Measurements

Any baker will tell you that consistency is the key to good pastries. It’s true.

Somehow, though, my mom can still get away with the "a little of this a little of that" method. How is it that her baked good still come out better than mine, I don't know. I chalk it up to experience. For generations and generations, people have used the cups and cans and pinches to measure out their recipes, with good result, so I certainly can’t say that they are wrong. That method, however, doesn’t work for me.

If I want desserts to come out nicely and consistently, I have to measure precisely. For the most part, I like using weight. Metric is the best, but for the most part I do things in ounces because there’s rarely a need for the super accuracy that metric gives you. I do measure some things in the Imperial system (like baking powder or salt, because its easier to grab a teaspoon than my scale) but only when they consistently have the same volume. My cup of flour is not the same amount as your cup of flour, but four ounces is four ounces no matter where you go (on Earth, at least).

If you want to use my recipes with good result, I highly recommend going out and buying a scale. You can get a simple digital scale at office supply stores for around $20. Ideally it will be able to switch between grams and ounces, but it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t. With a good scale, any of the recipes I post should come out nicely.