High Altitude Baking 101 From Betty Crocker {click link for FULL details}

We’ve provided this guide to help those who live at high altitudes bake and cook with success. At high altitudes, about 3,500 feet or more above sea level, foods bake and cook differently than if prepared at sea level.

Guide to Baking and Cooking at High Altitudes

The charts above describe specific adjustments you can make when baking and cooking. Because the effects of high altitudes can vary, we recommend that you first make a recipe as written before attempting to adjust it. If the food is not acceptable in texture or appearance, try one recipe change at a time until you get the result you want.

Baking at High Altitudes

At high altitudes:

• Air pressure is lower, so foods take longer to bake. Temperatures and/or bake times may need to be increased.

• Liquids evaporate faster, so amounts of flour, sugar and liquids may need to be changed to prevent batter that is too moist, dry or gummy.

• Gases expand more, so doughs rise faster. Leavening agents (baking soda and baking powder) may need to be decreased. Doughs may need shorter rising times and may need to be “punched down” (deflated) twice during the rising process.

The suggestions below are for scratch recipes. For cake mixes and mixes for other baked goods, check the package for directions specifically for that product.

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high-altitude baking {click link for clear view}

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The higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure. While this is an excellent environment for training athletes, it is a difficult one for baking recipes.

Baking depends on the specific interactions of several kinds of ingredients: flour, leavening, fats, liquid.

To complicate things further, individual microclimates vary greatly in the mountains, so the adjustment that works for you may not work for your neighbor down (or up) the road.

These charts are meant as a starting point, to help you convert recipes. Different types of baked goods need different adjustments, and we offer suggestions about where to start further on including adjusting chemical leavens according to altitude and baking cookies at high-altitude.

It may take a few tries to get results you’re happy with; if possible, try to adjust only one ingredient at a time, so you can isolate the effect it has. Be sure to keep notes on what you’ve done, and try the smaller adjustments first when a range is given.

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Bake With What’s in Your Pantry! 

A few of you lately have asked for recipes with common kitchen items, King Arthur Flour has a search system that allows you to search recipes with the top 5 items you have in your kitchen. Yes you can search by Ingredients! :)

So let’s say you have eggs, sugar, milk, cinnamon and you want to find a recipe using these 4 items, you plug in those keywords into their search and you’ll get a list of recipes that include those 4 items! It’s witchcraft I tell ya ;)

Start searching now!

Stoneware Benefits 101

Okay I got this question the other day about my thoughts on stoneware form one of my lovely followers!!!

I thought it was a great question considering some of us  might be ready to step up our game in the kitchen right?

I mean you’ve been following me for awhile now and have tried many of the recipes. Maybe this can be your next big move in the kitchen!?

Well here are some of my personal thoughts about upgrading to stoneware. Please share your comments/tips/advice publicly on this post (below)

 Benefits of buying stoneware:

1. Serving/presentation - Straight from the oven you can serve them in the same container (the stoneware). They’re really pretty so no need to transfer them into something ‘presentable’! Big plus!
2. Re-heating - you can re-heat pies in the stoneware, very convenient. Less stuff to clean and less clutter :)
   
3. Heats evenly - As far as baking goes glass and aluminum pies can be a bit unpredictable with stoneware crust are not soggy and are crisp and flakey.
4. Save Money on pre-made pie crusts - In the long run you’ll save money from having to buy disposable crust pans!
5. Keeps US away from pre-made crusts- C’mon….DIY…. pie crusts are easy to make so this will help us stay clear from pre-made supermarket crusts! 
6. Dishwasher safe - MOST not all are dishwasher safe, freezer safe, microwave safe, fridge safe. I mean that is really awesome… Think of all the possible uses…
7. Depending on how much you bake it will save you money in the long run… IF you dont bake often this might not be a good purchase. But if you do, it’s a good long term investment
8. Can match your china! They have them in colors and designs. Really pretty stoneware can be purchased to match the kitchenware you already have!
9. Glass vs Ceramic – glass can bake unevenly, not as durable.
10. Ceramic/stoneware you can hand it down to your family member from generation to generation. They last FOREVER!
11. Food stays hotter for a longer period of time after leaving oven
12. Easier to clean (enameled surfaces)
13. Good for both pies/cakes and other sweet treats but also good for casseroles and other savory foods.
14. Most are Chip, scratch, stain resistant
15. Won’t absorb orders/flavors 
16. You can personalize them (name, brand etc). I have an example link below.

These are links for you to check out:

• Martha Stewart (She is the Queen, you need to buy all her stuff! lol)
• Personalized Pottery (this is just example for you - buy at your own risk)
• Deen Stoneware@Walmart - PD at Walmart
• Handmade Pie Plates (this is just example for you - buy at your own risk)
• Le Creuset Classic Stoneware

Basic Frosting Piping Techniques Tutorial

A Macaron Troubleshooting Guide: Useful Tips and Advice

Index

• What should a “perfect macaron” look like?

About the ingredients

• What size of egg whites should I use?
• What is the average weight of a large egg white?
• Can I use ‘Egg Beaters’ or ‘Simply Egg Whites’ or other pre-separated egg whites sold in cartons?
• If I can’t use egg beaters, what do I do with all the leftover egg yolks?
• What type of food coloring should I use?
• Is the use of cream of tartar necessary?
• Is the use of powdered sugar necessary? Can I use a substitute? Can I reduce the sugar quantity?
• What about powdered sugar, do all brands work? Is it ok if it contains cornstarch?
• What is almond meal? Is it the same as almond flour?
• My almond meal/flour looks wet/oily. Can I still use it?
• Can I use nuts other than almond to make macarons?
• Can I grind my own almonds/nuts?
• What if I’m allergic to nuts? Can I still make macarons?

About the equipement

• Parchment paper or Silpats?
• Can I use butter instead of parchment paper?
• Can I use wax paper / aluminum foil?
• Which pastry tip is best?
• What pastry bags do you use?
• Do I really need to use a stainless steel bowl? Will aluminum or plastic bowls do?
• But, won’t my electric beater scratch the stainless steel bowl?
• What kind of baking sheet is best? Do I need to buy an expensive one?
• Why do I need to double the baking sheets?

General macaron-making questions

• There is so much sugar in macarons! How much calories is there in a macaron? Can I make them lighter?
• What does “aging egg whites” mean?
• Is there a shortcut to aging egg whites?
• What does it mean to dry or rest macarons before baking? What should they look/feel like after drying? What happens if I skip this step?
• Can I make macarons even if it’s raining/really hot/humid outside?
• What is the size of the “perfect” macaron?
• How can I make sure my macaron shells are all the same size?
• How is the flavor incorporated into macarons?
• Making macarons seems so time-consuming! How long does it really take to make them?

Making macarons

• What should the beaten egg whites look like?
• I’ve overbeaten my egg whites. Help!
• My meringue stays loose, it won’t become firm. Why?
• How delicately/vigorously should I fold the almond/sugar mixture into the meringue?
• When should I add food coloring or flavorings?
• What is the right batter consistency?
• My batter is too thin/runny. What happened/what should I do?
• What is the right oven temperature? Why isn’t there a definite ‘universal’ temperature everyone can use?
• My batter becomes watery or runny during the resting period. Why?
• My macarons are spreading unevenly / are not round / are not equal in size. Why?
• Can I skip the resting period to make my macarons more quickly?
• The shells remain pointy after piping. Why?

Aesthetic problems after baking

• No feet / crown
• Uneven feet / Feet bursting
• Hollow shells
• Cracked shells
• Thin shells (thin cap with feet)
• Shells that puff, then deflate
• Warped / uneven shells
• Bumpy / lumpy shells
• Shells are too soft
• Shells seem too dry or crunchy
• Shells look greasy or “wet”
• Brown or dark shells
• Sticky on the bottom
• Uncooked insides
• Inconsistent batch (some are perfect, others are not)
• My shells are not cooked through even after 15 minutes in the oven. What should I do?

Additional info

• Preserving macarons
• Books
• Recipes
• Links to more troubleshooting, tips and advice resources

****Click the main link above for FULL details (there is a lot more info!)

Colorful Macarons Video Tutorial!

VIDEO TUTORIALS for the three key stages of macaron making

Macarons are tricky to make, we need all the help we can get :)

Cookies 101 Tutorial (variations included- lemon, toffee, M&M, macadamia, & more!)

I have been on the search for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie for years.

My friend, Daniella, makes perfect cookies and taught me how.  Below are step by step instructions to make your own perfect cookies, as well as pictures of things that can go wrong.

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Cocoa Powder 101

Confused by recipes that call for Dutch-process cocoa and wonder how on earth it is different from “regular” or natural, unsweetened cocoa powder? Never fear! I’m here to help unravel the mystery behind cocoa powder in plain terms.

{click link for full article}