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Cooking Tips - Dessets & Baked Goods

Source of Recipe

Robbies Kitchen


Recipe Link: kitchen.robbiehaf.com/cookingtips/cookingmethods.htm

Breads: To cool a loaf of yeast bread, remove loaves from pans immediately and place on wire racks. To have a softer crust, brush the loaf with shortening and cover with a towel for a few minutes. For quick biscuits to round out a meal, use a drop biscuit recipe and they are done in a flash. Also try slicing leftover rolls and breads, spread softened butter and then freeze them wrapped in foil. Pull them out and reheat them easily in the foil wrapping.
Cakes: When using a glass baking dish for cakes, lower oven temperature by 25 degrees. To keep a cake longer, place half an apple in the cake container when storing. To cut a cake without messing up the decorative icing, cut it with dental floss. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead, and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake. Don't have a cake or tart cover? Try inverting the bottom of a salad spinner or springform pan. To dress up cakes and pies, place a doily on top, then sprinkle powdered sugar and remove. Quick and impressive!
Candy: Try to make your candy on dry days. The candy does not set as well on humid or rainy days.
Cookies: When making cookies, always use unsalted butter, never margarine. The unsalted butter gives the cookies a lighter texture. To keep cookies soft, place a slice of bread in the storage container. To prevent cookies from spreading when baking, refrigerate the dough and the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before baking. Using a cookie scoop (or a small ice cream scoop) to spoon out cookie dough gives them a uniform look and size. It also keeps your fingers clean.
Crustless Quiche: Butter a pie plate with 2-1/2 tablespoons butter, then cover with toasted bread crumbs, pressing them firmly into the butter. Chill well in the freezer, fill with your favorite quiche filling recipe, and bake as directed.
Frosting Tips: Add a pinch of baking soda to your frosting and the frosting will stay moist and prevent cracking.
Fudge: Always use a wooden spoon when making fudge.
Gelatin Molds: To easily unmold gelatin salads or desserts, lightly brush mold with oil before pouring in the mixture.
Ice Cream Cones: Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
Low Fat Pie Crust: For a practically fat-free crust, substitute frozen phyllo pastry for traditional pie crust. Thaw as directed, lift two leaves from the stack and center in a 9- or 10-inch pie pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Lay two more leaves in pan at right angles to first, then two more on the bias to fill gaps, then two more so pan is fully lined. With damp paper toweling, gently press phyllo into pan. Take care removing towel so you don't tear the phyllo. Fill and bake pie as directed.
Make Quick Breads Faster: If you make quick breads often, mix up batches of