Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3
I am a mad scientist when it comes to testing out new recipes and perfecting old ones. In the beginning of my culinary journey I had a blank slate. I collected a few recipes here and there but none of them were what I considered the “tried and true” recipes that I so desired. I started out testing the basics, chocolate chip cookies, buttermilk pancakes, vanilla pound cake and the infamous yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Who knew there were so many variations out there for a single recipe. Do you want a thin and crispy cookie, a cakey one, or perhaps a crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside version. Truly I had no idea where to start. I’d look at a recipe and say to myself, “this looks like a good one” only to find out that it wasn’t good at all. Over time I began to develop an eye for what I considered a good recipe, basically by creating my own. I realized that I liked oatmeal cookies that were made with majority brown sugar creating a soft, chewy texture and a delicious caramel taste. I added a little sour cream, buttermilk or heavy cream to my pound cakes to give them the added moisture that I love and you can’t forget about cooking it slow and low to achieve that delicious flaky crust on the top, which is a key characteristic of pound cakes I grew up eating. My recipe repertoire has grown over the years and I think I have a pretty good collection. The recipe that I’m still trying to “perfect” is a yellow layer cake. I have yet to create one that has all the characteristics I’m looking for, one that’s moist and has a tighter crumb than the typical white cake. Of course you could open a box of cake mix and make that but, I want to make one from scratch. I will continue on working in my lab..I mean my kitchen, ever ready to create, to be inspired, and to learn. What recipes have you perfected and what recipes are you still in pursuit of? I’d love to know your thoughts on the matter!
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