Tuesday, January 18

Little Baking Rant

So, I understand this is partly my fault for buying from a grocery store bakery, but I was desperate.  Not only have I not made any cookies for the blog, I haven't baked for myself/the family in nearly 3 weeks!  I'm sorry, but I can't make it terribly long without baked goods.  So I gave in the other day to my daughter pointing out some pretty cupcakes at our local grocer.



Stop - No these weren't the ones in the container that have the plastic toys or rings in them.  I said pretty.  They were in a specialty case with chocolate dipped strawberries, cream puffs and the like.  I have to also admit I'm not really a cake person.  It's all too airy.  Fluffy cake topped with fluffy buttercream - nahhhh!  Brownie with a dense cream cheese frosting left to set in the refrigerator for at least an hour is more my style.  (Aside from cookies, of course!)  But as I said, I was desperate and too weak to tell my daughter, "No."

So we made our way to the car with our pretty little cupcakes in hand.  She chose strawberry, I chose vanilla.  (I know, how vanilla, eh?  I'm also a purist when it comes to food.)  My daughter got into hers first.  After the first bite, chewed no more than twice, she turned to me with a look.  It's hard to describe the look, but we'll just use the word - disgust.  She followed up with a few words to correspond with the made face and gently put the tiny cake away.  "Can I try yours?"

Kids.

"Sure, after me."  At some age you have to teach your children that not everyone is just going to give them everything they ask for, right?  I generally make sure the kids get seconds before I take mine, but this was sugar - and I think I mentioned something about being desperate before...

The vanilla was nowhere to be found in this cake.  It wasn't vanilla - it was white.  Sans flavor.  Which I guess was better than the crappy flavor of the strawberry cuppy my daughter ended up with.  Alas, upon swallowing the first bite my face began to take shape similar to hers.  "What IS that?"  I gasped.  Seeing that the cake had no flavor at all, we determined that the frosting had a wonky after taste.  Yes, that's right, I said wonky.  It's a technical term.

We still don't know what the heck it could have been, but it was a lesson I hope my daughter holds to.  You see folks, I think pretty is important.  But it's really #2 on my list.  Honestly, I don't care how much time you spend making it pretty, if it don't taste good, don't sell it!  Period.

If I was paying for a decoration, fine.  But I'm assuming anything in a bakery display case is for consuming.  And if you pay for something to consume, I'm going to just toss this out here, you generally want to enjoy it, right?

I personally like to take things a step further, but I don't hold other people to the same standards.  If you don't say, or at least think, "Oh my God this is awesome," when you taste something, you shouldn't be sharing it with others.  Just as a general rule, but especially if you're charging money for it and all.

So yeah.

In conclusion - to sum up - Taste your products!  Get a clean spoon - dip it in whatever you're making - and TASTE it!  Before you sell it.

I'll be writing someone a nasty letter.  You know, I say this all the time and I've not written a single one.
Guess that's what the ol' blog is actually for...

1 comment:

  1. 'Wonky' is a term I use too, in vegan products it generally is a somewhat chemical yet not quite chemical taste which I think I have narrowed down to vanilla flavored powdered soy milk... I think. Sorry you did not get the treat you were hoping for but maybe it will be the motivation you needed to get baking again.

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