This graphic showing how cookies can go wrong is proof you need to be precise when baking

• For a recent baking experiment, I used one recipe to create 10 different types of chocolate-chip cookies.
• I intentionally made a common baking mistake with each batch to see what happens when things go wrong.
• For example, I found that adding an extra egg made my cookies taste like sponge cake while leaving eggs out completely made the cookies super salty and crumbly.
• The experiment — which took nearly a day, including cleanup — yielded 71 cookies.
• Side-by-side photos of the different kinds of cookies show how even a slight change, like using a little too much sugar can alter the result.

As a self-proclaimed member of the amateur bakers club, I set out to map all the possible ways a simple batch of chocolate-chip cookies could go wrong.

I used a single recipe — the one you can find on the packet of Nestlé Toll House chocolate chips — to make 10 types of cookies, deliberately making a different mistake with each batch to see what would happen. I broke it all down with a description of how the taste and texture of the cookies were affected by each error.

I started by looking into the most common mistakes people make when baking, and recorded what happened as I went.Advertisement

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Mistakes included:

• • Using baking powder instead of baking soda;
  • Mixing all ingredients at the same time rather than following the step-by-step instructions;
  • Adding extra eggs;
  • Forgoing eggs altogether;
  • Packing flour and using too much;
  • Not using enough flour;
  • Over-creaming the batter;
  • Using too much butter;
  • Not using enough butter;
  • Not using enough sugar.

Here's how the cookies turned out with each of those missteps (you can click on the image below to make it larger):

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Typically when I'm making something on assignment, I'll bring the extras into the office for my coworkers to enjoy — and to comment on, of course. But, under the circumstances, I'm currently isolated in a house with four other people (two are children under the age of 10, so they were actually a big help here), so I knew we'd have way more cookies than we could possibly eat.

To cut down on excess and minimize food waste — and cookie intake — I decided to quarter the recipe for each batch. That meant instead of using 22.5 total cups of flour, I used around 5.5 cups. And instead of 20 eggs, I used around 11. Advertisement

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There were a few mess-ups — like when I used baking powder instead of baking soda and when I mixed all the ingredients together at once — that, admittedly, I would be annoyed if I made again.

But, after making 10 different types of cookies through this trial and error process, I stand by my opinion that some of these variations are actually better than the way they're supposed to turn out. To my surprise, I found that the cookies short on flour were my favorite, and had a delicious crispy texture.

Ultimately, the lesson I learned here is not to be discouraged! Sometimes the greatest discoveries come out of ambitious people making mistakes along the way.Advertisement

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Read the full story to find out how every cookie tasted here >

Insider has more baking experiments like this in the works. Send suggestions for baked goods you would like to see us try to raskinasi@insider.com.

• Read more:
• Photos show how common baking mistakes can drastically change your chocolate-chip cookies
• The baker behind Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding cake has shared her unconventional recipe for chocolate chip cookies
• 14 baking fails to make you feel better about yourself
• 4 royal baker-approved swaps, like mayonnaise and milk mixed with lemon juice, that you can make in your recipes if you're missing key ingredients

Read the original article on Insider