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Horrible recipes on TikTok are a genre of their own. Like the mashed potatoes from Lay's chips or chocolate milk ramen. The difference is that we know these things are gimmicks, and we don't actually expect a good dinner out of them. The recipes in this list, however, are foods that are supposed to work.
Nowadays, people are always looking for easy and quick lunch and dinner ideas. TikTok can be the perfect place for that. As an app created to shorten our attention spans even more, it's the ideal conduit for short recipe ideas. However, this list has plenty of proof that what's trending isn't necessarily always worth making.
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"It was pizza crust made of chicken that you put salad on, and it was supposed to be like eating a crunchy chicken tender with Caesar salad. But the chicken was so dry in order for it to get crispy
So, are the recipes really that bad? Or do the people who call them 'flops' just happen to make a mistake or two? Turns out, it can be neither. Former editor for The Kitchn and graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts Emma Christensen writes that many other factors influence whether a recipe turns out good or, in this case, inedible.
"Recipes (and the people who write them!) aren't fail-proof and they also can't take into consideration every variable in your kitchen, like how cold your eggs are or how strong your whisking arm is."
She tells people not to get discouraged about their cooking skills. And we shouldn't blame the recipe, either. She says home cooks shouldn't be afraid to make judgments and decisions. Tools and appliances can differ significantly, so if the recipe calls for cooking or frying something for 15 minutes, check if it's actually cooked, and don't be afraid to cook it for an extra two minutes if needed.
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And let's face it, it's not like we always follow the recipe to a T. I myself have substituted peanut butter with tahini for many a salad dressing. Whether you're substituting ingredients or equipment, there is a chance the end result might not be as it was shown in the TikTok video. Especially when it comes to baking: there's the saying "cooking is art, baking is science" for a reason. Don't cut half the sugar from a cupcake recipe to make it more "healthy" and expect it to turn out just as the recipe intended.
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Most recipes that involve dough nowadays involve a Kitchen Aid or a mixer of a similar kind. I learned the hard way that substituting tools and equipment can also hinder the baking process. Kneading donut dough by hand is a good workout, but if you're a beginner and doing it for the first time (or don't have enough arm strength like me), your donuts might not puff up. If you're using a mixer, six minutes might be enough. If you have noodles for arms, the dough may need a bit longer.
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One thing I personally always had a gripe with was ovens and their temperatures. When I bake something in my oven, I always have to add an extra 10-15 minutes to the time written in the recipe. It's annoying, mostly because I can never bake a perfect macaron, but at least I know it's not the recipe's fault. "Ovens are often several degrees warmer or cooler than the numbers on the dial," Christensen explains. The solution? An oven thermometer, and even a cheap one will do the job.
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Food blogger Terrie Gura calls out TikTokers who post ridiculous recipes. Mostly those that immediately sound or look too good to be true. "If you honestly believe that self-rising flour and mashed sweet potatoes will produce the fluffiest dinner rolls you've ever seen, and that they can be baked in the microwave, then you might also be interested in buying some oceanfront property in Kansas," she quips in a blog post.
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