I am really not the baker, I've never really been into baking, yet out of curiosity and through a lot of mouthwatering Instagrams, I found myself picking up a copy of Tanya Bakes. As I not really into baking I decided to make something easy the first time I used this book. I went for the milk and white chocolate cookies because you can't fuck up cookies all that much can you?
Firstly I halved the ingredients - it says it makes 10 cookies, but when I'm just baking for fun, I don't really need to make 10 cookies. However I did still, however, end up with 9 fairly sizable cookies, I guess the recipe is to make really giant cookies!
I loved using the book because the instructions were so clear and simple. I think sometimes when book instructs you, not matter whether it's a cookbook or a life advice manual things can be over complicated and it all becomes drawn out and confusing. I mean, if I need to crack an egg into the mixture, just say "crack an egg into the mixture" not "select one sizable free range egg, take that to your ingredients which had previously all been mixed together, if you tap the egg on the side of the bowl you can then break the egg, pull the shell away and place into the bin or set aside, now you are ready to combine your egg with your ingredients"... You get the picture, right? I may be exaggerating there, but I do find this type of thing is common in books. This book, however, is definitely more to the point than I'd expect which makes it much more simple, for me, the none baker, who is baking to follow.
It didn't take all that long to create the cookie dough, more than anything chopping the chocolate was the most time consuming - but overall I found the process to be quite therapeutic - unlike previous stressful baking experiences I've had - my clumsy and all round sloppy lack of accuracy doesn't go down well in the baking world, I try, but I have a careless personality when it comes to these things.
I found separating the dough into balls a little more frustrating because I felt as though I need a bigger baking tray, I ended up using two which was just a little inconvenient as the ones on the top cooked faster (plus, more washing up.. which is really not the fun part). I also found as my cookie spread out the slightly went into each other (Tanya does warn about this in her book, and well it's obvious) I pretty much knew this was going happen but my baking trays we're a tad too small to allow loads of room. It wasn't a huge issue it was only slightly, and they were easy enough to separate from each other once they'd cooled.
I also kept mine in the oven a little longer than the book suggested - although it says they will still be doughy and set as the cool, I just felt they needed that extra few minutes.
And once they cooled, I enjoyed a cookie and some milk - yum!
The cookie we're pretty delicious, as cookies go, and the book made me realise I can actually enjoy baking when it's made easy.
Tanya Bakes is filled with such lovely pictures, it's made me want to become one of those people who love baking... you never know, maybe one day! I did find it to be the perfect Sunday activity, and a great excuse to give myself a good sugar rush through the week by snacking
cookies.
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