The Vulnerable Baker

Good news! I made cookies!

Remember how I was afraid of the oven? I learned how to light it and now I'm a pro. Well, probably not. But I have a working knowledge of our oven.

I have been thinking about making these cookies for a while now. But it has taken me some time to translate the ingredients, find them in the crowded supermarkets, and eventually put them all together and build up the courage to light the oven. Additionally, if I were in the states, I would use my hand mixer to at least cream the butter and sugar, if not mix the whole recipe together. I would preheat my oven using automatic temperature settings, and it would tell me when the oven was ready. Without these gadgets, I was feeling a little vulnerable. On top of that, measurements here are different. Obviously, they use the metric system. So when I converted the measurements for one stick of butter, I found out that a metric cup is different from an imperial cup. I figured the difference was small (and it is) but with baking, precision is important.

I made them anyway. Without a thermometer on our oven, I had to just wing it. I checked the cookies every few minutes and trusted my sense of smell to tell me if they were burning. I never expected a batch of cookies to be a lesson in presence. But I was so present with those cookies. None of them burned.

I've gained a lot of confidence from helping out with the cooking class for the kids at Compartiendo Un Sueño. We have made bread, cakes, cookie bars, and more! It has helped me feel more relaxed in the kitchen because I have a better idea of how Argentines cook: what ingredients they use, measuring spoons, mixers, techniques, etc. So that has been really helpful and really fun.

Cookies in the oven.

I've been acquiring the ingredients for some lemon cookies this week. So I'll try again soon.