Baking

• General

• Biscuits

• Bread

• Brownies

• Cookies

• Muffins

• Pie

General

• For the best baking results, make sure all ingredients are fresh
   
• Use accurate measurements and the proper measuring cups. Use metal or plastic measuring cups for dry ingredients and glass measuring cups with spouts for liquid ingredients
   
• Dry ingredients should be mixed together thoroughly before adding liquids
   
• Before measuring shortening or butter, dip the measuring spoon into hot water and it will easily slide out of the spoon
   
• After measuring shortening for a recipe, use the same measuring cup for the sugar. Once the sugar is added, you can easily scoop out the remaining shortening and sugar with a spatula
   
• When a recipe calls for packed brown sugar, fill the measuring cup with sugar, press it down firmly with a spoon or your fingers and level it off with the edge of a butter knife or spatula
   
• Preheat the oven 10 to 15 minutes prior to baking unless otherwise directed
   
• When using glass baking pans, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F
   
• Use the center oven rack unless otherwise directed
   
• Since oven temperatures vary, it¿s a good idea to check the dish 5 to 10 minutes before the end of the recommended baking time

Biscuits

• Do not overwork biscuit dough. Too much handling can result in dry biscuits
   
• Kneading dough for 30 seconds after mixing improves the texture of baking powder biscuits
   
• For light, fluffy biscuits, roll the dough ½  to ¾  thick
   
• Use a metal ice cube tray divider to cut biscuits quickly. Press the divider into the dough and bake as directed. Separate biscuits at the dividing lines after they are baked
   
• Instead of making round biscuits, get creative. Use cookie cutters or inverted glasses to make interesting shapes
   
• Do not twist the cutter as you cut the dough. It seals the flaky layers together
   
• To re-heat biscuits, brush the tops with melted butter, wrap loosely in aluminum foil and heat at 350°F until warm

Bread

• Use room-temperature ingredients for both yeast and quick bread mixtures to speed rising and baking times
   
• To lower fat in quick breads, substitute half the oil with an equal amount of applesauce
   
• Avoid overmixing bread batter. It can cause holes in the bread and make it tough
   
• Yeast dough rises best in a warm, moist, draft-free location. Drafts cause dough to rise slowly and unevenly
   
• Yeast dough should rise to double its original size. Do not allow dough to over rise or the bread may collapse during baking
   
• Prevent dough from sticking to your hands by spraying them lightly with oil
   
• To keep bread from sticking to the pan, grease it with shortening before pouring in the batter. Do not use oil, as the batter will absorb it
   
• To add color and shine to the crust, brush bread dough with 1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water before baking
   
• For a crisp crust, brush bread dough with water before baking
   
• For a soft crust, brush baked bread with melted butter immediately after removing it from the oven
   
• It¿s normal for quick breads to have a lengthwise crack in the top crust
   
• When baking bread, keep in mind that wheat bread browns faster than white bread
   
• Prevent bread from browning too quickly by covering it loosely with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking
   
• Use the fine side of a grater to rub burned spots off the crust of a loaf of bread
   
• Cool bread completely before storing it in plastic to prevent condensation and mold from developing
   
• Refrigerated bread turns stale quickly. Bread should be stored at room temperature or frozen
   
• Place a piece of waxed paper between bread slices before freezing for easy separation

Brownies

• For cake-like brownies, use recipes with more eggs. For chewy brownies, use recipes with fewer eggs. For fudgy brownies, use recipes with more butter and chocolate and less flour
   
• For best results, brownies should be mixed by hand
   
• Use the pan size called for in the recipe. If the pan is too large, the batter may spread and overbake resulting in dry brownies. If the pan is too small, the batter may be too dense and the brownies may underbake
   
• Fully baked brownies will shrink away from the pan slightly. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies. If it comes out clean, the brownies are done
   
• Be creative when topping brownies. Use powdered sugar, chocolate frosting, chocolate curls, nuts or candied fruit
   
• Keep brownies fresh by cutting only the amount you need and covering the rest with plastic or aluminum foil

Cookies

• To prevent cookies from spreading when baking, use margarine and shortening instead of butter or add a little flour to the dough
   
• Do not use light or whipped margarine to make cookies. The low fat, high water content of these products will produce unsatisfactory results
   
• For soft, chewy cookies, bake about 2 minutes less than directed
   
• For crisp cookies, flatten the dough and bake a few minutes longer than directed
   
• Avoid overmixing cookie dough as it can result in tough cookies
   
• Refrigerate cookie dough for 10-30 minutes before rolling. It will be less sticky and much easier to handle
   
• Prevent cookie dough from sticking to your hands by periodically moistening them with cold water
   
• For easy cleanup, roll cookie dough out on waxed paper. Keep the wax paper in place by sprinkling a few drops of water on the countertop underneath the paper
   
• To keep dough from sticking to cookie cutters, spray them with nonstick vegetable spray or dip them in flour whenever the dough begins to stick
   
• When pressing down balls of dough with a fork, dip the fork into ice water to prevent it from sticking
   
• Cool cookie sheets between batches to prevent the dough from melting and spreading before baking
   
• For evenly browned cookies, use heavy aluminum or dark nonstick-coated cookie sheets and rotate the cookie sheet halfway through the baking time
   
• Avoid greasing baking sheets too generously. Excessive grease will cause cookies to spread and over-brown
   
• Loosen stuck cookies by setting the cookie sheet on a hot, damp towel for a few minutes
   
• Decorate cut-out cookies quickly by filling clear, plastic squeeze bottles with colored frosting and squeezing out designs
   
• Allow frosted cookies to dry completely before using another color
   
• To decorate frosted cookies easily, fill salt shakers with colored sugar and sprinkle on top of frosting before it sets
   
• Store frosted cookies between layers of waxed paper or aluminum foil
   
• Store different types of cookies separately so they don¿t absorb the flavor of the others
   
• Keep cookies moist by storing them in an airtight container with a slice of bread
   
• Frozen cookies can be stored up to six months
   
• To help ensure freshness when shipping cookies, pack them frozen
   
• Use cookie crumbs as toppings for ice cream and pudding
   
• To easily remove bar cookies from the pan and make clean-up a snap, line the pan with aluminum foil before baking
   
• Use a pizza cutter to quickly cut bar cookies into neat, even pieces

Muffins

• To produce muffins with a high, rounded crown, use fresh baking powder and baking soda
   
• For nicely rounded muffin tops, grease the bottom of muffin cups and fill only halfway up the sides
   
• Even when using pre-sifted flour, you will get better results if you sift the flour before measuring
   
• Muffin batter should be lumpy. Only stir the batter until dry ingredients are moistened. A smooth batter results in tough muffins with pointed peaks
   
• To make uniform muffins, use an ice cream scoop to divide batter evenly in the muffin tins
   
• Put a couple of tablespoons of water in unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping
   
• Muffins brown more evenly when baked on the middle rack of the oven
   
• For a quick, crunchy topping, sprinkle tops of muffins with granola before baking
   
• To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are done
   
• If muffins stick to the bottom of the pan, set the pan on a hot, damp towel for a few minutes, and they can be easily removed
   
• Cool low-fat muffins completely to prevent them from sticking to the paper liners
   
• To reheat leftover muffins, microwave on high for 15-30 seconds. Be careful not to overheat muffins or they will become dry and hard
   
• Muffins can be frozen up to two months. To freeze, cool muffins completely then wrap tightly in heavy aluminum foil or seal in a plastic freezer bag
   
• To reheat frozen muffins, wrap loosely in aluminum foil and place in a 400°F oven for 25 minutes
   

Pie

• For light, flaky piecrust, thoroughly chill the butter, shortening and any liquid ingredients before adding them to the recipe
   
• When making pie dough, it¿s easier to cut butter into flour if the butter is cut into small pieces
   
• Pie dough can be made up to four days ahead and refrigerated. If the edges of pie dough crack when rolled out, the dough could be too cold. Let it set on the counter for a few minutes to warm up
   
• When rolling out pie dough, prevent dough from sticking by flouring both the work surface and the rolling pin
   
• If pie dough falls apart when rolled, add a few sprinkles of water
   
• For even thickness, roll pie dough from the center out toward the edges
   
• Be careful not to overwork the dough or the piecrust will be tough
   
• The lower crust should be placed in the pan so that it covers the surface smoothly. Air pockets will push the crust out of shape while baking
   
• Avoid pulling or stretching pie dough when fitting it into the pan to prevent the shell from shrinking as it bakes
   
• Use kitchen shears to trim away excess pie dough when fitting it into the pan
   
• To quickly prepare graham cracker crumbs for a graham cracker piecrust, place the crackers in a plastic zipper bag and roll them with a rolling pin
   
• Add a few graham crackers to chocolate crumb crusts to prevent them from sticking to the pan
   
• When making custard pie, bake at a high temperature for 10 minutes to prevent a soggy crust. Then finish baking at a low temperature
   
• When making fruit pie, prevent the crust from becoming soggy by brushing the unbaked shell with a beaten egg white before adding the fruit mixture
   
• Use a generous amount of filling when making fruit pies, as it settles slightly while it cooks
   
• To make great apple pies, be sure to use the right kind of apples. Granny Smith, Northern Spy, Jonathan and Ida Red remain popular with pie makers
   
• Fold the top crust over the bottom crust before crimping to keep juices in the pie
   
• Do not make the edge of piecrust too thin or it will dry out and brown more quickly than the rest of the crust
   
• Decorate the top crust with a festive design. Roll out the dough and use a paring knife, pizza cutter or cookie cutter to cut out creative shapes such as stars, leaves and flowers. Before baking, brush the shapes with a little milk for glaze and sprinkle with sugar for sparkle
   
• For a glossy appearance, brush the top crust with a beaten egg white before cutting steam vents in the top
   
• Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape and prevent the sealed edges from bursting apart
   
• Avoid a messy cleanup by placing a cookie sheet underneath the pie to catch any juices that may overflow while it bakes
   
• Prevent piecrust edges from over browning by covering them with strips of aluminum foil after the first 15 minutes of baking
   
• Use egg whites at room temperature for greater volume when making meringue
   
• To prevent meringue from shrinking as it bakes, make sure it touches the edge of the piecrust all the way around
   
• To neatly cut a meringue pie, lightly coat the knife blade with butter or vegetable oil