When Baking Goes Wrong

I made a batch of my Triple-Ginger Scones and they did not turn out very well. Take a look.

What Happened Here?

I mixed the batter, rolled it into a circle, cut it into wedges, and put it in the oven, just as I've done many times before. But when I pulled the pan out, the "scones" had flattened out and spread over the entire baking pan. What could have gone wrong?

It's been said that cooking is art, but baking is science. That's very true. Accuracy of measurements, handling of dough, oven temperature, and baking time are all critical. If you work the dough too much you'll end up with a stone instead of a scone!

So what could have happened here? I thought I had done all the measurements correctly. But maybe I put in too much liquid, or not enough flour. Maybe I rolled the dough too thin. But none of those would really explain the misshapen monsters in the pan.

Then I realized what went wrong. We're both diabetic so we use monk fruit sugar in cooking. The package says it can be used like sugar in baking. But they mean things like brownies and pies. It doesn't work with cakes, or scones, or anything that uses a leavening agent (yeast, baking powder, or baking soda), because those only work with real sugar.

So my scones didn't rise.

Why Am I Telling You This?

Two reasons. First, to show you that recipes don't always work, even on food blogs. You always see the beautiful pictures of a successful dish. You don't see all the disasters that don't see the light of day! If you want to see that, watch any of the food competition shows.

Second, a recipe that doesn't come out right isn't always a disaster! What I made was not scones, but it was completely edible and delicious. We gave some to a friend and he said it was like a softer ginger snap. Is it pretty? No. Would you serve it to guests? That depends on your guests! They might recoil in fear, or it could turn into a "Remember the giant flat scones?" memory.

You might make something that goes straight into the compost heap. But it could also be the start of a new recipe. So figure out what went wrong, see if it can be repaired, learn from the experience, and keep cooking!

(And I will be making the scones—with real sugar—next week!)