After I started watching The Great British Bake Off, mostly illegally online thanks to TunnelBear, I have fancied myself to be a bit of a baker myself. Oh look at that. I'm even using the English lingo. That Paul Hollywood is such a cad!
If you don't know who Paul Hollywood is, then I have a lot to teach you, but that's a conversation for another time.
The problem is, although I've been baking for a year, it doesn't seem like I have a year's worth of experience doing it. I am not getting better at it. Truth be told, I believe I'm getting worse. I started out baking bread--a simple loaf of white bread, from America's Test Kitchen's recipe--and that loaf of bread turned out absolutely delicious. Although it's probably because I was so nervous, the radiant heat from my intense, unwavering stare at the dough probably baked it before I even put it in the oven. But it really was so good.
Since then, I have fumbled my way through endless attempts at cakes and such, and I don't know if it's because I choose to watch TV while I'm baking and I get distracted, but everything turns out crap. Cakes don't rise. Cakes come out tasting like plaster. Cakes rise but then collapse in the middle. Cakes come out looking like they are slathered with smoked salmon dip. (I am especially bad at icing, for some reason. Remember this glorious achievement?) Tonight's attempt was baking Ree Drummond's Texas Sheet Cake, but instead of baking it in a giant 13x8 baking sheet as instructed--because where am I going to put that monstrosity?--I split it up into 2 rounds, each 10 inches in diameter. And it would've been fine, except for Ree's instructions to pour the batter into an ungreased pan. Guess what? IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF THE ROUND PANS IF YOU DON'T PUT BUTTER ON THEM FIRST.
Thanks Ree.
Seriously I was so mad, I just attacked it with a giant pancake-flipping spatula. Don't you tell me I'm not the boss of my own kitchen.
When watching Julie & Julia, I had a problem understanding why the Julie character had all those meltdowns when her cooking went awry. It seemed so random. But now I understand.
I would have taken a picture of it, but I pieced it all back together into one of the round pans and slathered the entire thing with icing, and I'll let it sit overnight. It will taste fine tomorrow. Or at least it should. I was planning on bringing it to work, but I won't subject my coworkers to it in case it sucks.
Buttercream icing is pretty easy to make, btw. It doesn't involve any cooking, so even I can't screw it up. Powdered sugar, butter whipped at room temperature, a little milk to loosen everything up, and the flavorings of your choice. For chocolate, I use a combo of chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Never cocoa powder by itself. Too bitter.
Hey Dan! I know it's not baking, but I sent you a recipe for yeast/overnight waffles at least a couple of years ago. If you never tried it get yourself in the mood for a killer waffle and whip up a batch. The recipe on Genius Kitchen for Overnight Waffles is pretty much what I do. My point? The time you spent in the kitchen won't let you down, failure be gone.
Posted by: Jean | June 30, 2018 at 05:24 PM