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Baking Basics




Source of Recipe


Web Recipes


List of Ingredients




1. Fresh, unsalted butter is the preferred choice for most baked goods. Keep it in the freezer until you're ready to use it (refrigerated butter quickly goes stale or can pick up refrigerator odors)
2. Look for cream that hasn't been ultrapasteurized, and use it chilled for whipping or adding to recipes. (If you whip cream too much, you'll get fresh butter. If you have not added sweetener, finish making butter, rinse the butter well with running water and use in a recipe and the "buttermilk" that is left over, use in pancakes or baking. If you have sweetened it, finish as above and add honey for honey butter.)
3. Replace the ground spices in your rack at least once a year. (You may want to add a bit more herb or spice if you know it's an older purchase to make up for any diminished strength).
4. As for chocolate, use the best brands available. There IS a difference.
5. Use only eggs that are reliably fresh, and make sure they're at room temperature before you whip them. (To bring them to room temperature quickly, just place them in a bowl of warm water).
6. To cream butter and sugar, beat them thoroughly at room temperature. This dissolves sugar granules and incorporates air, making cakes and cookies nice and light. (This is especially true if you are using Turbinado sugar. It is a larger grain and needs a bit more beating time to breakdown.)
7. Sift dry ingredients to aerate them and remove any lumps. (Baking soda is notorious for lumps). (Flour is usually presifted but settles during packing and shipping. A cup of flour taken directly from a bag can weigh more than 5 ounces. For most recipes, a cup of flour should weigh 4 ounces. An easy way to fix this is to stir your flour in the canister before you measure and lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and scrape the excess off with a flat-edged spatula).
8. Add dry ingredients gradually, and mix only until they are blended; overbeating will make baked goods tough. To fold in whipped cream or beaten egg whites, use a metal spoon or a large rubber spatula to cut through the ingredients and then gently fold them over each other, keeping the mixture light and aerated.

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