After scraping another failed dessert into the trash today, I have decided to resign (hopefully temporarily) from baking.
Yesterday, I attempted to make a Berry Pizza, with a pizza crust as the base, cheesecake topping and a fruit garnish. I totally overcooked it, and after unsuccessfully sawing at it with my pizza cutter, decided that the best place for it was…the trash.
Today, the kids and I made Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. We followed the directions, but for some reason, they spread all over the pan and by the last batch, it was just a big glop of crusty cookie remnants. Another deposit into the trash followed.
This malady isn’t recent…it has been plaguing me for a while. The last couple batches of chocolate chip cookies that came out of my kitchen were flat as pancakes. I’m not joking! I thought it was maybe from putting too many chocolate chips in them, but I’m thinking that something else is at work here.
Could it be expired ingredients? Possible…my baking soda is probably pretty old.
Could it be my little sous chefs sabotaging my results? Unlikely…they are the stirrers and taste testers, but don’t measure out many ingredients.
Could it be…me? Maybe…I’m usually trying to do multiple things at a time, which can result in issues, especially with baking where everything has to be so precise. Yesterday, when I was making the Berry Pizza, I was also making tacos, refereeing arguments and who knows what else. Sometimes I think I need to try to focus on just one thing at a time instead of trying to multi-task so much. It does not necessarily make you produce a higher quality product, just do an adequate job at more things.
Whatever the reason is, I will now keep myself from further disasters by sticking to “break-and-bake” cookies and store-bought delicacies. Well, probably at least until Madi asks to “make something” again, and I have to roll up my sleeves and try again…
If I lived closer I’d bake with you. You know how much I love it!
Right there with ya chica…baking and I are not on speaking terms!
Re: chocolate chip cookies: did you use the toll house recipe? That one is horrendous, and mine are always flat as pancakes as well. I’m convinced it’s the amount of butter required. I’m in search of a better recipe. Try not to get too discouraged – Mama needs here sweets!
Thanks girls for the encouragement…sigh. And the recipe isn’t a toll house recipe so I don’t know what my problem is!! Oh well…tomorrow I am going to make brownies that are already made and just in the freezer – hopefully THAT will work!
I have a great recipe for chocolate chip cookies that has pudding in it. They don’t go flat and they are so yummy! I’ll e-mail it to you if you want it!I’m with you on the too much multi-tasking! I try and do too much, things don’t turn out, I get more frustrated and it ends up being no fun! Maybe you could try baking something once a month..:)
Hey Becky…I’ll take the recipe…and maybe I’ll try it next month! 🙂 By the way, I’m totally impressed w/ you doing your Christmas cookies ahead of time…wish I had your initiative!