Failed Attempts….

I have always loved baking but had not given the required efforts & consistency(must). But since last 4 months I have been learning at every failed attempt. This list has become so long that I can consider myself as “Expert in What Not To Do In Baking”😑 . Baking is combination of all subjects. Yes history too, you must remember what went wrong last time so I started noting down everything. Here are few points I observed during process of wannabe bakers. 👩🏻‍🍳

If you are experimental in cooking & don’t like structured things , then think twice before baking. In first few days even I used to add or replace ingredients generously & many times final product would turn out to be total disastrous. 😕 I still remember my brown bread turned so dark & hard that my hubby thought I got stone to kill someone . One time my little one got toy hammer to break over-baked cookies. Then I thought baking is not my piece of cake!! Once bitten by baking bug it’s hard to leave it. As no option to order from outside I decided to try baking again seriously to calm down carvings of tiny monsters 🦸🏻‍♂️🦹‍♀️

I strictly prefer only wheat over white flour also less sugar so finding good recipe with all available ingredients is also a skill & we spend hours (more time than actual baking) in that. Agree?? To avoid all this mess I started putting my ingredients list to find recipe on google. My search history is somewhat like wheat, carrot, baking soda, without eggs….Now Google is sending me continuous notifications that you can type your grocery list in notes, ahhh!!. 😹 In few days I guess I’ll directly get cake from search bar.

I became my self motivator & turned my passion as secret mission. So started baking at midnight that would give me complete privacy & peace behind that kitchen door. As my gas oven is big, I always bake 2-3 items together & it requires constant changing of position of trays. Also gas oven tends to get hot very fast so I always covered my face with scarf. And one night suddenly my elder daughter opened the door & imagine me in my pajamas, sweating because of the 50 degree weather with covered face !! she screamed so loudly that tray I was holding tilted & all cookies fell down. 🥴My goodness , suddenly she sensed complete situation & after that we had a good laugh while enjoying freshly baked broken cookies. Though now secret was out still I prefer midnight baking only😊.

Once ingredients are ready , second comes maths…. My brain freaks out when recipe gives ingredients in Grams, Ounce as I have only set of measuring cups & spoons 🤔. How we can take 120 grams from 5 kg wheat bag ?? How to measure 5/8 cup milk? do you know 3tsp= 1tbsp & conversion from Fahrenheit to centigrade, all these add more confusion. How recipe assume that every common house is well equipped with kitchen digital scale, stand mixer & thermometer. Thank God! we have Google for our rescue. Online you get all conversion for every specific ingredient.

Now everything is ready & you are tempting to add everything together & done… aha…No everything should be added in proper order & with proper instructions. I prefer Big pot & whisk as easy to clean than complex mixer & food processor . I don’t even need to work out on these so called “baking days” as the whipping of the batter really brings out my nonexistent but subtle biceps!💪🏻

I have seen countless videos that feature a woman with a clean apron, laid back hair, clean kitchen counter-tops, a soothing voice and tonnes of other cliche. 👩🏻‍🍳 But in reality flour on the counter-tops, your hair, on mobile too. Its bad idea to bake while watching video as the more the screen gets locked the more frustrations & more mess 🧟‍♀️.

Timing is main factor in baking . Not only how much time to bake but at what time . Well tried recipe turns out disastrous in last moment. One rule is don’t raise expectations, I prefer to give surprise cakes than promise for b’day cake. 😬Always bake in advance if something goes wrong you get time to cover up.

One day afternoon everyone was hungry so I decided to try orange cake . I could see the cake had risen & baked well so I made sure by piercing the toothpick many times. Sweet tangy aroma was filled in the air & everyone around the table waiting for first bite & the moment I removed the cake into the plate , a volcano-like eruption gushed from the center of the cake , orange lava was flowing, ..🔥my kids were jumping with joy as they thought mommy did science experiment …no wonder baking is a science!! 👩🏻‍🔬I kept it back in pan baked again for 15mins for 2-3 times , still the center part was uncooked . Finally we could eat only outer pieces & lava was still bubbling.

Every oven is different so keep an eye while baking. One time when 20 mins still left on the clock , my cheesecake was turning brown from top so removed & it was nicely baked. I made sure by piercing toothpick so many times(no more lava cake )that it looked like sponge bob cheese cake.

After all these trials I understood baking is a process which should be followed patiently. Once done you can’t balance so trust your gut feeling , & all senses. Color of cookies, burning smell & yes in bread they say tap it & u should get hallow sound if baked fully. I’m still learning & enjoying this baking. I can’t say fully confident but when baking fails I’m ready to turn into something different. Sure I’ll share that tips too.

Tell me about your funny baking experience! I would love to hear it!!

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