Baker's Tips

[Anonymous]

Just read thread about the cookie exchange and how some are bad bakers? What makes a bad baker? I don't consider myself one, but when I do bake cookies - they always turn out great! I follow the recipe, and make sure I don't overcook. Are bad bakers the ones that don't follow instructions or try to ad lib? Bakers, please chime in as to what makes you successful in making delicious treats! I've recently started to get more into baking because my kids love the activity.

[Anonymous]

Not following the recipe exactly can make nasty cookies. And over baked / burnt cookies are awful.

[Anonymous]

Get an oven thermometer and make sure your oven is the right temp. Make sure you are making cookies in the same size as called for in the recipe; otherwise adjust cooking time accordingly. Spoon flour into the measuring cup to avoid overpacking and use a knife to level. Don't overmix things after you add flour or it will get tough.

[Anonymous]

use a scale

[Anonymous]

I am an avid baker. I consider myself pretty good, and I've had many others agree. However, it takes a lot of time, practice and experimentation to have it come to you easily. A lot of it is confidence but a lot of it is also luck. Baking is much less forgiving and more scientific than cooking. One small thing could be off - for example, expired baking powder, an incorrectly measured ingredient - and the recipe will flop.

I've definitely had some misses when I couldn't even figure out what happened, or the exact same recipe I know by heart come out differently. My "tricks" are weighing my ingredients, knowing what substitutions are "safe" and will usually work (nuts for chocolate chips, swap out flavorings/extracts) with my really good base recipes so I can make many varietals of the same cake/cookie.

[Anonymous]

Also - do NOT overmix. I cream the wet ingredients in my Kitchenaid and add the dry mostly by hand. Blending in the flour too much can result in tough baked goods.

[Anonymous]

I do a cookie exchange and it's funny, because I find that cookies get dry and take on flavors of other adjacent things pretty easily if they're stored in the same box. Also, when giving to neighbors and friends, we all have so many treats this time of year it's nice to be able to not have to eat them all right away before they get dry.

I think candies (brittles, toffees, truffles, cake pops) are more successful and favored. Also, individual loaf breads/cakes are good as well because they hold moisture (fruit breads, rum cakes, etc...) and can be eaten for breakfast, so people will eat them before they dry out.

So I guess my recommendation is to "bake" and give away things other than cookies.

[Anonymous]

For a cookie exchange, don't bake everything too far ahead. The cookies I got were all stale and dry and were clearly baked several days ahead and not stored properly. If I'm baking to impress, I try to deliver my baked goods the same day I bake them (not easy with little kids!).

[Anonymous]

Some recipes are just bad too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some recipes are just bad too.

True. I also think bakers have a certain attention to detail (which I don't, hence, I don't bake often). With baking you need to be precise. You can't fudge (pardon the pun) a recipe. You can be a good cook, but a mediocre baker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:use a scale[/quote

+1

[Anonymous]

There are a ton of bad bakers, most of whom don't know they're bad bakers.

The problem is that people mix chocolate, fat, and sugar together, notice that it tastes good, and think they're a genius. Mediocre baking is incredibly easy, which lures you in, but good baking is pretty hard.

IMO, the most common mistakes people who think they're brilliant bakers but aren't make are:

- Over mixing delicate batter
- Making cloying desserts (too much sugar relative to other balancing flavors)
- Drying out the baked good
- Thinking the way to solve dried out baked goods is to serve undercooked batter
- Adding in too many ingredients when they're modifying their own recipes. (If you're thinking of making chocolate maple walnut butterscotch mint bars, remove two or three of those things)
- Not preheating the oven correctly / Opening the oven door too often/for too long to check on your food
- Too much frosting/toppings
- Not using a scale

[Anonymous]

Oh, I forgot:

- Thinking a Giada de Laurentiis recipe will actually work correctly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, I forgot:

- Thinking a Giada de Laurentiis recipe will actually work correctly

Tee hee. True dat.