Cooking Hints and Tips   

Recipes

                                   

When a recipe doesn't specify type but calls for sugar, use the white granulated kind. Measure it by spooning it into a cup and leveling it off. Before starting any recipe preparation, read all recipes thoroughly. You'll also save time by assembling ingredients and utensils before you begin. When you follow a recipe, try this tip. Place everything you need to your right. After you use if, place it to your left. If you're interrupted, you'll know what you used last. Most recipes are formulated around large eggs. Substituting small, medium, extra-large or jumbo could change the outcome, particularly in baked goods. If cold eggs are added to a creamed fat and sugar base, they can curdle the batter, affecting the texture. Salmonella is a concern with raw eggs today. If your favorite holiday recipe calls for raw eggs or egg yolks, try this remedy from the American Egg Board: 1) In a heavy saucepan, stir together eggs or egg yolks and the liquid or sugar or a combination from the recipe. Liquid and/or sugar must total at least 2 T per yolk or 1/4 C per whole egg. 2) Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats a metal spoon with thin film, or reaches 160°F on a thermometer. 3) Set the pan in ice water and stir to cool quickly, then proceed with the recipe. When a recipe calls for sifting, it works almost as well to put all dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir with a whisk. TO DOUBLE RECIPES:    Leaveners are the tricky part when doubling a recipe. If you're having a problem doubling a particular recipe, next time try increasing the baking soda or baking powder by only 1-1/2 times.    Likewise, salt and spices should be increased by 1-1/2 times when doubling a recipe. Doubling them won't make the recipe fail, but the flavors might be too strong.    If you've got a recipe that uses beaten egg whites as all or part of the leavening, you may not want to double the recipe. It would be very difficult to fold a large amount of egg whites into a lot of batter and still keep it light. With recipes like these, it's best to make multiple batches one after the other.    Once your dough or batter is done, make sure you've selected the right pan. If you're making a cake or bar cookies, use one that's double the volume called for in the original recipe and maintains the depth of the contents in the pan. Or if this is too much math for you, bake in multiple pans of the same, original size.    If you're baking in a larger vessel, decrease the oven temperature by about 25 degrees F so that the edges don't burn before the middle cooks. If you're baking multiple pans in your oven at one time, make sure you rotate them during baking for even cooking. You may have to increase the baking time by a few minutes. Q: How can you tell when to sift flour, before or after you measure? If a recipe says "2 cups sifted flour," does that mean you sift the flour and then measure out 2 cups? If the recipe says "2 cups flour, sifted," does that mean you measure out 2 cups of flour and then sift that amount? A: You hit the nail right on the head. It's important to pay close attention to the exact way the recipe is worded. It can make a difference - "2 cups sifted flour" means, as you said, sift first and then measure. Flour is sifted to remove any clumps and to incorporate air so the wet ingredients will mix thoroughly. When measuring sifted flour, be sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with a knife or sift it directly into the measuring cup. Be careful not to pack it down, as this will defeat the purpose of sifting. And "2 cups flour, sifted" means measure and then sift. Baking is the more exact of the cooking techniques. It's always best to read and follow a recipe carefully.

                                   

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