Baking Techniques

Saving time in the kitchen is something that all of us welcome with open arms. Here is another tip for your culinary repertoire to help you save time. When your recipe calls for a coring an...

Candy Melts are used to make molded decorations, coat homemade candies and make lollipops. These easy-to-use baking treats are available in a variety of colors and flavors. The end result should...

Whether you use gas or electricity, preheating the oven before baking bread is essential to get the best results. It helps to stabilize the temperature and give the rise necessary for a...

Making pizza is an art for many gourmet cooks. They have special recipes for the dough, sauce and toppings but the secret, many believe, lies in the baking process. For this reason these cooks...

KitchenAid stand mixers, a fixture in Americans kitchens for almost a century, take much of the toil and mess out of baking yeast bread from scratch. The mixers stir together the liquids and dry...

Cupcakes baked inside of flat-bottomed ice cream cones are a popular treat for birthday parties or school functions. They are easy to make and children love them. They are, however, difficult to...

Yogurt can be used as a fat substitute in many different types of recipes. It has the ability to help retain moisture in baked goods, and adds flavor to recipes that use heavy creams, while at the...

Sugar Cookies are a popular Christmas-time treat; however, they can be very intimidating and time-consuming to make at home. Once you get past the initial initimidation factor, you will find that...

Pizza lovers consider baking a pizza in an outdoor oven to be the best method for baking a great pizza. The flavor of a pizza that is baked over a wood fire is earthy and gives the pizza a special...

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to dress up gingerbread and sugar cookies, use cookie glaze and a toothpick. You can create elegant marbled designs that will give your cookies an...

Shortbread cookies are a true indulgence that can be traced back to 16th century Scotland. According to Food Timeline.org, the shortbread cookie is a byproduct of the dairy farms and butter makers...

After spending quite a bit of time and effort to make beautiful icing decorations for cakes, cookies or other desserts, you want to make sure they will last until the dessert is ready to be...

Cakes are very popular treats for special occasions. You can do nearly anything at all with a cake. One of the most popular cake themes is from the movie Star Wars. Star Wars is beloved by many...

Glycerin has many uses due to its malleability. One of the ways it comes in handy is for baking and it is often used by avid bakers when creating homemade icing.

Wilton's nutcracker cake pan, No. 2105-2037, is an excellent tool for making holiday nutcracker or toy soldier cakes. Instructions come with the pan, and bakers can follow Wilton's guidelines to...

The soft fold of a fondant calla lily adds graceful elegance to cakes for any occasion. Calla lilies are some of the simplest flowers to make out of fondant. Although they look like tiny edible...

Extra tall biscuits can be both a dramatic and delicious side dish that will complete any meal you make. The height of a biscuit depends upon what ingredients you use and how you handle the dough...

Royal icing is easy to shape and work with because of its thick and gummy texture. Gerbera daisies make a great addition to cakes and other baked goods. Using a pastry bag and the right piping tip...

Muffin pans aren't just for muffins anymore. Hundreds of recipes can be made in convenient single portions to feed hungry kids on the go, taken on trips, or to be frozen for later. Muffin-size...

Baking bread in a Dutch oven has been an accepted practice since the days of the pioneers. The New York Times sparked a renewed interest in the technique when they published a recipe for Dutch...

Eggplant is a succulent, meaty vegetable that's a great addition to both vegetarian and meat-based dishes. It grows well in hot, sunny conditions, and is usually ready for harvesting during late...

Cooking for large gatherings can be difficult, and one of the biggest problems that you face is keeping cooked food warm. Baked potatoes can be especially difficult. While wrapping each potato in...

Many cooks prefer ceramic pie plates for baking pies due to the beauty of these plates. Ceramic pie plates come in a variety of colors, many with fluted edges that add a decorative flair to any...

Use your roaster oven to create baked goods right on your countertop. A roaster oven uses less energy than a traditional oven for baking. By taking advantage of the more compact roaster oven, you...

When that special little boy in your life has a birthday, naturally you want to throw a party he'll talk about for weeks and still remember when he has kids of his own. Fluffy, gooey cupcakes are...

Instant yeast is widely available to home bakers as an alternative to traditional active dry yeast. Although the two types of yeast are very similar, they are mixed with other ingredients in...

Have you ever marveled at those amazing and colorful flower-topped cakes in bakery windows and wished that you could create your own? If you have a knack for baking and a little patience, there's...

If you are looking for an alternative to regular sugar in a recipe, apple juice concentrate, like white grape juice concentrate or orange juice concentrate, makes a suitable substitute, containing...

Cut-out cookies are fun and festive treats any time of the year but their intricate designs are easily spoiled during the cutting and baking process. Cutting the dough carelessly can destroy a...

Calves liver is one of the most nutritious organ meats. When selecting fresh liver, note that it should be pale pink-brown in color for a tender meat and should have a moist surface.

Rapid Rise Yeast is a variety of instant yeast marketed by the Fleischmann's brand. It significantly reduces the amount of time required for the first rise in a recipe. You can substitute all...

Cinnamon rolls can be a scrumptious delight for those who enjoy sweet treats. These soft, cinnamon and sugary treats are best when they first come out of the oven. A piece of dough is spiraled...

Bread is the food of life. Understanding how to bake a loaf of fresh bread without the aid of a conventional oven can be a useful skill. Bread baking using an open fire is a skill that can be...

Bakers use chocolate in many forms, such as cocoa powder, unsweetened blocks and bittersweet chocolate chips. These different forms of chocolate vary in content, so you should not substitute one...

In the realm of baking, hen eggs are the usual currency. But with allergies, developments of green living and healthier options, different eggs are being used, such as emu, ostrich, duck and goose...

Dough can be frustrating to work with if you're unpracticed at baking. It's sticky and, after it rises, it's almost impossibly fragile. Your ability to work within these constraints will make the...

No Egyptian-themed party would be complete without a cake shaped like a pyramid. No special cake decorating tools or skills are needed to create one. With a couple of cake pans and a large...

Baking cookies with stoneware cookie molds is a time-honored tradition. Instead of cutting cookies out of a dough that has been rolled flat on a pastry board, dough is pressed into the mold to...

Cookies have far more sugar than the typical yeast breads (wheats, ryes and whites). Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning that it draws water out of the air and holds it in the sugar structure.

Rolled fondant icing creates a distinct look on cakes for any celebration. Once common on wedding cakes, the icing is now frequently found on cakes for birthdays, showers, holidays and...

Fire engines can be fascinating for young children. Turning the love of shiny fire trucks into a party theme can bring smiles to the birthday child. A fire engine cake can be a perfect way to end...

Black Forest Ham is not your typical Christmas or Easter ham. It's a smoked ham that is typically cut up and served as sandwich meat. When you bring it home from the supermarket or butcher shop,...