from baking catastrophe to baking masterpiece

Article and pictures by: Regina Chen

I would consider myself to be someone who loves to try new things. Growing up, I’ve had many hobbies that came and went, including knitting, sewing, and painting. However, throughout all those different phases, one thing stuck with me: baking.

It all started in middle school with premade cookie dough, boxed cake mix, and canned frosting. Although the cookies burned occasionally, and the cupcakes with the frosting were too sweet, it was enough to satisfy my boredom as I saw the cookies and cakes bake and transform into deserts that fulfilled my cravings for something sweet.

It followed me into high school, but I craved something more than premade, boxed, and canned mixes. It was then that I started looking more into baking from scratch. Although the store-bought mixes are convenient and quick, I quickly learned to appreciate the time and skill it took to measure out ingredients and to make desserts from scratch. Baking is a science, and each ingredient plays a role in the outcome of the product. By learning what each ingredient does in the overall finished product, it allowed me to be creative and tweak recipes to how I like it. Of course, all this was not obtained in one night, day, or even year, but YouTube has been, and still is, a giant virtual book that I go to for inspiration and recipes.

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One of my favorite things to make are macarons. In all honesty, I have never tried a macaron before attempting to make them at first. I heard that they were challenging to make, and they looked like cute little sandwiches, so I was set on making them.

I’d be lying if I told you that I was able to perfect macarons on the first few tries. I had pancake looking macarons,

cracked macarons,

macarons with nipples…

basically everything but a proper macaron.

However, I was determined to get the smooth and crunchy top, chewy center, and ruffled feet of what makes a macaron a macaron. I would fail, do some research on why my macarons turned out how they turned out, fail again, and do more research. It took time, and a hell lot of almond flour, sugar, and egg whites, but eventually, I was able to make a proper macaron.

Although it is difficult, all the attention and skill it takes to bake a macaron makes it so satisfying when they turn out as planned.

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I enjoy baking other things as well, such as cookies, cream puffs, and cinnamon rolls. I usually end up making more than I can personally eat, but I love sharing my baked goodies with my friends and family! I think food is a great way to bond and show appreciation for others and can also be a cheap, yet meaningful gift as it took time and effort to make it.

I will always have a special spot in my heart for boxed mixes, but I am so glad to have dipped my toe into the world of making things from scratch. It opened up a whole new window of things that I can try to make and taught me to appreciate the beauty of food from bakeries and restaurants. Although it may seem intimidating, I would highly recommend others to try out making something from scratch! It’s amazing how basic ingredients, such as sugar, flour, and eggs can be transformed into so many different, delicious things.