Are most people terrible bakers?

[Anonymous]

I'm a great baker. That being said, I am also very shy as a baker. I notice in the US people are often much more into looks than taste. I made great sugar cookies for a bake sale and they looked homely compared to most of the other cookies which looked fancy. They were better, but didn't sell as well.

[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.

So the rock hard, worst cookie in the bunch was actually a chocolate chip or m&M type of cookie. Couldn't totally tell as we couldn't bite into it enough to eat it.
So definitely not a case of trying to be too fancy and failing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I need to make my way into this friend group

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I have never understood this. I am not very skilled at cooking, and yet I don't think I've ever messed up a cookie, a muffin, a cake, bread, anything...

You just follow the directions carefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Chocolate chip cookies are actually somewhat hard to get right. You have to find the right recipe, adjust for your oven, and then be consistent with it.

My DH tries out a new chocolate chip recipe every year and they are mostly quite bad. I've made the same chocolate chip cookies for 30 years and always get compliments. Baking is science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes why can’t Americans just exchange papayas and mangoes so much better!

[Anonymous]

I admit I am a terrible baker. I’m too impatient and imprecise. Overall I don’t really enjoy sweets (I am a salty-snacker) so it’s not something I’ve practiced or enjoy. I don’t bother making cookies for those exchanges because no one wants what I am capable of!

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's a function of how we live our lives, but most people don't have the time, the interest, the energy, etc. to put into cooking in general. There are entire TV shows and websites dedicated to opening cans of this and packages of that, mixing them together, and calling it done. So it shouldn't be a huge surprise that most people can't bake either, because it's an activity requiring more precision.

Someone I know said that her kids complain about the cookie swaps she participates in, because she takes in delicious cookies, and come back with things that are for the most part, inedible.

[Anonymous]

I used to be a horrible baker, and found it annoying that good bakers were like stingy ...... about the secret. I am from Europe and it took me a while to figure out chocolate chip cookies.
I am now a great baker, but it took a while.
But, who actually cares? The only people I care about is my kids and my husband.

[Anonymous]

Well, most people barely cook these days so I don’t expect them to understand baking. When I see people complaining that measurements on a recipe is in g vs cups I already know they’re over their heads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I admit I am a terrible baker. I’m too impatient and imprecise. Overall I don’t really enjoy sweets (I am a salty-snacker) so it’s not something I’ve practiced or enjoy. I don’t bother making cookies for those exchanges because no one wants what I am capable of!

As a baker, this doesn’t resonate with me. Do you know how many salty snacks you can make if you bake?!

[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!"

NP but this is so annoying. Not to mention the 5 star reviews from people who have never made the recipe, just to say “looks yummy!” Or “can’t wait to make this”. Why are you rating a recipe you haven’t made?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes why can’t Americans just exchange papayas and mangoes so much better!

I have a hard time mixing and pulling things in and out of the oven because of the gun clutched in my hand!

[Anonymous]

or the people who sub in whole-wheat flour to make it healthier. WTAF.

[Anonymous]

Good ingredients make a difference too. I’m so picky at this point with my baking I really only want to use very fresh flour/eggs/butter.

High quality chocolate also makes an enormous difference.