All ovens are different. All recipes. Even recipes that you have made again and again can turn out differently depending on the day. Maybe it’s the weather. The brand of flour you used. The way you stirred the dough. It could be any number of factors. So I always make a test cookie. Just one tiny cookie. See if the dough is right. Maybe I need to add a little flour. Or turn down the temperature of the oven. Sometimes it’s perfect on the first try, but not always. And I don’t get angry at the dough – how silly would that be? I just make the necessary changes. And it works. It works because I give myself a chance to make a mistake. A chance to correct it. 

I want to be that generous with everything I do. Give myself a chance to make mistakes. Not beat myself up over it. Make corrections. Make adjustments. Maybe each day isn’t a delicious batch, and that’s ok. Maybe today is just my test cookie. Either way, it’s going to be ok, and eventually, if not immediately — delicious!