There are only a couple of foods that I bake well. Sugar cookies and pizza are two of them, ok they are probably the only two I do well. Martha S. I am not. I’m not fussy enough for baking with all the annoying measuring involved and I am not a math genius.
I usually only bake sugar cookies for Christmas and then it’s a big production on my part. Last year I miscalculated the doubling of the ingredients (math problems) and ended up with twice the amount of butter required, which ended up in melted looking cookies. We tossed those and started over.
After that disaster I made myself a printed recipe showing both the regular recipe and the recipe doubled, so all I had to do was be able to read. Much better!
When I attempt to bake my kitchen and I both end up looking like we have been hit with a flour bomb dropped from five feet overhead and exploding all over everything. I don’t know how or why it always happens, but it does. Luckily it does not effect the taste of the end product.
My sugar cookies are one of the only things that my husband actually prefers over everyone else. There is no secret to it, it’s an old B. C. recipe and the frosting I use came out of her book as well. I’ve been using that recipe for over 40 years.
My pizza recipe is a basic recipe from long ago that I began adding to it and tweaking it until I had it just the way I wanted it. Since I’m not fussy at measuring, it often comes out a bit different each time, and once in a while it’s a flop, but I’m ok with that.
I used to never share my recipe with anyone, but as I’ve aged I’m a little more relaxed in sharing some of my tips. I thought at one time I was going to own a restaurant, or a food truck, and make my pizza’s for everyone. There is less likelihood at this age that I will be able to do that, so I’m relaxing a bit on my rules.
Pizza is one of the few foods that while it’s very labor intensive I love to make it. It used to be something I did with my children and their friends, and now that they are grown many of them still have fond memories of my pizza, which makes me smile. It’s a joy I now share with my grandkids. I hope someday they will recall the fond memories of making homemade pizza with their grandma. Mission accomplished in my baking world.
Until next time….Toni
