I come from a long line of bakers and although no one in that lineage claims to be a professional, baking is in the blood. The baking legacy in my family bridges several generations—a shared tradition that has become my favorite extra-curricular activity. The art of creating something delicious, from a few essential ingredients, boasts an element of power, and requires both precision and intuition. Both, the logical side and the tactile side of baking, appeal to me.

On the logical side, baking demands a certain level of precision. Specifications pertaining to measurements, the order of ingredients, temperature and time must be adhered to in order to achieve the desired result. Adding too much of any particular item, or not enough, can have a disastrous outcome. Temperature, which varies according to each individual oven, also has the potential to severely compromise a culinary creation. In order to succeed at baking, an almost scientific exactitude must be adopted.

The other side of baking, the tactile side, calls upon the five senses to rise up and join in the fun. The sensory experience of baking begins with us seeing the ingredients, one at a time, before they fall gently from our hands into the mix. The beating, frothing and mixing to form the batter echoes in our ears. The smell emanating from the oven announces that our creation is nearly ready. Taste takes over as mouthwatering morsels of sweetness dance on our taste buds. The five senses delight.

Add one cup of sensible and one cup of sensitive, alternating. Baking is essentially the art of mixing science with the senses in order to create something sweet and delicious. Enjoy.