Suggestions For An Enhanced Baking Experience

Spare yourself the pain! Below I am listing some things that I feel you must keep in mind when you bake something for the first time; this applies to ANYONE following a recipe, regardless of thew level of your skill:

1. No two ovens are the same!

   First of all you must accept that no two ovens will bake exactly the same; you will have to figure out after time how your oven relates to recipes that you are using. What may bake at 375° for 10 minutes in my oven may easily require both a slightly different time and temp in your oven. With every new recipe, I usually bake one cookie before I throw in an entire batch also keeping in mind that one cookie will bake hotter and faster than an entire sheet of cookies. Also there can be tremendous variation in any given recipe as far as how cold or not cold the dough is when you scoop your balls and bake them, so do not be hard on yourself with the first batch.

2. Get a scale

   I do not care how cheap it is, it will help you scoop cookies that are all the same size so they will bake evenly, and, when you make cupcake, muffins or layers, you will have confidence that they will bake consistently. I cannot emphasize how important it is to be accurate so as to become more secure in your baking!!

3. READ THE ENTIRE RECIPE BEFORE STARTING!!

   Many recipes may have an ingredient listed as one item that is intended to be used for two separate parts of the recipe, so read entire recipe before you do ANY measuring. This is a mistake I made a bunch of times before learning my lesson. Wherever possible, in all the recipes on this blog, I divide a particular ingredient into two lines, one for each separate use but nevertheless ALWAYS read the entire recipe so there are no surprises and just incase I forgot!!

4. My thoughts on mixers

   There are certain products like brownies, for example, for which you will not need a stand up mixer; I have made them easily with just a hand mixer and a good bowl or even a sturdy whisk and a mixing bowl… just think of our grandparents and great grandparents and how they were able to bake without all our modern day conveniences. However, If you can afford an electric mixer, it is worth the investment. Kitchen Aid, in my opinion, is top of the line!! They last forever! I just got a brand new pink one at a Bloomies sale and every time I look at it ,I am blown away by its pink glamor!

5. My thoughts on baking pans

   When possible get baking pans whose sides are perpendicular so that your bars and cakes will bake more evenly. I just bought a new 8” square pan on Amazon by Fat Daddies and it bakes perfect bars. Also, it is really worth buying better quality baking pans if you like to bake a lot because they definitely bake better and more evenly; pans that are more solid and heavier usually produce a superior product. I also recommend commercial half baking cookie sheets which are discussed i point 8 below.

6. Consider parchment paper a staple.

   I use it instead of greasing pans AND with brownie and bars and loaf cakes, you can cut a piece so that it overlaps two sides of the pan making it easier to lift the entire baked good out of the pan after running a sharp knife through the two sides where the paper is not overlapping.

7. Other essentials…

   Have a bunch of small stainless bowls that are light and easy to work with so that you can measured out your ingredients in an organized fashion. As soon as I have measured out each ingredient, I remove the jar bag or can in which it was stored so as to avoid mistaking what has already gone in. A situation that can happen, for example, would be if you have measured out the flour and moments later, when distracted, can’t remember whether you added the salt and leavening, especially when it calls for both …this can occur at ANY age.

8. Oven tip when using 2 cookie sheets…

   If you are using 2 cookie sheets at the same time to bake your cookies, center both in the middle of the oven and check halfway through to see whether they need to be rotated; usually the bottom sheet will bake hotter.In my recipes I state 2 or several cookie sheets ; for those of you who do not have commercial half size cookie sheets (which I suggest you buy) and are using quarter sheets, these recipes may require 3-4 of those. Commercial cookie sheets will bake more evenly and true to oven temperature so they are deifinalty worth the investment.

9. When cookie baking…

   When you see HEAPING TABLESPOONS in cookie recipes measure about 3 level tablespoons into a ball. Also a very important point to emphasize with CHEWY-CENTERED cookies is that the colder they are, the less they will spread so, any batter balls that you refrigerate or even freeze will be chunkier with chewier centers… depending on your preference, this is important knowledge to store away.

10. DO NOT TALK ON THE PHONE WHILE BAKING!! YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE CLEANING UP!!

    I can tell you from experience that, even if you think you are focused while talking and will NOT make a mistake…YOU WILL…I can guarantee you that from my own experience!!

    I may expound further on suggestions in the future but figured I would get you started with these 10 suggestions!!