Date Bar Fiasco

[cjsmith]

I tried to make date bars from a boxed-up mix thingy when I was maybe six. The box contained a beige powder and a dark brown powder; I was supposed to add, I think, nothing more complicated than water, and then form the resulting things into layers in a square pan and bake them. How hard could it be?

So I add two cups of water to the light beige powder and three tablespoons of water to the dark brown powder...

...oops...

Okay. I know heat helps things dry out, right? Remember, I'm like six. I put the big plastic bowl with the "crust mixture" (now very liquid) on the warm spot on the counter, above the running dishwasher. Minutes pass. No improvement. I put it in the nice warm oven. I smell something funny. I pry the big plastic bowl OFF the oven rack -- thank goodness it hadn't melted through, yet! Eventually I decide there's not a thing I can do but mix both the glops together and make drop cookies.

My dad said he liked them. I think he was being nice.

For years, that bowl had grooves on the underside, from the oven rack.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Aren't these memories something? If I ever had kids I would totally let them loose in the kitchen. Okay, I'd supervise on sharp things and heat as appropriate, but ultimately, who cares if I have to buy another big plastic mixing bowl (and maybe an oven rack)? There is no substitute for the memory of having botched something royally in the kitchen!

And here is why I like baking: basically, all the ingredients in just about any order are safe and are tasty. If you botch it, nothing in there will kill you, and things just might come out tasting not half bad. Mine often did. Way more than I deserved. :-)

[2ddragis0.livejournal.com]

The ingredients are safe and tasty in any order, assuming you don't confuse them. Remember my bannana bread where I swapped the sugar and the salt? I don't think Mom/Dad actually ate any of it, after spitting out the first bite.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh man! No, I don't remember that! That's priceless.

You're right: they're safe and tasty in any order, but NOT NECESSARILY in any ratio.

I forgot the flour in carrot cake once. I was living at French House by then. Fortunately, the goo hadn't been in the oven long, so I was able to add the flour in.