Baking Basics: A Link Roundup

I have always been much better at cooking than baking. I still remember how I used to ruin Pillsbury cookies. You know, the ones that you only need to scoop onto a baking sheet and put into the oven. Sad.

Over the last year or so, I've become a much better cook, but I think that part of my success is due to the fact that cooking is generally much more forgiving than baking. I can freestyle a recipe or substitute ingredients and the dish can still work out (most of the time).

Baking, on the other hand, is more like a chemistry experiment to me. (I should say that I was never particularly good at chemistry, though it probably didn't help that my chemistry labs in undergrad were at 8 in the morning. Nobody should make me play with chemicals at 8 in the morning.) Everything has to be so much more precise and there is a lot more room to ruin a recipe if you don't know exactly what you're doing.

While I have improved my baking skills enough that I can handle Pillsbury cookies now, and have ventured into the wonderful world of making sweet treats from scratch, I still have a lot to learn. I have been reading a lot of amazing food blogs and information sources from professional chefs online that have outlined a lot of great information that I didn't know. I figured there might be others out there who are novices and want to learn more, so I thought I'd start this link roundup feature of useful information that I come across.

While this particular roundup is about baking basics, I'm planning to share more links every once in a while on other cooking topics. I hope you find them helpful too!

Top 10 Tips for More Successful Baking. - The Kitchn

Think you know how to measure dry ingredients? I thought so too. (I was wrong.) - Sally's Baking Addiction

Learn how to bake muffins with high tops. (Now all I can picture is muffins with running shoes on.) - Sally's Baking Addiction

Check out these tips for making great cookies. Did you know the weather can matter? I didn't! - A Spicy Perspective

50 Tips for Baking Better Cakes. - Sweetapolita

Anna Olson's baking tips. - Food Network

Anne Burrell's Top 5 Tips for Baking Like a Pro. - Food Network

The World's Greatest Baking Tips from Dan Lepard. - The Guardian