Baking Tips and Baking Hints

Add a pinch of baking soda to your frosting and the frosting will stay moist and prevent cracking.

---

• Do you bake pies? Especially Meringue? To stop the meringue from shrinking away from the sides of the pies, be sure that when you put the meringue on top, you make sure it touches the pastry all around the edge. This way, it will bake onto the pastry and will not shrink!

• ---

Baking Cakes? Do you have a recipe for cake flour, but you only have all purpose flour on hand? Take your all purpose flour and sift the flour about 5 times!

There, now you have cake flour!

---

• Baking with fruits and nuts: To stop them from sinking to the bottom of the cake, etc., be sure to mix in a little flour with them and bake in an oven for a little time. Now, you can add to the cake mix.
If you are making cookies, you can cut down on the amount of sugar the recipe calls for. Do this when you are adding raisins, dates, chocolate chips, mom's, etc.

When making cookies, always use unsalted butter, never margarine. The unsalted butter gives the cookies a lighter texture.

---

• When making pastry of cakes, it is best to begin by weighing out the ingredients, sifting the flour, pounding and sifting the sugar and spice, washing the butter, and preparing the fruit.
• Sugar can be powdered by pounding it in a large mortar, or by rolling it on a paste-board with a rolling pin. It should be made very fine and always sifted.
• All sorts of spice should be pounded in a mortar except for nutmeg, which it is better to grate. If spice is wanted in large quantities, it may be ground in a mill.
<

• ---

• The Baking Tips above  are from an 1828 cookbook entitled "seventy-five Receipts, For Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats" Written "by a Lady from Philadelphia" Published in Boston 1828 by Munroe and Francis.
  
  

  ---

  
  

  Buckeye Candy

  

  Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups creamy peanut butter, (not all-natural)
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
  • 3 3/4 cups (16-ounce box) powdered sugar
  • 2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

  Preparation
  

  1. LINE baking sheets with wax paper.
  2. BEAT peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture holds together and is moistened. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheets. Freeze for 1 hour.
  3. MELT morsels and shortening in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted.
  4. DIP peanut butter centers into melted chocolate using a toothpick, leaving a small portion of the center uncovered. Shake off excess chocolate and scrape bottom of candy on side of bowl. Return to baking sheets; refrigerate until chocolate is set. Store in covered container in refrigerator. Keep chilled on the way to the game.

  Serves
  Makes 6 dozen candies

  Calories:	200g		Total Fat:	12g
  Cholesterol:	5mg		Protein:	4g
  Carbohydrates:	21g		Sodium:	75mg

  
  

  SOURCE:
  Nestlé
  

  
  

  Blonde Brownies Recipe

  

  Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

  Preparation
  

  1. PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
  2. COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Spread into prepared pan.
  3. BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

  Serves
  Makes 3 dozen brownies

  Calories:	160g		Total Fat:	7g
  Cholesterol:	30mg		Protein:	2g
  Carbohydrates:	23g		Sodium:	100mg

  
  
  

• 2. Cut lard into the flour and salt mixture with a fork or pastry blender until crumbs are coarse and granular.
• 
  
• 3. Add 3 to 6 tablespoons cold water, a little at a time. Mix quickly and evenly through the flour until the dough just holds in a ball.
• 
  
• 4. Roll half the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Lift edge of pastry cloth and roll crust onto rolling pin. Line pie pan, allowing 1/2 inch crust to extend over edge
• 
  
• 5. Add filling. Roll out top crust, making several gashes to allow escape of steam. Place over filling. Allow top crust to overlap lower crust. Fold top crust under the lower and crimp edges.
• 
  
• 6. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. For the best pies, use fresh fruits if possible. for about 10 minutes, then turn the temp down. This will help prevent a soggy crust.
  

• The butter should always be fresh and very good. Wash it in cold water before you use it, and then make it up with your hands into hard lumps, squeezing the water well out. If the butter and sugar are to be stirred together, always do that before the eggs are beaten, as, (unless they are kept too warm) the butter and sugar will not be injured by standing awhile.

• ---

• For stirring them, nothing is so convenient as a round hickory stick about a foot and a half long, and somewhat flattened at one end.
• The eggs should not be beaten till after all the other ingredients are ready, as they will fall very soon. If the whites and yolk are to be beaten separately, do the whites first, as they will stand longer.

• ---

Mix It Up with Jenny - Tailgate Treats

(Family Features) - Coolers and camp chairs and portable grills - it's time to cheer on the home team with a tailgate party. In my hometown, football fans love to hit the stadium early to cook out, enjoy each other's company and celebrate their love of the game.

Whether you're tailgating at a high school, college or pro game, here are a couple of tips to make your party a winner.

Share and Share Alike. Make it easy on everyone by making the tailgate party a potluck. Bring your own meat to grill, but take turns bringing side dishes, drinks, plates, cups and utensils, and desserts. This lowers the cost for everyone and it's a great way to try some new foods.

Sweet and Simple. When it's my turn to bring the desserts, I like keeping things simple. These Blonde Brownies are a terrific blend of that caramely/butterscotchy flavor you get from brown sugar, and yummy chocolate morsels. And they're a snap to make! For peanut butter and chocolate fans, Buckeye Candy is a sweet solution. This recipe makes about 6 dozen candies, so there should be plenty to go around.

Keep the tailgating team cheering with more easy, portable recipes that you can find at www.VeryBestBaking.com.

Jenny Harper is Consumer Test Kitchen Project Manager for the Nestlé Test Kitchens and VeryBestBaking.com.

---