I mean, it was fine. Nothing special, but nothing very exciting either. Maybe it's because it's almost August. Maybe because I'm about to go back to school in 20 days. Maybe it's because my birthday is Sunday and I feel terrified of beginning a new decade in my life. Or maybe it's because I'm in withdrawal from a two-day long writer's high. I dunno.
Gosh, I hate being a girl sometimes. It makes me so damn moody.
So...the Ten Commandments of Procrastibaking:
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| Or you could try Pusheen's way. |
Procrastibaking, according to Urban Dictionary, is really what it sounds like. It's what a compulsive, passionate baker does when they don't want to do whatever they're really supposed to be doing. I stumbled upon this term a few months ago and I knew, as soon as I read it, that I was one of these guilty bakers. Who probably should not have made those 20 banana bread muffins at 10 o'clock the night before her Biochemistry test. But in my defense, everyone needs hobbies right? Especially college students. They have it the worst. At my school, you'd probably need to go to an insane asylum just to catch your breath and mentally recover from a really grueling week.
Point aside, whether you are a procrastibaker or just a person wanting to satisfy your midnight heroin-like craving for chocolate chip cookies, there are still a few rules to baking that you need to observe.
(In hindsight, I really should change my title to just "the Ten Commandments of Baking" because technically there is no difference between the two, other than the fact that one is slightly bad and the other one not)
Rule #1: Do your prep-work.
Let's face it, a recipe ain't gonna work if you don't have everything ready. I know it sounds a little contradictory next to the idea of procrastibaking, which sounds like a more spontaneous sort of endeavor, but I cannot emphasize enough how essential prep-work is to baking. This doesn't just include having your ingredients/equipment on hand but also encompasses researching recipes, taking note of important steps, thinking about what to do if things go wrong. Believe it or not, this is all crucial, because if you screw up because you weren't ready, you waste not only time and effort but also good ingredients.
Rule #2: Follow the recipe (with some caution, of course)!
Recipes are there for a reason. They not only tell you exactly what to do but also help you avoid silly mistakes. Remember, you're not the expert on this (yet), the recipe writer and other foodies who have attempted it are. They know what works. Obviously it helps if you only try recipes known to be "perfect" like some of the ones on allrecipes.net or foodnetwork.com, but for other recipes, do what the author says and take some advice from your fellow foodies. It really helps when questions about ingredient substitutions, pan sizes, oven temperatures etc. arise. BUT, use your common sense. Don't try something weird unless you are sure it is okay.
Rule #3: Measure, measure, measure.
This rule is extremely simple yet one I find a lot of people manage to botch up. Guys, please use your measuring cups and spoons. The pourable pyrex one for wet ingredients, the cups for the dry ingredients. Don't mix them up. They don't equate to the same measurements. Also, use the scoop and sweep method for measuring dry ingredients. Don't pack anything (except brown sugar) and level off your measuring cup with a butter knife or something flat. Exact measurements minimize error. If you hate measuring like this, buy a scale. It's 100% idiot-proof.
Rule #4: Room temperature ingredients.
Okay, this is not really observed in all recipes. For example, pastry and pie doughs call for really cold butter instead of room temperature, but generally, assume that when using things that are normally refrigerated, like eggs and butter, they need to be at room temperature. It makes the process so much easier, as things blend better when they're at the same temperature. My best advice is to double check. It never hurts. If you are in a pinch, you can place cold eggs in warm water for 5 minutes and they will be ready. I haven't yet discovered a good method with butter. Once I stuck a stick of butter on top of the heater in my dorm and walked away for 30 minutes to prep other things only to come back to see a really really softened mess on my heater.
Rule #5: Know your oven and your baking times.
This is extremely important. All ovens are different. Adjust accordingly if you find something browns too much or burns too easily. Don't just slip it in the oven and wait however much time the recipe tells you to or you will run the risk of ruining everything. Check on it 5 minutes before the suggested time. Use your toothpicks and eyeballs. If it looks done, it's really done.
Rule #6: Good ingredients matter.
I know that we may be financially-strapped bakers but do the best you can on this one. It really makes a difference. Know what you can and absolutely cannot skimp on (recipes will usually tell you). If they don't say, then assume you can go with your normal stock of baking ingredients. This ties in with Rule #2 and all I can say is, use your common sense. And your accumulating baking knowledge.
Rule #7: Take notes.
Being a good baker is like being a good scientist. You need to see what you did right, what you did wrong, and what changes you made and make note of it so you can improve the next time. Sometimes it will go perfectly and you won't need to. But even a little note to yourself that says: "This was absolutely perfect!!" never hurts.
Rule #8: Be your own housekeeper.
I admit, I am a messy baker. Especially when I'm trying something new and I have no clue what I'm doing and things are just flying everywhere. I get it. But try to make things easier on yourself. Organize your stuff as you go. Clean up wrappers and egg shells asap. Throw dirty bowls in the sink. It helps you avoid mistakes and eliminates some of the work later. I find this hard to do by myself but it works well if you have a friend helping you.
Rule #9: Bake with a friend/family member/just another person.
I don't know about you but one of the things I love about baking is being able to do it with friends. Even if they are not extremely helpful and just prefer to watch over your shoulder, it makes it less lonely and this way, you can show off your baking expertise and have an extra hand ready when things get hectic. Plus this is a easy way to make new friends into good friends and good friends into best friends.
Rule #10: Have fun, pig out, and share the love!
Food = love, guys (I know, I know I keep saying it). But it's true. It's so, so true. If you can't eat everything you make (you really shouldn't anyway), share with the people you love. If you have no idea what to get someone for their birthday/whatever occasion it is, make them something. If it were me, I'd make them my brownie pops. I have never encountered someone who was upset that I gave them a box of brownie pops instead of a gift card. Not yet anyway. If I ever did, I think I would probably sock them in the face.
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| Don't be like Pusheen. |
Okay, wow this was long. I think you probably found this dense, not funny, and probably not enlightening but I think it was a good idea to cover all of this at the beginning so people don't get lost later. If anyone likes taking random advice from a strange, food-obsessed girl who likes to write out her joys and sorrows on the interwebs.
If you want to procrasti-bake today, right now, at this very second, here's something to try: Nigella Lawson's 4-Ingredient No-Churn Ice Cream. I haven't tried it personally myself (going to when I get back to the East Coast), but I've read a lot of reviews/blog posts on it and it's extremely easy and actually tastes like real-deal ice cream. I know, I kind of can't believe it myself. If you want to save this to do later, here's something to try. For an extra flavor bump, slowly heat up your sweetened condensed milk for several hours until it turns caramel-ly before you make your ice cream and then you can get real Dulce de Leche ice cream in no time.
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| ME WANTS. |
Image from: http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/food/ic/food_16x9_448/recipes/one-step_no-churn_coffee_88525_16x9.jpg
Okay for reals now, I'll stop bothering you.
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