Not always.
I've been baking for over 50 years and have now developed a reputation in my community for being a terrific baker. Almost everything I make is from scratch although I do occasionally use a mix.
Today, I was baking some cookies for our Arts & Crafts Fair tomorrow. My preferred cookie recipe uses a cookie press. Several years ago I retired my old aluminum cookie press where you turn a knob to push the dough through the template onto the cookie sheet. I decided to come into the 20th century and bought a new cookie press, one that uses a trigger to push the dough onto the cookie sheet. After only one or two uses, it broke. So I bought another, more expensive one thinking that the old one broke because it was cheap. I usually make this type of cookie once or twice a year.
Well, today I was in the middle of baking my cookies and getting ready to refill the press. I unscrewed the pusher (very technical term) and it came right out of the press. Naturally, I couldn't find any of the pieces.
Fortunately, I NEVER throw anything out. I went into the garage and found my original cookie press to finish the job. Guess I'll forget about replacing the "new" press and go back to the old, stone-age aluminum one, the same type that my mother used.
Speaking of my mother, several years ago she noticed that I lived by my timer when baking anything. She was quite surprised and said that she knew when a cake was done when she could smell it. Of course, I scoffed at that idea, but decided to try it. Surprise! It works. As soon as I smell a cake, I check it out and it is done. Who knew mothers could be so smart.
