Cake and Cookie Baking Tips for Beginners

Cake and Cookie Baking Tips for Beginners Are you new to baking cakes and cookies? Not sure how to read and follow recipes? Here are some baking tips to get you started.

All ingredients should be at cool room temperature. Unless the recipe states otherwise, use unsalted butter. If you have only salted butter on hand, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon per stick of butter. Use regular butter, not whipped, and don't substitute margarine unless the recipe gives it as an alternative. Unless otherwise stated, eggs used in baking recipes should be the large size. Use dry measures for dry ingredients and wet measures for liquid ingredients. Measuring cups for dry ingredients come in individual sizes (1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup). You fill the cup completely with the flour or other dry ingredient and level it off. Liquid measures are marked with lines for various amounts (1/3 cup, 4 ounces, etc.), with some space at the top so the liquid doesn't spill. You pour the liquid in up to the desired line. To measure flour, stir up the flour, then swoop the measuring cup into the flour, and level the flour even with the top of the cup using a knife or the side of your hand. To measure sugar or cocoa, spoon it into the cup. To measure brown sugar, spoon it into the cup and pack it down with the back of the spoon. When measuring sticky ingredients such as molasses or honey, lightly oil the inside of the cup first. You must sift flour for cakes and confectioners' sugar when you're using it in icing. For cakes, sift the flour, measure it, then sift it again with the dry ingredients. You don't need to sift flour for pies or most cookies. Chocolate must be melted over low heat or it will burn. You can melt it in the top of a double boiler (a pan with two parts; the top sits in the bottom pan, which contains boiling water). You can also put it in a microwave-proof container and heat on 80 percent power for 1 minute. It should still be lumpy when you remove it; keep stirring until it is smooth. If it is still lumpy, return it to the microwave and heat in 10-second increments on 80 percent power until smooth. To cream butter (with or without the sugar), beat it at high speed on an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, or until it is fluffy. If a recipe tells you to fold in egg whites or cream, it means to spoon the egg whites or cream over the batter, then move a rubber spatula in a circular motion from the bottom of the bowl to the top of the batter, "folding" in the whites or cream. You can also use a wire whisk to gently whisk in the eggs or cream. Use the size of pans indicated in the recipe. Always turn the oven on for at least 15 minutes before you will be using it, so it has time to reach the proper temperature. Baking (cookie) sheets come with and without sides. Some recipes refer to a baking sheet with sides as a jelly-roll pan. Cookies bake the most evenly on a cookie sheet without sides, but it's OK to use one with sides. Space drop cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet so they have room to spread. Most cookies should cool on the baking sheets for a minute or two to "set" before they're removed to wire racks to cool completely. Cakes should cool completely in the pan before being inverted onto a plate or cardboard round. Run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan first to loosen it. Cake and Cookie Baking Tips for Beginners

Rosette Cookies

Rosette Cookies Rosette cookies are a cookie made from very light batter that are deep fried. A rosette iron is used to make them. They are of Norwegian origin, and are made as a Christmas treat. Rosette irons come in many shapes and sizes. The more expensive ones are made from cast iron while the less expensive ones are made from cast aluminum. Mine is aluminum and works very well. The most important thing with making rosettes is the temperature of the oil. It must be kept between 365-375 degrees. Any cooler and the cookie won't cook quickly and evenly as it should, any hotter and the cookie may burn or stick to the iron. You can use an electric fryer with a thermostat, but I prefer to use a cast iron skillet and a thermometer. You'll probably have to make slight adjustments to keep the temperature within the 365-375 degree range.

Rosette Cookie Batter 2 eggs 1 TBSP sugar small pinch of salt 1 cup flour 1 cup milk 1 tsp vanillaBeat together eggs, salt and sugar. Add rest of ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour oil into pan or fryer, making sure to fill no more than half way to allow for expansion of hot oil when food is placed into it. Make sure you have the lid for the pan or fryer close by. There is always a risk of oil catching on fire (although it is minimal if you keep it below 375 degrees) and the best way to douse an oil fire is by placing a lid on it. Safety first! Make sure rosette iron is clean and dry. After oil comes to temperature. put iron in oil for a minute or two so that it heats up. Shake off excess oil, and dip iron into batter, but not all the way to the top. Leave a quarter inch or so from the top of the iron, otherwise the batter will cook over the iron and the cookie will be difficult to remove. Place batter-coated iron into hot oil and cook for about 30 seconds or until brown. The cookie may slip off the iron when still in the oil. Just remove it with a metal turner. If the cookie doesn't come off the iron in the hot oil, give it a gentle shake and it usually will fall off, or gently remove it by putting a metal turner edge alongside one of the edges of the cookie. Place it on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to drain. Continue this procedure until all the batter is used up. It may take a few tries to get a perfect cookie, but with practice you'll be cranking them out in good order. Just remember to keep that temperature between 365-375 degrees and you'll be rewarded with some of the lightest, crispiest cookies you've ever eaten! Once the cookies are done, dust them with powdered sugar and enjoy. Rosette Cookies