Even the classically known chocolate chip cookie was an accidental discovery. When baker Ruth Wakefield attempted to turn her recipe for butter drop cookies into chocolate cookies, the pieces of chocolate never melted fully, leaving us with one of the most recognizable and delicious treats enjoyed today.
For me, I was inspired by the first time I made a lemon meringue pie for my hubby’s birthday. Surrounded by family and friends, I eagerly cut into the pie, ready to serve up his favorite dessert I made with TLC. Unfortunately, it required more than good intentions, and as I sliced into the filling I realized it never congealed. My heart sank along with the center of the dessert, feeling as though I had disappointed my company and the guest of honor. Not wanting my hard work to go to waste, I scooped up the crust, filling and topping from the pie tin, and froze it in a tupperware container. Hours later, I discovered a refreshingly delicious sorbet with satisfying pieces of buttery crust and sugary meringue to balance out the tart lemon base. I relished in my Ben and Jerry’s moment and served scoops of this new creation in martini glasses for an elegant presentation. What could have been a complete disaster later became a repurposed memorable treat we still talk about years later.
I continued this innovative mindset when I once forgot the egg in my potato latkes turning them into what we called ‘Chanukah hashbrowns’…or the time I left out the butter in my oatmeal, chocolate peanut butter cookies and wound up with the perfect snack for my vegan mother…or how my crumbled layer cake became a beautiful trifle. And the list goes on.
Now it’s your turn. Did you have a divine discovery when a certain snack fell into the deep fryer or skip a step while following a recipe and create a masterful cuisine? Leave a comment below or e-mail me at thatssojenn@gmail.com and tell me about how your happy accident worked out for you!
