Posted by I received the new book The Cookiepedia in the mail a little while ago (thank you Quirk Books!) and I started flipping through all the delicious recipes immediately. I knew right away which one I would try first: Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Might seem like a boring choice considering the book has recipes for Mint Thins (they’re next on my list), French Macarons, and Pecan Sandies. But for me, nothing beats a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie.
As I was baking I realized that writing and baking have some similarities that never really occurred to me before. So, with the help of The Cookiepedia and a pretty decent sugar rush, I put together a few examples of how writing is like baking cookies:
- You need to put all the ingredients together in the right order using precise measurements in order to produce the best results.
- Once you’ve attempted the recipe a few times you can get a bit creative with substitutions and additions.
- There is such a thing as making things too perfect. At some point you just have to trust that everything is ok and jump right in.
- Depending on the type of cookie you’re baking, one batch can take longer than another.
- Even after all your time and effort, sometimes the cookies just don’t taste very good. Roll up your sleeves and try again.
- Things can get rather messy in the kitchen. Let it happen. Worry about cleaning it up at the end.
I’m happy to report that my chocolate chip cookies were delicious: soft, chewy, and with just the right amount of chocolate. The recipe was simple and I loved the cheeky tone of the instructions (“If you get melted chocolate on your hands, you’re eating these too slowly.”). I highly recommend buying The Cookiepedia, but if you want to check out a few recipes online, Oprah featured the book on her website.
