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The church potluck that made me check my oven temp
Last Sunday at the First Methodist potluck in our town, I brought a batch of chocolate chip cookies that came out flat and greasy. Everyone else's baked goods looked perfect, and I felt pretty embarrassed. I got home and decided to test my oven with a thermometer I bought for $12 at the hardware store. Turns out my oven runs about 50 degrees hotter than the dial says, which explains why my cookies have been failing for months. I've been baking for 20 years and never thought to check this simple thing. Has anyone else had a similar wake up call about their oven accuracy?
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ryan_hart3824d ago
Oh man, that's such a classic kitchen mystery solved! I had the same thing happen with a birthday cake that came out dry and dark on the edges. Bought a cheap oven thermometer and found mine was running cold by about 25 degrees. It makes a huge difference for anything that needs precise timing, like bread or meringues. Now I just leave that little thermometer hanging in there all the time and adjust the dial as needed. It saved so much wasted butter and flour.
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grantnelson24d ago
That's a solid fix, @ryan_hart38. Wonder if the temperature swings more when the oven's really full versus baking a single tray.
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Honestly, that "cheap oven thermometer" Ryan mentioned saved my brownies from being hockey pucks too.
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