Judy asked Lauren:

Dear Lauren,

Although I had a double disaster when making your scones recipe for my book club, everyone was hoping you’d write about the mix and the scones on the Gazette.
Here’s what happened: First, the phone kept ringing and I forgot to add the cream. Next batch had an off taste—turns out the cream was sour. I ended up buying a cake from Bradleys!

Lauren says:

Boy, Judy, you sure had several “derailments.” Ok, let’s talk. First, let me ask if you went golfing, would you really expect to play well, if you left most of your clubs in the trunk of your car? I doubt it. Well, it’s the same thing with baking. Although you may be able to get away with cooking while distracted, baking is more precise and requires greater attention. To “set up” for success in the kitchen, especially when baking, it’s important to make a habit of checking the expiration dates on your ingredients before you set out to bake. And, measuring out all of your ingredients before assembling, and then double-checking against the ingredients list in your written recipe, will help to avoid accidentally leaving out a crucial component, thus helping to assure your success.

Now, let ’s talk about reality. “Everyday life” for all of us can be hectic and busy, but doing something nurturing tactile and homey, liking cooking and baking for family and friends, can be the quickest route to finding balance. The best way I’ve found to be ready on even the craziest days is to devote a few minutes on a quieter day to assembling several large batches of homemade dry mixes. So any time I choose, I can simply scoop from their respective canisters, and quickly concoct something “home-baked” wonderful. And so can you! So, click on my recipe for my Baking Powder Biscuit Mix, which is what I also use to make the most delicious Orange-Scented Currant Scones.

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