Rough biscuits.....Insufficient mixing
Dry biscuits.....Baking too slow; handling too much
Uneven browning.....Cooking in dark pan; too high a temp; rolling dough too thin
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BREADS (YEAST)
Porous bread.....Over-rising; cooking at too low a temp
Crust is dark and blisters under crust.....Under-rising
Bread does not rise.....Over-kneading; using old yeast
Bread is streaked.....Under-kneading; not kneading enough
Bread bakes unevenly.....Using old, dark pans; too much dough in pans; crowding the oven shelf; cooking at too high a temp
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CAKES
Cracks & uneven surface.....Too much flour; too hot an oven
Dry cakes.....Too much flour; too little shortening; too much baking powder; cooking at too low a temp
Heavy cakes.....Too much sugar; baking too short a time
Sticky crust.....Too much sugar
Coarse grained cake.....Too little mixing; too much shortening; too much baking powder; using shortening too soft; baking at too low a temp
Fallen cakes.....Using insufficient flour; under baking; too much sugar; too much shortening; not enough baking powder
Uneven color.....Cooking at too high a temp; crowding the shelf; using dark pans
Uneven browning.....Not mixing well
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COOKIES
Uneven browning.....Not using shiny cookie sheet; crowding oven shelf
Soggy cookies.....Cooling cookies in pans instead of racks
Excessive spreading of cookies.....Dropping cookies onto hot cookie sheets; not chilling dough; not baking at correct temp
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MUFFINS
Coarse texture.....Insufficient stirring; cooking at too low a temp
Tunnels in muffins, peaks in center & soggy texture.....Over-mixing
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PIES
Pastry crumbles.....Over-mixing flour & shortening
Pastry tough.....Using too much water; over-mixing the dough
Pies do not brown (fruit or custard).....Bake at constant temp (400-425 degrees) in Pyrex or enamel pie pan