21 Sep What to Look for When Picking a Recipe
Picking the right recipe is the most important part of pulling off the perfect bake. No matter how fresh your ingredients or how fancy your gadgets, if the recipe isn’t solid going into game day then you’re in for some major disappointments. Luckily, picking the right recipe doesn’t have to be rocket science. Here’s a quick and easy guide to help you pick a winner.
1. do lots of comparison shopping
When I’m picking a recipe, the first step is to look around and see what’s out there. You’d never buy the first pair of shoes you find without trying on a few styles, so keep that in mind when searching for a recipe. Even if you have something in mind, you want to give yourself lots of options to choose from.
Clear your mind and read through at least 5 or 6 recipes. No judgements. You’ll start to notice some patterns, and you’ll get a good picture of what to expect with different types of bakes. Do you add the dry ingredients to the wet or should you pour the wet ingredients over the dry? Is the butter solid or melted? Should your ingredients all be room temperature or do certain items need to be kept cold? These similarities will help you start to recognize and get comfortable with the recipe process.
You’ll typically start to notice a few key differences as well. Do certain ingredients stand out from one recipe to another? Does each recipe call for the same amount of sugar or flavored extract? What if you want to incorporate yogurt or sour cream – do you have the option and does that change any of the other ingredients in the recipe? If a particular recipe seems drastically different from the rest, it’s probably not the safest bet and a pretty easy way to knock it off the list of contenders.
2. read the comments
Next you need to figure out how each of these different options impacts the bake. Is one technique more fluffy, another more dense? What about a creamier texture or a sweeter finish? The best way to do this is to read the comments. Don’t go crazy though! This can easily turn into a time suck so don’t let yourself go too far down the rabbit hole.
Surprisingly (or maybe not) the comments on baking pages aren’t a common place for trolls. Most people are sharing stories of how much they love the recipe and their excitement from “wowing” their loved ones. Others will include recommendations for changes they might have made – adding coffee to brownies is a frequent tip you’ll see!
Look out for common substitutions that might be helpful for your crew. Need a gluten free flour substitute, swapping out non-dairy eggs, or omitting nuts for an allergy? You’ll get tons of tips and suggestions from the comments.
Glow-ups and substitutions aren’t the only thing you’re looking for. You need to know if this recipe is worth the time. You can’t make 3 or 4 pies and pick your favorite so it helps to see what everybody else is saying. 14 rave reviews in a row and you can feel pretty confident in the final product.
However, if the recipe doesn’t live up to expectations, you’ll see this as well. “I tried this recipe twice and it was overly dry both times, what am I doing wrong?” The author may reply with some helpful hints, but either way you’ll get a sense of the quality of the recipe and decide for yourself if it’s worthy of being your favorite choice.
3. read through the step-by-step directions and visualize
Sorting through the comments should help you cut back a few more recipes. At this point, you should be able to pick your 2 or 3 favs. Now it’s time to dig into the instructions of the recipe. Does it seem easy to follow? Read through it slowly and make sure that you can really picture each of the tasks it lays out for you.
This was one of the biggest aha moments for me as a new baker. Most recipes are only listed in 3 or 4 steps. What!? I mean, each of those steps has like 3 or 4 tasks. My secret trick – I rewrite recipes out for myself (sometimes 10 steps or more) to make sure I really know the flow. Here’s the thing – all we’re doing is measuring out ingredients and mixing them together. But you and I both know that baking isn’t that simple. The step by step-by-step instructions are there because the order in which you add things and the timing as you mix different elements, determines the consistency of your dough or batter at different stages.
I’m not saying you should just count the steps in a recipe. I am saying you should read the recipe, not just skim it, and make sure it genuinely makes sense to you. If you can picture yourself going through the steps, then you’re in a good place. If you’re like David and Moira Rose from “Schitt’s Creek” and have no idea what it means to “fold in the cheese” for her Mother’s Enchiladas, then this might not be the best recipe for you.
This is where pictures come in handy. If you’re reading through the recipe and you’ve got lots of helpful pictures, that’s definitely a good sign. If you’ve found a recipe you like but it doesn’t include lots of visual-aids, make sure you’re seeking them out separately in YouTube videos (or my awesome future demo library). Having a visual of what to expect beforehand makes all the difference when baking a new dish.
Examples like this are super helpful!
CONGRATULATIONS!
At this point, you should be feeling pretty darn confident about your project. You know what’s in it, you understand how it needs to come together, and you can picture what you’re looking for at each step along the way.
If you’ve checked off all these boxes, then you’re ready to go – excited about the recipe you’re working with and ready to take on the challenge. Post in the comments below if there’s any other important steps you consider when choosing a recipe, and let me know what you picked for your first bake. See you in the kitchen!