I think a lot of people are. I've had similar experiences at bake sales and holiday potlucks.

I think part of the issue is that a lot of people don't bake a lot. We bake A LOT. So we've done trial and error on anything we'd share with other people. The holiday cookies I give to other people, I've been making for a decade or more.

I also blame the proliferation of recipes online (if you are an occasional baker, you will be much better served by a baking book from America's Test Kitchen, which has idiot-proof recipes and really impeccable directions).

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.

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.

Yes. They do not measure the ingredients by weight and do not bake to an internal temperature.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. There also are so many recipes floating around on the internet, and I don't think people who only bake once or twice a year do a good job of choosing a source. I am a good baker and have had a few duds (or recipes that have tons of 4 star reviews but are just average to me). I assume novice bakers would do worse.

That's true, if you have some experience baking you have a good feel for what recipes work.

I was also baking with a friend and we had some cupcakes totally fail and I realized her baking powder was 5 years expired. I hadn't thought to check. So a lot of people who don't bake often may have older ingredients.

Yes. There also are so many recipes floating around on the internet, and I don't think people who only bake once or twice a year do a good job of choosing a source. I am a good baker and have had a few duds (or recipes that have tons of 4 star reviews but are just average to me). I assume novice bakers would do worse.

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who's a bit of a terrible baker and I realized she just never learned some stuff that just comes with experience. Like she kept asking me if we needed to test chocolate chip cookies with a skewer. So that's why her cookies burn a lot.

I agree. I see this with my kids starting to cook and they just don't understand the directions because it's new to them. Like what does leveled off mean? Or firmly packed brown sugar? They don't know to use liquid measurers or how to separate an egg. They think they can just eyeball measurements like they see on TV.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I have experienced the same thing. I only do cookie exchanges with certain people who bake quality, delicious cookies. General cookie exchanges have been disappointing.

I agree. People either take on recipes that are too complicated for them, bake their cookies too long and they’re dry, or bake way ahead and freeze. Defrosted cookies do not taste the same no matter how much people swear they do.

I think a lot of people just can't follow a recipe. I've had some real dud cookies and not sure where they went wrong. But sometimes the comment sections tell the story. People tried changing up the ingredients to what they had on hand, or cut this or that because they don't like it, or just plain can't read and then wonder why it was a fail.

I have a friend who's a bit of a terrible baker and I realized she just never learned some stuff that just comes with experience. Like she kept asking me if we needed to test chocolate chip cookies with a skewer. So that's why her cookies burn a lot.

1) people make these cookies way too early so they dry out and are gross

and/or

2) they try to make fancy cookies instead of tried-and-true favorites, so no one likes them.

Yeah, genpop just don't cook anymore so forget about baking where one actually has to measure things and pay a modicum of attention,

I was a decent baker before kids. Now my attention span is lacking and half the time they want to help and it's not actually helpful

Yes. I have experienced the same thing. I only do cookie exchanges with certain people who bake quality, delicious cookies. General cookie exchanges have been disappointing.

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.