TASTEFUL AESTHETICS

I am not a perfectionist, and probably never will be. Perfection is nearly impossible to achieve and the time you spend trying time and time again to get something to that point can be better used trying other things instead. 

You've heard it a million times; people eat with their eyes. You walk into a bakery, or any food establishment and something catches your eye and if it looks amazing you think that must taste amazing too. And usually that is the case, but in the Instagram age we've placed a heavier emphasis on aesthetically pleasing treats.

Offset where you can

Make up for  a poor shape or a few cracks in other ways - like color and decorations. These macarons aren't perfect (lost my piping bag tip -_-), but their lavender color and jam center (not shown here) make up for it in heaps! 

I've fallen into the trap myself, but as I am not a perfectionist it has never transferred over into my personal baking. I think that something that looks homemade, whether it's coming from a small one-person kitchen (me!) or a large conglomerate, tastes even better than something that looks so symmetrical you wonder how the heck they even made it. 

Use your imagination

Perfection can be hard to achieve, especially when you're just starting out and don't exactly have a full stock of tools. I started to make these linzer tarts only to realize before forming that I don't have any cookie cutters right now. How did I get the round cut outs? A shot glass! 

Take the time you would spend on creating perfect features like florets, or circles in my case, and use it create better and more creative recipes. After all, flowers aren't even perfect in nature. Use your imagination to get the results you're imagining and even if they don't turn out flawless at least you'll have a story to tell. You'd be surprised what people actually find appealing when it comes to baked goods and a perfectly smooth cookie or fondant isn't always one of them! 

-Sam