Baking

If your cheesecake cracks on top, top it with a fruit topping, chocolate sauce, sour cream or whipped cream.

When the cake breaks when you remove it from the pan, layer the pieces with sweetened whipped cream in a glass bowl and chill until serving time.

Beat an egg white and brush over your pie crust before baking for a beautiful glossy finish.

When cake mix calls for water use buttermilk instead. It will make the lightest and best cakes.

Any cookie that has a dab of icing or jam on top, is filled or is topped with candied fruit must be packed with wax paper between each layer.

Use fresh cookies for ice cream sandwich. Ice cream sandwiches taste best with fresh cookies and fresh ice cream.

Your cookies are ready and you want to freeze, it can be frozen but make sure they are completely cooled before freezing.

Completely cool cake layers before frosting them and brush off all loose crumbs from the sides and bottom of each layer.

If you run out of flour or just want your chocolate cake to not have that “white dust” on it, use cocoa to dust the bottom of your cake pan.

When mixing dough for your favorite cake or holiday cookies, give your rubber spatula a spritz of cooking spray, so the batter won’t stick.

To keep cookie dough from sticking to cookie cutters, chill the dough
thoroughly before you roll it out. Dip each cookie cutter in oil
before pressing into the dough and the cookies will cut cleanly.

To cut very fresh bread and cake without crumbling, use a thin-bladed knife heated in hot water and then dried.

When instructed in a cake recipe to flour the baking pan, try using a little of the dry cake mix instead of flour for a no-white-mess on the outside of the cake.

When instructed in a cake recipe to flour the baking pan, try using a little of the dry cake mix instead of flour for a no-white-mess on the outside of the cake.

To make your chocolate cake moist, Before adding the baking soda to your cake recipe, mix it with a teaspoon of vinegar.

When making cakes or brownies, dip your spoon in milk when scraping the bowl, this will keep the batter from sticking to the spoon!

Making cookies but ran out of flour for rolling your cookies? Use a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Works just as well as flour and adds that sweet taste.

If you want to icing a cake plus have it shine like you see in the stores – just take your hair dryer and blow it over the cake a few seconds. High heat on low air will melt the icing a bit and make the cake shine nicely!

When the recipe calls for baking powder and baking soda, make sure to use both! Baking powder provides the most reliable leavening, and baking soda helps neutralize acid ingredients in the biscuits for the best flavor. You will be more confident if you understand a bit about chemical reactions in baking and cooking.

Cut your cake with perfection, use unflavored waxed plain floss, will cut your cake straight and leave the frosting intack.  This is for a flat square or rectangular cake.  Like what you buy at the store for birthday.

Apples are full of vitamins and minerals. There is no significant variation in the numbers between the different varieties. Most health benefits derive from eating the skin along with the flesh, so don’t toss the peel.

To keep bottom pie crusts from getting soggy, brush the shells with raspberry jam before adding the filling.

Turn on oven 10-15 minutes before you plan to use it to allow time for it to heat to baking temperature.

To make good cake, always sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices to avoid lumps.

When creaming the sugar and eggs, add 2 tablespoons of boiling water.