Mary says...: dagnabbit

I really want to bake! I mean bake well. Bake super deliciously yummy things that make people call me up and say, "Mary, can you please make some of those cookies for my sister's brother's baby shower? You know those super yummy delicious one's you made that time back then??"

I keep practicing.

So far, I have mastered nothing.

I thought that I'd gotten banana bread down pretty well. I was making some mini muffins for G about once a week since he won't eat fruit any other way except for applesauce. Understand I said thought, that was until last week when I made some muffins and they are weird! Hard, tough, gooey on top. Just not yummy. What is up!?!

Tonight I made these

and, well, I don't know. I was just disappointed. They are ok. But not the oowy, gooey deliciousness (are we noticing a trend here with that word?) that I was expecting and waiting for. And mind you, I think this has everything to do with the baker and not the recipe or Browneyedbaker and her delicious recipes.

I think I over cooked them, which is probably a habit in my kitchen. I often forget to set a timer. I also get sidetracked and then rush back into the kitchen knocking over anything in my way to hurl open the oven door with a "shit, I burned it again" and wrinkled nose.

Perhaps some of those reasons above are why I tend not to get the final result that I am wanting when baking. I have made these improvements recently, however.

1- reading the recipe before begining.

2 - RE-reading the recipe just to be sure I actually paid attention.

3 - using the ingedients the recipe actually calls for instead of what I happen to have on hand that "could do".

4 - following the recipe.

Those four, small concessions have really made a world of difference. I have managed to make a few yummy things in the past few months. However, I really need one of these to make baked goods that come out like the recipe.