Baking Tips - The Basics

Have you ever tasted something that you absolutely loved, but when you got the recipe and attempted to reproduce it, you could not come up with the same results? 

 I have a few thoughts on why this happens..... Baking is a precise science. You cannot deviate from the directions—when they say “do not over beat,” they mean it. If you follow the directions exactly, you will be surprised at the results.  You also need to know proper technique. If you have never baked before, then take a few lessons. Your local library is a good source for cooking demos. OR in the comfort of your own kitchen... visit YouTube to learn how to zest, "cream" butter and sugar, etc.  Learning and perfecting proper techniques will make all the difference in your finished product!  If you are serious about baking read on....

Read your recipe from start to finish ~  Every baker can tell you a story of leaving out a key ingredient when they were distracted or multitasking, as many of us do. Or, after beginning their recipe, they got to the end and read that it must chill for three hours, and their guests were arriving to eat in one hour.

Preheat your oven ~  If you are unsure if your oven is accurate, purchase a small oven thermometer so that you can double-check that the temperature you set on the outside of your oven is the same as the internal temperature required for the recipe. If not you will need to calibrate your oven (refer to the manufacture).

Mise en place ~  Do NOT miss this step .....Measure all your  ingredients ahead of time into small prep bowls or custard dishes. 

Preparing Dry ingredients ~ Use a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. The most accurate form of dry ingredients is weight.  Put the measuring container on the scale, the scale will register the weight of the vessel in order to accurately weigh your ingredient alone, if using a digital scale hit the “tare” button once so the screen displays zero.  Now when placing your ingredient in the bowl the scale will only weigh the ingredient.    

Preparing Liquid ingredients ~  Use a measuring cup with a spout to measure your liquid ingredients. In lieu of using a scale When preparing dry ingredients  scoop it into a measuring cup, place it on a dinner plate and level it off and by tapping the top of the cup with  the back of a knife.  This makes sure it  settles.  Then use  the back of your knife level it off. To get precise measurements use a cooking scale.

Room Temperature~ 

Eggs must be brought to room temperature. If the recipe calls for this ingredient  immediately place eggs in a container on your counter top so they will be  the appropriate temperature when needed.

Butter Always use unsalted butter (sometimes referred to as sweet cream butter) unless the recipe specifies otherwise. *If the recipe calls for the butter to be:

·         Cold-  leave butter in the refrigerator  until needed.

·         Room Temperature/ softened – never melt or microwave the butter. Cut it into tablespoons or cubes to expand the surface area of the butter enabling it to come to room temperature faster.  The desired consistency is spread-able.

·         Melted – cut the butter into tablespoons or cubes put in saucepan over low heat into all butter has liquefied. Do not simmer. 

Quality counts!!!

Buy good-quality chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whenever I shop, I make sure to stop in the baking aisle of the store to buy chocolate when it is on sale to keep my pantry well-stocked. Whenever possible, I also use Vietnamese cinnamon because it’s much more flavorful and will make your deserts pop!

Only use freshly ground spices (like nutmeg) and herbs (such as rosemary) whenever possible....aka = always! Also  always use fresh lemon, lime, and orange zest - it will make all the difference in the finished product.

For more Baking tips see the back of our cookbooks.