Baking Techniques

Year after year, we serve the traditional mash potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner. This year wow your guest with a cheesy twist to the traditional mash potatoes. This is a great...

Soy flour is a powder made from crushed soybeans that can be combined with other types of flour in baked goods or used as a thickening agent in cooked dishes. Since soy flour is produced from...

Wax paper is a type of translucent tissue paper that is covered in a thin layer of paraffin wax, which makes the paper waterproof and less likely to stick to cooked food. It is often used to cover...

Rock salt, the large crystals used for making ice cream, can also be used to bake potatoes. The salt makes the potatoes fluffy. If you are pressed for time, you can microwave a potato briefly,...

Wheat-based flours including all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour cannot be completely replaced by soy flour in most recipes for baked goods. Soy flour does not contain gluten, which is...

Soy milk can replace cow's milk as part of a vegan diet, to remove excess animal fat, or for those who are lactose-intolerant. However, the fat content and water content of the two beverages are...

So many tasty and healthy dishes can be made from pumpkin. It is a good idea to buy a whole pumpkin. You will get a lot of fresh pumpkin to use for your recipes and you can also cook the seeds....

I do not like hard, crispy cookies whether they are chocolate chip, oatmeal or sugar cookies. I like my cookies soft. I do not want to bite into a cookie and fell like I am going to break my...

Egg pie crusts are delicious, especially when you've made one yourself. Whether you're filling it with a sweet or savory filling, your family and friends will be sure to thank you when it's time...

Cakes are easier to frost and cut when they have spent some time in the freezer. Crumbs are less likely to come off during both frosting and torting, or cutting into layers.

When you make a cake delicious cake it relay doesn't mater how it looks but a professional looking frosting will impress people and even if it dose taste bad people will still admire it so this is...

Kids often have strong opinions about their birthday cakes or special-occasion cakes. Even if you aren't the best cake decorator, you can surprise your child or the child at heart in your life...

Birthday cakes are designed to commemorate a special day in a person's life. A birthday cake should ideally mirror the birthday celebrant's interests and tastes. You can purchase a birthday cake...

Blackberries are a fruit high in vitamins A and C as well as other nutrients. These delicious fruits grow on bushes and ripen in middle to late summer. Blackberries are versatile and can be used...

Cakes decorated in black and white are classy and elegant, yet still bold and modern enough to be different and trendy. Black and white cakes never go out of style, and they are extremely...

For many lactose-intolerant individuals, baking can be complicated. Even when butter, milk and cream replacements are finally figured out, the curve ball is thrown at you--buttermilk. How do you...

Whether you are preparing them for breakfast, brunch or a midnight snack, homemade muffins allow for a myriad of flavor variations and personal touches. Like other baked goods, muffins can be made...

Wedding cakes, in all their grandeur, can also have a simple elegance. Tiered cakes are more than just a few cakes sitting on top of each other. A baker needs to have special supplies and...

Almost everybody loves a hot, crisp waffle topped with maple syrup and butter on a lazy weekend morning. But, all too often the first waffle is disappointing. It is not brown enough or crispy...

Royal icing is an easy-to-make icing used to decorate cakes, cookies and other sweet confections. It dries rock-hard and can therefore be used to create a smooth, ceramic-like finish or to mold...

Ganache is a rich chocolate mixture that can be piped onto desserts, formed into truffles, whipped and used as a quick filling or melted and used as an icing. There are many different recipes for...

Yogurt isn't just a healthy dairy treat anymore. It now also serves as a common substitute for high-fat ingredients in baking. Yogurt adds moistness, creaminess and tenderness to baked foods,...

Baking fennel is an easy, tasty way to reveal another dimension to a very versatile and delicious vegetable. Long a favorite in Italian kitchens, fennel is finding new popularity as cooks eager to...

Many holiday baking projects require melted LifeSavers. Melted LifeSavers can create a realistic stained-glass effect on gingerbread houses, and they are useful when making stained-glass cutout...

When a recipe calls for light molasses but you only have black strap molasses, most cooks might abandon the recipe in fear that the black strap molasses is too strong. While it is true that black...

Waxed paper is not suitable for cooking most kinds of food. The paper is covered in a thin film of wax, and direct exposure to heat melts the wax off the paper and into your food. Unless you want...

Taco salads are usually a fixture in restaurants, but by using a little bit of creativity, you can make them at home with ease. These taco salad shells are much healthier than the ones you'll find...

One of my favorite home cooked meals would have to be pork and beans with a little sweet corn bread. In this article I will show you how to make quick and easy sweet corn bread that your whole...

A large cake pan is considered greater than 10 to 12 inches in diameter, generally speaking. These pans can be used in similar ways to a smaller cake pan, but certain precautions should be...

Cooking steaks on a gas grill is a popular American pastime. The adjustable flame allows meat to be cooked to desired doneness, and cooking over a fire gives meat a taste that cannot be matched by...

The not-so-perfect end to a perfect dinner is a cake that sticks to the cake tin. Sure, it still tastes good, but you get a zero for presentation. If the cake is a tier or baked into a shape to be...

Waterfall cakes are a popular trend for weddings, anniversaries and even birthday parties. Waterfalls for cakes are made by draping a rectangular strip of blue fondant from the top tier of the...

Spring is a popular time for a celebration. April is typically when people celebrate Easter and Passover. June is a traditional month for a wedding. People welcome warmer weather with outdoor...

For sweet success when baking an angel food cake, follow these simple yet helpful hints. And did you know that angel food cake is a low-fat cake? But you should also be mindful of the toppings...

Ever wonder how the pastry chef at the corner bakery creates those delicious cakes dotted with colorful candy flowers? Not to take anything away from the master chefs, but it's not as difficult as...

Thanks to the popularity of televised baking contests and bakery reality shows, making cakes is a hot hobby with numerous classes and products available at mainstream craft stores. With a bit of...

Potassium sorbate is a form of salt that comes from sorbic acid. This acid is found in berries in the mountains, and it can also be made synthetically in a laboratory. Potassium sorbate is used to...

A convection oven cooks and bakes food by circulating hot air around it. A convection oven also uses lower heat than a standard oven. Due to the circulation of the hot air, though, food tends to...

Parchment paper is a valuable addition any kitchen pantry. It is used in baking to prevent foods from sticking to pans. It can also be used to cover meats and other foods while cooking, keeping...

Convection ovens use fans that circulate the oven's heat continuously and evenly, resulting in an evenly baked cake. This even distribution of heat accelerates the baking time and you get that...

Man do I love hard boiled eggs. You can make a sandwich with them, put them in your salad, or just crack them and eat them. The problem that I use to run into is the shell being a pain in the butt...

Layer cakes are usually created by dividing cake batter between two or three cake pans of the same size and shape. Tube pans present a problem when attempting to make a layered cake as the pans...

Apricot kernels have been used in alternative medicine for years for their anti-carcinogenic properties. Although they're incredibly bitter, the kernels contain necessary nutrients. Eating apricot...

At first it may seem easy to make that igloo cake or a cake shaped like a half-moon: the only difference between baking a dome shaped cake and baking the traditional two layer confection is...

While gas and charcoal grills provide rich flavor to meats and other foods, nothing enhances the flavor like wood. Hickory is a popular wood used in barbecuing and grilling. It enhances the flavor...

Parchment paper is used by cooks and bakers to keep food from sticking to the baking sheet without having to use an excessive amount of oil, which could change the composition of baked goods. The...

Fondant's popularity in cake decorating isn't just because of the finished, professional look it gives. The cut-out shapes it can make are almost limitless, and they're also simple, eye-catching...

Good news: Soy milk can be substituted in any recipe that calls for cow's milk whether cooking, baking or drinking. Whether you are baking from scratch or from a box, soy milk will not alter any...

If you trying to eat healthier and cutting down on fried foods, and you like fried chicken but worry about the oily frying process, take heart--you can cook crispy and healthy chicken in your...

A convection oven is a cooking appliance that uses an internal fan to distribute the hot air so it completely surrounds the food while it heats. The fan makes foods cook faster, compared with...