Baking - Some Thoughts

Baking has become a rather controversial issue of late, and it will be my attempt to give an introductory look at baking from an incredibly biased point of view. I must emphasis the point that these are my opinions and that I will not be taking the time to try to find actual sources to back me up.

One common misconception is that baking is the same as cooking. It is not! Just because you can cook does not mean you can bake. I can't explain why that is. I know plenty of people who can cook, but they simply can't bake. And I also know people who can bake who can't cook - it works both ways. In both areas you're basically following a recipe, but often times it's the unwritten rules that make the difference in how something turns out. So until someone has actually tried to bake something, don't assume that you can bake. And I will be the first to admit that I am a skeptic about anyone's baking ability until I have actually had something that they've made.

At this point, I'd like to take a moment to extol the virtues of baking (and many can also be applied to cooking). Baking can be a very fun, relaxing process. It requires time and effort, and while the results aren't instantaneous, they do come faster than many things in the universe. It also allows you to eat something that was not made in the school cafeteria (which is always enjoyable). Furthermore, it is a most excellent way to show your consideration for someone else. The gift of a baked good is one of the best (remember this guys: flowers, chocolate and baked goods. The key to making anything right). And if you use your talent enough, everyone will want to be your friend. Which really makes you feel loved.

Moving on.

A Guide to Baking

When you first decide that you want to bake, several things must be taken into consideration. One thing would be time. Depending on what you want to do, you want to have a couple of hours free to do the baking. Another is supplies. What you make depends on what you have (or what you can get). An easy solution is to find a friend you happens to have baking supplies, and then to beg nicely to borrow them. Be prepared to have to give over part of your creation, and that you'll have to wash the dishes afterwards (preferably without breaking them or getting them rusty). There's a price for everything. Always double check the recipe to make sure you have everything. For some of the most basic needs, there's a little convenient store within walking distance of the campus, and if there are greater needs, a quick car ride can be made to Jubilee. All of this must be taken into account in advance - planning ahead is good!

So what should you make? Probably the most common thing that can easily be made by a college student is a brownie mix. All that requires is the boxed mix, oil, water and eggs. Always delicious and easy. Slightly more challenging would be cookies. They come in all shapes, varieties and levels of complexity. Another step up from that would be a cookie cake (or a double layered one if you're really ambitious...or a half-and-half double layered one for someone's birthday if you're just that good...). Of course I've been ignoring the most obvious question - what about cakes? I'm the first to admit that I haven't made a cake since I've come to college, so I wouldn't be sure as to how difficult that would be. I stick to experimenting with cookies. I have a variety of recipes if anyone needs one. And the nice thing about cookies is that you can keep a portion for yourself (presuming that you're planning on giving them to some friends) without your friends ever having to know. And it's really easy to make huge batches of cookies, which is extremely helpful if you know you have to give some to your RA, the girls in the lounge who can smell them cooking, the girls who drop in, the friends who claim to "help" you by licking the bowl, the guys who won't let you visit unless you bring them something to eat...and then there's usually a few left over for yourself.

Another thing which is almost a necessity is good music. There's no point spending a few hours in a kitchen unless you've got your laptop with some music to blast. Remember - you can't leave if you've got something in the oven. It's also handy to have one of your friends on speed dial to grab stuff out of your room that you've forgotten that you needed.

So let's say that you're making chocolate chip cookies. You're going to need some Crisco shortening (don't even think about getting the non-name brand stuff), light brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract, an egg, flour, salt, baking soda, chocolate chips (and anything else you want to throw in). Again, unless you're in the habit of baking frequently, you might want to see if there's someone who has vanilla extract that you can borrow rather than buying a whole bottle yourself. Beyond that, you're going to need a mixing bowl, an electric mixer (unless you're crazy enough to try to do it by hand), a stirring spoon (you will have to stir in the chocolate chips by hand), measuring cups/spoons, spatula, something to get the cookies off the sheet, baking sheets, cooling racks, and oven mitts (or something comparable so you don't burn yourself).

As you can see, deciding to even bake something simply like chocolate chips is not something you can do on a whim. While you don't have to be an expert, it will require a couple hours the first time you try to do it (especially if it's the first time you're doing it by yourself). Another good hint: have someone in mind that you can call if you have questions when you're in the middle of it all (mothers are great for that, and other friends who know how to bake).

Now some may argue that I am taking a far too serious look at this, and that I'm making it out to be much harder than it actually is. Baking gets easier each time you make something, and eventually it becomes quite easy and second nature to you. I was brought up helping my grandmother on her day long baking exploits, so it's much more natural for me. My point isn't that it's incredibly hard, just that it's not something to be taken lightly.

Another question has come up in the past few days as to the abilities of guys to bake compared to girls. This is a rather sticky area. It really varies person to person. There are some girls who can't bake at all, and some guys that are really terrific. But in my experience, girls are generally better than guys. Sorry guys! While you spent your time running outside and scraping your knee, the girls who helped their moms in the kitchen were getting the upper hand in this race. That's not to say that you can't make a comeback. The mere fact that a guy will take time to bake is quite impressive, especially if he does it as a surprise (or as an answer to challenge...either way).

But as I said earlier, I reserve judgement on anyone's baking abilities until I've actually had something they've made, and I applaud the effort of anyone who tries to bake something.