THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2024 50 THE GLEANER’S CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK THESE HOLIDAY baking tips will help you create your bestever desserts and make it through the season stress-free. SOFTEN BUTTER QUICKLY Every baker’s been there: You’re ready to start baking a batch of cookies and realise you forgot to take out the butter in advance. The good news is you don’t need to delay your baking. You can easily soften butter a handful of ways. Our favourite way to do this is just by cutting the butter into small cubes and letting it sit for just a short time. In about 15 minutes your butter will be ready. GET ROOM TEMP EGGS QUICKLY When baking, it’s important to use room temperature ingredients (unless otherwise specified). If you forget to take your eggs out of the fridge in time, don’t fret. Just place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. PREP COOKIE DOUGH IN ADVANCE You don’t need to do all your holiday baking the week before the big day. Most cookie doughs – these recipes in particular – can be prepped in advance and stashed in the fridge for two days or the freezer for several weeks. For cut-out cookie doughs, form the dough into a log or round and wrap in plastic wrap. For drop cookies, you can either freeze the dough in an airtight container or pre-portion the dough and then freeze. Be sure to label them with the date and cookie type. KEEP COOKIES SOFT WITH A SLICE OF BREAD Need to keep soft and chewy cookies, well, soft and chewy? It’s easy. All you have to do is pop a slice of bread into the container. It’ll give the cookies the moisture they need. And this trick works if your cookies have gotten a bit too crispy or have dried out. TEST YOUR BAKING POWDER AND BAKING SODA Before you dive into the baking season, be sure to check on your baking powder and soda. These products do have a limited shelf life, so if they are expired or ineffective, you won’t get the right rise and lift on your favourite baked goods. To test baking powder, measure a teaspoon into a cup and add a third cup of hot water. If it bubbles, the baking powder is ready to be used. To test baking soda, measure out a quarter teaspoon and add two tablespoons of vinegar. If it bubbles, it’s ready for baking. And remember: Baking soda and baking powder are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably. LEARN HOW TO REMOVE A BUNDT CAKE FROM ITS PAN A Bundt cake can be a gorgeous centrepiece for your holiday dessert table, but it can be disheartening when you can’t manage to release the cake from the pan in one piece. Take it from our Test Kitchen and employ several tricks to ensure your cake comes out clean. Start by greasing the pan properly, letting the cake cool before flipping and let gravity do its work. A stubborn cake often comes out clean when you let the inverted pan rest over a cooling rack. After a few minutes, lift the pan and check out your work! USE A WARM KNIFE TO SLICE A warm knife cuts through cakes, cheesecakes and bars like butter. Before serving, dip your knife into hot water and dry it. Then slice away. Repeat as needed. USE YOUR OVEN TO PROOF BREAD Need to proof a gorgeous holiday bread but it’s too chilly inside to get a good rise? Don’t fret. Instead, turn to your oven – but don’t turn it on! You can use your oven as a proofing box. Just fill a glass baking dish with boiling water and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Then place your dough on an upper rack and shut the oven door. The steam will create heat and humidity – bread dough’s best friends. Taken from www.tasteofhome.com TIPS AND TRICKS EVERY BAKER NEEDS TO KNOW for the holiday season
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