These baking tricks will make life a little easier in the kitchen.
Keep cookies moist, days after baking them
It happened again: you made too many cookies than you have mouths to feed. To keep them fresh with just enough chew, try sticking them in an airtight jar or box with an apple wedge. We have science to thank for this one.Image credit:
Source: Flickr
Quit chasing eggshells in the mixing bowl
Water acts as a magnet for eggshells, so simply wet your finger tips and let the Greater Forces take care of the rest.
Source: Flickr
Icing for dummies
Icing not your thing, or low on time? Either way, try popping a marshmallow on top of your cupcakes and baking them for five minutes for gooey, Smor's-like frosting in a flash. You can even finish with another marshmallow, torched for effect.Image credit: via Flickr.
Marshmallow doubles as icing when baked in the oven. Source: Flickr
Or, ditch the icing altogether
Opt instead for some crafty dusting work by sprinkling sugar through a sifter onto doylies or lace that have been laid on the cakes.Image credit:
Source: Flickr
Cookie cups
All you need is a muffin tin and some cookie dough to execute these tasty, nifty little cups. Drape the dough over the back of the greased moulds, press, and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. They make extra indulgent ice-cream cups, or fruit salad bowls.
Create even cupcakes or muffins, every time
Use an ice-scream scooper sprayed with oil to ladle cake batter into the tin, and you’ll be rewarded with an army of the most heart-warmingly even-sized cakes. Ah, sometimes it's the little things.
The perfect slice
Recipes usually glaze over the part where you have to slice the cake diagonally to sandwich it with cream or icing, like it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. Try using dental floss for extra control and consistency, and avoid slicing on a slant once and for all.
Where’s the buttermilk?
Buttermilk is often called for to add lightness to a recipe – the natural acids in it help to break down the glutens in the batter. If you don’t have any in the fridge, try substituting with yoghurt, or one cup of milk mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. It makes for and is part of the genius combination in this .
American Southern-style carrot cake Source: Poh & Co.
Minimise mixing mess
Thread a paper plate onto your handheld mixer to prevent all those batter splatters. We know: genius!
Soften that butter
Soft butter is a staple in most baking recipes, but unless you’re a forward-planning gun, it's not always possible. To soften it fast without melting it, pop the cubes under a warm glass that’s been placed on a plate.Image credit: SKopp (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Source: SKopp via Wikimedia Commons