Are you new to baking cakes and cookies? Not sure how to read and follow recipes? Here are some baking tips to get you started.
* All ingredients should be at cool room temperature.
* Unless the recipe states otherwise, use unsalted butter. If you have only salted butter on hand, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon per stick of butter. Use regular butter, not whipped, and don't substitute margarine unless the recipe gives it as an alternative.
* Unless otherwise stated, eggs used in baking recipes should be the large size.
* Use dry measures for dry ingredients and wet measures for liquid ingredients. Measuring cups for dry ingredients come in individual sizes (1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup). You fill the cup completely with the flour or other dry ingredient and level it off. Liquid measures are marked with lines for various amounts (1/3 cup, 4 ounces, etc.), with some space at the top so the liquid doesn't spill. You pour the liquid in up to the desired line.
* To measure flour, stir up the flour, then swoop the measuring cup into the flour, and level the flour even with the top of the cup using a knife or the side of your hand.
* To measure sugar or cocoa, spoon it into the cup.
* To measure brown sugar, spoon it into the cup and pack it down with the back of the spoon.
* When measuring sticky ingredients such as molasses or honey, lightly oil the inside of the cup first.
* You must sift flour for cakes and confectioners' sugar when you're using it in icing.
* For cakes, sift the flour, measure it, then sift it again with the dry ingredients. You don't need to sift flour for pies or most cookies.
* Chocolate must be melted over low heat or it will burn. You can melt it in the top of a double boiler (a pan with two parts; the top sits in the bottom pan, which contains boiling water). You can also put it in a microwave-proof container and heat on 80 percent power for 1 minute. It should still be lumpy when you remove it; keep stirring until it is smooth. If it is still lumpy, return it to the microwave and heat in 10-second increments on 80 percent power until smooth.
* To cream butter (with or without the sugar), beat it at high speed on an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, or until it is fluffy.
* If a recipe tells you to fold in egg whites or cream, it means to spoon the egg whites or cream over the batter, then move a rubber spatula in a circular motion from the bottom of the bowl to the top of the batter, "folding" in the whites or cream. You can also use a wire whisk to gently whisk in the eggs or cream.
* Use the size of pans indicated in the recipe.
* Always turn the oven on for at least 15 minutes before you will be using it, so it has time to reach the proper temperature.
* Baking (cookie) sheets come with and without sides. Some recipes refer to a baking sheet with sides as a jelly-roll pan. Cookies bake the most evenly on a cookie sheet without sides, but it's OK to use one with sides.
* Space drop cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet so they have room to spread.
* Most cookies should cool on the baking sheets for a minute or two to "set" before they're removed to wire racks to cool completely. Cakes should cool completely in the pan before being inverted onto a plate or cardboard round. Run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan first to loosen it.
Virginia (Ginger) Van Vynckt is a longtime food writer, cookbook author, and webmaster of MakeGreatCookies.com, a site devoted to cookie baking and decorating.
* All ingredients should be at cool room temperature.
* Unless the recipe states otherwise, use unsalted butter. If you have only salted butter on hand, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon per stick of butter. Use regular butter, not whipped, and don't substitute margarine unless the recipe gives it as an alternative.
* Unless otherwise stated, eggs used in baking recipes should be the large size.
* Use dry measures for dry ingredients and wet measures for liquid ingredients. Measuring cups for dry ingredients come in individual sizes (1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup). You fill the cup completely with the flour or other dry ingredient and level it off. Liquid measures are marked with lines for various amounts (1/3 cup, 4 ounces, etc.), with some space at the top so the liquid doesn't spill. You pour the liquid in up to the desired line.
* To measure flour, stir up the flour, then swoop the measuring cup into the flour, and level the flour even with the top of the cup using a knife or the side of your hand.
* To measure sugar or cocoa, spoon it into the cup.
* To measure brown sugar, spoon it into the cup and pack it down with the back of the spoon.
* When measuring sticky ingredients such as molasses or honey, lightly oil the inside of the cup first.
* You must sift flour for cakes and confectioners' sugar when you're using it in icing.
* For cakes, sift the flour, measure it, then sift it again with the dry ingredients. You don't need to sift flour for pies or most cookies.
* Chocolate must be melted over low heat or it will burn. You can melt it in the top of a double boiler (a pan with two parts; the top sits in the bottom pan, which contains boiling water). You can also put it in a microwave-proof container and heat on 80 percent power for 1 minute. It should still be lumpy when you remove it; keep stirring until it is smooth. If it is still lumpy, return it to the microwave and heat in 10-second increments on 80 percent power until smooth.
* To cream butter (with or without the sugar), beat it at high speed on an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, or until it is fluffy.
* If a recipe tells you to fold in egg whites or cream, it means to spoon the egg whites or cream over the batter, then move a rubber spatula in a circular motion from the bottom of the bowl to the top of the batter, "folding" in the whites or cream. You can also use a wire whisk to gently whisk in the eggs or cream.
* Use the size of pans indicated in the recipe.
* Always turn the oven on for at least 15 minutes before you will be using it, so it has time to reach the proper temperature.
* Baking (cookie) sheets come with and without sides. Some recipes refer to a baking sheet with sides as a jelly-roll pan. Cookies bake the most evenly on a cookie sheet without sides, but it's OK to use one with sides.
* Space drop cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet so they have room to spread.
* Most cookies should cool on the baking sheets for a minute or two to "set" before they're removed to wire racks to cool completely. Cakes should cool completely in the pan before being inverted onto a plate or cardboard round. Run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan first to loosen it.
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