full extra 45 minutes (and to je covered by foil) compared to the recipe. I only got it right because I took the internal temp.

Also most people don’t use Crisco or margarine anymore so the cookies are bound to get hard.

I was with you until your Crisco/margarine comment. I make shortbread holiday cookies as well as molasses cookies that stay soft for days. Literally just had one of my shortbread cookies with royal icing this morning (made a week and a half ago) and it was perfection. The molasses cookies last even longer (I do a gingerbread version with royal icing as well as a spiced drop cookie version rolled in orange sugar) because of the higher moisture content.

You can achieve this with butter, but temp of the dough when you stamp out the cookies and when you bake them is key.

But yes, a lot of people don't know any of this, try to follow recipes but don't know when to recognize the dough is too warm and needs to be chilled and other common cookie mistakes.

True there are some all butter recipes that improve with age! But an all butter chocolate chip cookie that was baked too thick, too long, and maybe with too much flour because they didn’t weigh it, is going to be a rock. Crisco or margarine would be softer. Not that I like to use them at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are most people terrible bakers?

I know I will get crap for saying this, but here goes.

I went to a neighborhood cookie exchange over the weekend and of the dozen or so cookies only 3 were edible. One cookie was hard as a rock and other just didn't taste good. Even my kids threw them in the trash after one bite.

I consider myself a baker and get a lot of compliments on my cookies. But I don't do anything special when it comes to baking or making cookies. I just pick out good recipes and following directions. So it surprises me when other make such terrible cookies.

I don't do cookie exchanges (anymore) because I've come to realized I dislike 99% of American cookies. They're insanely sweet and often weirdly soft for my liking. So you might throw mine in the trash, but I probably wouldn't eat yours either. Different strokes.

[Anonymous]

I expect pitchforks to come out for this comment, but could it also just be that Christmas cookies aren't that good?

I am admittedly a "meh" baker, much prefer cooking to baking. But when we are given assortments of cookies this time of year (for which I thank people profusely and am very much grateful for their kindness), there's honestly rarely anything I'd actually like to eat? I feel terrible because I know how much effort goes in, but I'd rather have your standard chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin than all these fancy-looking ones. It's like there's an inverse relationship between looks and taste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most people terrible bakers?

I know I will get crap for saying this, but here goes.

I went to a neighborhood cookie exchange over the weekend and of the dozen or so cookies only 3 were edible. One cookie was hard as a rock and other just didn't taste good. Even my kids threw them in the trash after one bite.

I consider myself a baker and get a lot of compliments on my cookies. But I don't do anything special when it comes to baking or making cookies. I just pick out good recipes and following directions. So it surprises me when other make such terrible cookies.

I don't do cookie exchanges (anymore) because I've come to realized I dislike 99% of American cookies. They're insanely sweet and often weirdly soft for my liking. So you might throw mine in the trash, but I probably wouldn't eat yours either. Different strokes.

Took longer than usual for the anti American food, too sweet poster to show up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s not as easy as following the recipe. Some recipes are bad. And some techniques (like creaming) are not self-evident. The proper temperature and degree of doneness are hard too. I recently made a banana bread that required a full extra 45 minutes (and to je covered by foil) compared to the recipe. I only got it right because I took the internal temp.

Also most people don’t use Crisco or margarine anymore so the cookies are bound to get hard.

I was with you until your Crisco/margarine comment. I make shortbread holiday cookies as well as molasses cookies that stay soft for days. Literally just had one of my shortbread cookies with royal icing this morning (made a week and a half ago) and it was perfection. The molasses cookies last even longer (I do a gingerbread version with royal icing as well as a spiced drop cookie version rolled in orange sugar) because of the higher moisture content.

You can achieve this with butter, but temp of the dough when you stamp out the cookies and when you bake them is key.

But yes, a lot of people don't know any of this, try to follow recipes but don't know when to recognize the dough is too warm and needs to be chilled and other common cookie mistakes.

True there are some all butter recipes that improve with age! But an all butter chocolate chip cookie that was baked too thick, too long, and maybe with too much flour because they didn’t weigh it, is going to be a rock. Crisco or margarine would be softer. Not that I like to use them at all.

Unpopular opinion but chocolate chip cookies are mid, at best. Even when they are very good for chocolate chip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I expect pitchforks to come out for this comment, but could it also just be that Christmas cookies aren't that good?

I am admittedly a "meh" baker, much prefer cooking to baking. But when we are given assortments of cookies this time of year (for which I thank people profusely and am very much grateful for their kindness), there's honestly rarely anything I'd actually like to eat? I feel terrible because I know how much effort goes in, but I'd rather have your standard chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin than all these fancy-looking ones. It's like there's an inverse relationship between looks and taste.

A lot of holiday cookies are not at all fancy. My holiday baking list:

Gingerbread with royal icing
Shortbread with royal icing
Spritz with sprinkles (very similar to shortbread recipe but slightly different formulation so I can use them in the cookie press)
Molasses spice cookies with orange sugar
Peanut butter kids cookies

I love a good oatmeal cookie and will sometimes throw in an oatmeal (sans raisins, my kid hates them) to this mix just to mix it up.

None of these are hard to make or particularly fancy, you can get fancy with frosting or sprinkles or you can literally just slap it on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are most people terrible bakers?

I know I will get crap for saying this, but here goes.

I went to a neighborhood cookie exchange over the weekend and of the dozen or so cookies only 3 were edible. One cookie was hard as a rock and other just didn't taste good. Even my kids threw them in the trash after one bite.

I consider myself a baker and get a lot of compliments on my cookies. But I don't do anything special when it comes to baking or making cookies. I just pick out good recipes and following directions. So it surprises me when other make such terrible cookies.

I don't do cookie exchanges (anymore) because I've come to realized I dislike 99% of American cookies. They're insanely sweet and often weirdly soft for my liking. So you might throw mine in the trash, but I probably wouldn't eat yours either. Different strokes.

I just went to one over the weekend and the cookies were amazing. It was a spectacular spread and I took home a box with 30+ varieties, all of which have been excellent. Lots of European style shortbread, spiced and gingerbread-esque styles.

This host has hosted her annual cookie exchange for years so I think people know the expectations re cookie quality.

[Anonymous]

Back in my youthful baking days, I would pull out my mom's original Joy of Cooking and Betty Crocker cookbooks. Everything was explained in detail, including how to measure ingredients, and I would make anything from Mexican Wedding cakes and Lebkuchen to a fancy braided cinnamon and fruit pasty for Christmas. Anyone can bake successfully if they just are willing to read and practice.

[Anonymous]

I confess, I am a terrible baker. I can’t for the life of me make a decent chocolate chip cookie! Like I’ve tried many, many, many times and they always suck! But then again, I would never dare to take them to a cookie exchange because I know better.