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Baking Tips




Source of Recipe


internet


List of Ingredients




Baking Tips A Friend Just Shared....

-- Never break an egg directly into a batter. The egg might be spoiled, or the shell could shatter.

-- Never use old leavening (baking powder, soda, yeast). Buy small quantities, use within six months. Why risk ruining a cake over 50 cents worth of baking powder?

-- To prevent molasses, corn or maple syrup from sticking to the measuring cup, spray the cup with baking spray. Or, if the recipe calls for oil, measure it first, then measure the molasses in the same cup. For easier pouring, stick the molasses jar in the microwave for 20 seconds.

-- When a recipe lists "margarine" it means margarine, not vegetable oil spread, or light margarine or a butter-margarine blend. By law, margarine must contain 80 percent fat. Parkay and Imperial are not margarine; unless the recipe is specially formulated, they can adversely affect baked goods, especially cookies. If Land O'Lakes isn't on sale I buy Hannaford brand vegetable oil margarine.

-- Be careful with oils, too. Corn oil has a stronger flavor than canola and others. Bake with light-colored, flavorless oils, like Crisco vegetable or canola oil.

-- Always sift confectioners' sugar for frosting, even if it does not appear to have lumps. The effort pays off; sifted sugar guarantees a smooth frosting.

-- If your brown sugar is rock-hard, put a piece of fresh white bread in the canister and close tightly. Overnight, the sugar will soften. This works for hard cookies, too.

-- Many cake recipes call for buttermilk. Buttermilk cakes are tender. Regular milk soured with a little vinegar is the usual substitution, but I prefer half milk, half plain yogurt or sour cream.

-- If a chocolate cake recipe calls for water, use strong coffee. Another ploy to deepen the chocolate flavor, although few dare try: Substitute prune juice for half the water.

-- Non-stick fluted Bundt pans are not trustworthy. A smidgen of batter stuck in one crevice can ruin the cake. For safety, rub every cranny with vegetable shortening (use a paper towel), then dust with flour by this method: put a few tablespoons of flour in the Bundt pan. Cover pan with plate. Shake up and down, side to side until spindle and all surfaces are covered. Tap pan against sink to remove excess flour.

-- To help prevent layer-cake layers from peaking in the center: after filling cake pans, smooth batter, rap pan sharply on counter to break air bubbles, then tilt pans gently, causing batter to "climb" the sides about inch. Layers will bake flatter, stack better.

-- If you make dough ahead for drop cookies, bring it to room temperature before spooning onto cookie sheet. Cold dough spreads unevenly in a hot oven causing edges to brown before centers.

-- Most vanilla extracts are weak. I double the amount for most recipes. To afford this, I buy pint bottles at Costco. Baking catalogs have double-strength "cookie vanilla," but it's more expensive that single-malt whiskey.

-- Speaking of cookies and ovens, I have learned the hard way that many recipes call for a too-hot oven. Almost any cookie recipe that says 375 degrees will do fine at 355-360 degrees, with less chance of burned bottoms. In lieu of expensive air-cushioned cookie sheets, position four empty tuna cans on oven rack and place cookie sheet on them.


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