Sugar in baking

Two of the great myths of working with food are that all recipes are good, and that flops are usually the fault of the cook.

It's a relief to learn that recipes often fail for reasons that have little to do with cooking skills.

Let's look at several factors that help guarantee success in the kitchen.
A good recipe is balanced.

In cakes, cookies, muffins, and pastry, the best recipes are cleverly designed so ingredients that tenderize don't overpower those that create structure.

When a cake flops, for instance, it's sometimes because the recipe calls for too much sugar.

While appealing to one's sweet tooth is important, too much sugar creates a batter so tender that it's too fragile to support the volume of the rising cake.

So it falls before it sets, and that has far less to do with your cooking expertise than that of the recipe writer.

Be aware that not all recipes are good recipes.



www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/icooks/7-02_article.html