I’ll be adding to this page as I think of things, and of course as you ask questions. Here are some tips and tricks when it comes to baking.
General Best Practices
Read an entire recipe from start to finish before you begin.
My number one piece of advice to any baker, is to read the whole way through the recipe before you start working. I have had so many experiences where I have run out of ingredients because I skimmed the list too quickly or poured batter into a pan before I mixed in a key ingredient. Mistakes like this can be frustrating and take the fun out of baking.
Make sure you have all necessary ingredients before starting a recipe.
This goes along with the tip above. Having to make a trip to the market mid-way into making a cake can be a big pain in the butt. The Taster can tell you he has made quite a few trips for me!
If using cream cheese in icing or cheesecake, cream the cream cheese before mixing it with any other ingredients.
Your best bet is to let your cream cheese sit at room temperature for an hour or two before using it. This is especially the case when using light or fat free cream cheese. You want to beat the cream cheese so that it is smooth in the beginning, because once you add other ingredients it will be harder to smooth out any clumps. The whisk attachment on an electric mixer (stand or handheld) is best for this. You could use a food processor if you don’t have a mixer.
The average recipe calls for large eggs, unless otherwise specified.
That is pretty standard. This has the most impact when baking more delicate recipes like cakes or soufflés.
Healthier substitutions (i.e. applesauce for oil and Splenda for sugar) will affect the texture and taste of a baked good.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is just the way it is. I try to use healthier ingredients in places where you can’t tell because there are so many tasty components. There is a time and a place for wholesome desserts that taste healthy. Generally substituting applesauce or yogurt for oil, egg replacement or egg whites for whole eggs, and lower fat dairy products for regular dairy will give you a different product.
For cookies with volume, refrigerate your dough.
The best results come from refrigerating cookie dough over night, or at a minimum 2 hours. Otherwise, your cookies will bake up and then flatten when they cool.
Trust me.
Take your time.
This is a good baking tip in general, but especially with chocolate. When melting chocolate in the microwave, less is more. Microwave in 30 second increments and stir in-between; when mixture is mostly melted use 10 second increments. Whatever you do, don’t burn your chocolate. If using the stove top, keep your burner on low heat.
Wrap desserts well when freezing.
Many desserts freeze really well, without losing any of their taste or texture. Make sure to wrap cakes tightly with plastic wrap and then place in Ziploc bag or wrap again in tin foil (labeling is suggested). Wrapping them tightly will limit freezer burn and prevent the absorption of other odors. Cookies can be stored in Ziploc bags. Most desserts freeze well up to a month but past that are more susceptible to freezer burn. I actually think that freezing desserts is one of my best time savers. When planning for a big party, I can make several batches of cookies well in advance. I have even frozen entire pies!
Crack your eggs in a separate bowl.
If you drop some shell in, it will be so much easier to get it out than if you have to fish it out of an entire mixture of brownie batter.
And last but not least, when in doubt, add more chocolate chips.
Always add more chocolate chips!
[…] Tips and Tricks! […]
Hi! I had to laugh out loud at your first tip about reading the entire recipe before you begin! I have been having that problem lately…I think it is because I have been so excited to be baking (I bought a new Kitchenaid mixer) and so excited to be blogging about it, that I have been forgeting to read thoroughly (with disastrous results). I think I have kicked the bad habit. Adding Tips and Tricks to a site is a great idea! I love your blog.
so funny – and i usually have the biggest problem when i bake something i’ve made before and assume i remember what i am doing… then mid-way through the recipe i realize i missed an important step:-)