I tried to recreate my grandma's cookie recipe from memory and it was a disaster.

I was six when she taught me, and I could only remember the smell of vanilla and her blue mixing bowl. I tried baking them last weekend, but they came out flat and salty, nothing like hers. Has anyone else had a core memory that just didn't translate right when you tried to relive it?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonp7621d ago

That vanilla and blue bowl memory is so clear, but the recipe itself got lost. Marywilson is right about mixing up basics like salt or leavening. It happens because memories are feelings, not instructions. We try to bake the feeling of safety from her kitchen, not the actual cookies. The real recipe is gone, and our best guess just makes a sad, salty copy.

the_wendy21d ago

Tried to make my mom's meatloaf from a taste memory once. Ended up with a brick of ketchup and sadness that even the dog wouldn't touch. I swear I could taste it perfectly in my head, but my hands just made a crime scene. How do you mess up something that used to be so simple?

marywilson21d ago

Oh that vanilla smell is such a strong memory trigger! Was there a specific ingredient you think you might have guessed wrong on, like the type of salt or flour? I've totally done that before, mixing up baking soda and powder from a hazy memory.