I didn't always know how to teach thousands of students to make incredible cookies.
When I started, my cookies were often a mess.
Sometimes, the fillings would turn rock-hard, the cookies would spread out too much, or the texture would be just wrong—anything but soft and chewy.
I kept making cookies with overbaked edges and burnt centers, and I couldn't seem to get that perfect texture I was looking for.
It felt like I was stuck in a loop of making the same mistakes over and over.
That's when I knew I had to do something drastic. I was desperate, but also ready for something new, so I dove deep into the science of baking.
At first, though, it seemed like things got worse.
I worked so hard, trying every baking tip I could find, but I kept ending up with more batches of sad, boring cookies. It was like no matter what I did, I couldn't get it right.
I started to think maybe there were baking secrets that I just couldn't figure out.
Nothing seemed to work. But then...