How many times have you thought to yourself, “I swear that I followed exactly what the recipe called for. Why didn’t the cake rise? How could I have burned the biscotti?” (I’ll get to the biscotti in a minute.) You were sure that you followed the recipe. You bought exactly what the recipe required, with no deviation whatsoever. But when you took a step back to figure out what the heck happened, did it ever occur to you that it might be your oven?What I mean is, all ovens are different. Some models are gas, some are electric, and they’re made by different manufacturers. Are all cars alike?
When I was testing recipes for my book, I always had more of a challenge with the desserts, which I categorized as “high maintenance.” I ended up making a couple of batches before I figured out that the oven temperature was off, and that I needed to spend a few minutes making sure that the biscotti logs (for example) were getting the right amount of heat. Once I understood my oven a little better, it became easier.
Nobody tells you these things, but I promise that I will share with you all that I know!
