baking tips

The #1 baking tip: PARCHMENT PAPER!!! Nothijng beats it for cookies, pastries, anything that is baked on jelly roll or sheet pans. For Brownies and some cakes you can cut a right-sized piece, butter both sides and place it in the bottom of the pan so the bottom will release.

I know this is going to sound silly. But the first time you try a recipe, follow it to the exact letter. Keep notes. If it doesn't work out the first time, find out what didn't work right (based on your notes) and try it again.

Get an oven thermometer. Check your oven temp on a regular basis. Most thermostats are off, and it can matter. A lot.

Get a set of scales from eBay. (I like the candle making scales made by My Weigh.) Weigh your ingredients. It's not exact, but it is closer than using cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons. It's faster too.

Don't get a bunch of tips from your friends in the newsgroup and then put them in a book. That leads to hurt feelings.

Mike

Yeah, here's a tip.

Do your own damn research.

Is it so hard to use google to dig up content for your website assignment that you have to just ask people? What kind of internet technique is that?

Read the entire recipe before you begin. Measure out everything and have it ready. Many recipes involve timing. Letting something sit while you measure out other ingredients could ruin the results.

If you need refridgerated items at room temperature (e.g. eggs and butter) put them out first so you are not waiting for them.

If you need your butter at room temperature and cut into small pieces, cut it when it is really cold then let it warm up. Don't let it warm up then attempt to cut it.

I used to think it saved time if I got the ingredients out as I used them, but I totally agree with the above. Now, for some reason, since I do a lot of computer-ing, I like to arrange my recipe in groups of items and make the font a different color for each group of items. I can look down on a recipe and see more readily where I am in the composition of the recipe. For example, if a receipe calls for 4 groups of items to be put together each in their own separate bowl before adding them to one another, or adding them to a large pan for the oven, I will write down the bowl that best fits the group of items that goes in it; thus I will have all of my bowls together, as well. I do this more consisely for recipes I've made over-and-over because I've caused myself trouble previously not having the right bowl available. I write times and all sorts of notes on this print-out, and then add it to the computer- filed recipe for the next time. I do all this at different times of the day in between other chores, so as not to make myself feel overwhelmed, then when it comes to doing the cooking/baking, I am free to do the 'cooking-show' thing for myself; that is, everything is ready for the performance of fun-cooking! Dee

Good tip. If you don't have a colour printer you can also just use whitespace. Group the ingredients that get combined together and leave a few blank lines between the groups, e.g.

sugar butter

flour salt nutmeg

vanilla extract baking soda