As I was made
this recipe tonight, I was thinking about my love of baking. My parents & grandmothers taught me how to bake. With my mom, it was Christmas cookies for neighbors. With my dad, it was pizza doughs & salvaging my mistakes. I learned what a pastry blender was from my Mammy. Because of my Grandma, I always unplug the mixer before grabbing the beaters - always!
I know music is super important to teach children because it helps them learn math, but baking isn't any joke. Many life lessons can be found in the kitchen & here are a few I've learned.
Make sure you have all your ingredients BEFORE you begin.
You need to measure liquids and solids differently.
Baking soda and baking powder are different.
Pack that brown sugar.
Underestimate your cooking time - you can always bake longer.
If it gets messy, as evidenced, no worries - it can be cleaned.
You cannot rush butter to cool to room temperature.
It is near impossible to add ingredients once the baking process has begun.
Crack an egg in a separate bowl, it's easier to remove any unexpected shells that way.
Never think butter and margarine are interchangeable - NEVER.
Know the importance of a cooling rack.
Only knead dough what is necessary.
Get at eye level to make sure your measurements are correct.
Substitutions will work, but they are rarely as good as the original.
Don't trust a spice lid to stay on - measure to the side of your main bowl.
Adapt - Use a fork instead of a whisk.
The letter b is very important, especially in conjunction with t,s & p.
After your hard work, you get to lick the bowl & beaters.
I always try to have Annabelle & Ed in the kitchen when we are baking. Derek's specialty is whole-wheat pizza dough and Annabelle enjoys measuring, stirring and pouring. I hope they can learn from us as I did from my family. What are your baking successes? What's your favorite thing to bake?
I'm always a sucker for doughnuts, especially with white icing & sprinkles.
