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My grandma's comment about my pie crust really got to me
She told me my crust was 'too perfect for a home baker' and that's when I realized I've been overworking the dough to make it look like bakery stuff. It turned tough instead of flaky. Has anyone else had family call out a flaw that actually taught you something about your technique?
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the_charlie29d ago
Right there with you. My aunt told me my cookies were "too pretty to eat" and I felt great about it until I bit into one and it was basically a hockey puck. Turns out I was chilling the dough way too long and overmixing trying to get that perfect smooth top. Now I leave them bumpy and ugly and they actually taste amazing. Sometimes family is the best food critic you didn't ask for.
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the_matthew29d ago
Did you see that Bon Appetit article @the_charlie where they said ugly cookies actually taste better because you handle the dough less?
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finleyh8913d agoProlific Poster
Too pretty to eat" is the story of my baking life. I spent years making these perfectly round, evenly browned sugar cookies that looked like they came from a bakery, but they were always dry and dense. Finally I got lazy one day and just blobbed the dough onto the sheet without any rolling or shaping, and they came out all lumpy with these craggy edges. Best cookies I ever made, soft in the middle and actually tasted like butter instead of flour. Now I purposely make them look like they got dropped on the floor and everyone fights over the ugly ones first.
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