By using a second oven thermometer, you will avoid over-baked or under-baked goods. This cheap investment will save you hundred in wasted ingredients. Let me explain by sharing my plight.

Feeling defeated over the nine failed attempts of macarons, I decided to make shortbread. The easiest cookie to make when you start baking. I needed a confidence booster. They mixed together perfectly so I carefully popped them in the oven. This is just what I needed, I thought to myself. And then they came out looking like this:

Yes, that is a fly sitting on top of my overly browned shortbread. I got a little down, but at least he was on top of the world. Or at least a giant mountain of cookies. So looking at my failure as a fly’s success, I decided to try again at a lower temperature. This is going to work for sure. What is going on here?!?

And as I was sitting there defeated thinking I should stop baking all together, my eyes rested on the oven. I had it set to 325F, but is it really? It was then I remembered having purchased an oven thermometer recently. I popped it in, waited around 10 minutes and then…my mouth dropped. Could this be what is plaguing me with the macarons? With a renewed vigor, I decided to try again.

Success! Let this be a lesson in not taking anything for granted when learning how to bake. Equipment fails more often than you’d like.