Turn into a Baking Goddess with these Hacks up your Sleeve
Baking at times can be stressing. From measuring a ton of ingredients to cutting and serving, there’s a lot going on. And, even expert bakers could do with a little help from time to time. Here, in this post, you can find a list of fantastic baking hacks that streamline your baking process and make your life way easier in the kitchen.
Awesome Baking Hacks that’ll make you Reach for the Oven Every Day
We’ve all been there. You’re hands deep in flour, only to realise that a critical ingredient is missing from your pantry. You look around, only to find that your kitchen counter has more flour than your mixing bowl.
Baking can be a headache at times. Worry not, here are some time-tested hacks to take the stress out of your baking.
Stop Whisker Splatter with a Paper Plate
Dread mixing with your hand mixer, because of the sugary mess it leaves on you and the counter? A regular paper plate can fix it up.
Poke two holes in the paper plate and then place it above your beaters. This way, the paper plate catches all backsplashes and makes it easy to clean the place after your baking.
Bring eggs to room temperature in a jiffy
There’s nothing as frustrating as plodding your way through a recipe, only to find that you have to use room temperature eggs instead of your refrigerated ones.
No worries, if you have forgotten to bring your eggs to room temperature before you begin baking. Just place the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for five to ten minutes, and you’re good to go.
No Gluten flour? Oats to the Rescue
With more and more people becoming diet-conscious, there’s a massive demand for gluten-free goodies. However, store bought gluten flours are pretty expensive.
Here’s an easy way to make gluten-free flour right at home within a few minutes. Just blend some instant oats in a blender until it becomes a fine powder. Voila, you’ve got gluten-free flour for a fraction of the cost, minus preservatives and chemicals.
Keep brown sugar moist
Have you ever opened a can of brown sugar only to find that it’s become as hard as a rock? Here’s a simple way to keep it as soft as the day you bought it. Just put a piece of bread along with the sugar.
The bread keeps sugar moist and soft, while it doesn’t become mouldy and gross.
Melt butter, the Right Way
Most recipes ask you to use butter at room temperature. Sadly, most of us forget to thaw butter beforehand. Never fear, your microwave is here to save the situation.
Well, we can hear you thinking that “No!!! The microwave turns my butter into a runny liquid, not soft.” Worry not, here’s a simple way to soften butter the right way in your microwave.
Start by setting the dial at Power Level Two and not one. Yes, you read that right. And, set the timer at eight to ten seconds. This is sufficient to soften the butter, without melting it. You can increase the timer by another five seconds if needed.
Make brown sugar at home
Is it one of Murphy’s law on baking that, “You’ll run out of brown sugar, just when you need it?”. Your recipe calls for just half a cup of brown sugar, and you don’t want to make a grocery run to purchase a kilo of the stuff, that will lie around your pantry for eons?
Here’s a simple way to turn ordinary sugar into brown sugar. Just beat some molasses with regular caster sugar in your blender, and you’ve got fresh, homemade brown sugar. The amount to use is two tablespoons of molasses for every cup.
Wet your hands to prevent Dough from Sticking
Does your recipe call for to make balls of sticky dough? Before you dig your hands into the batter, make sure to wet it first. This way, when your hands are wet, the food doesn’t stick to your palms and fingers, making it easier to handle it, without being left with a sticky mess.
Heat your Knife for Perfect Slices
Wondering how bakers and food bloggers get the perfect slices of cakes, brownies, and bars? Just run your knife under hot water or dip it in a bowl of hot water, before you cut your cake. Wipe the wet knife on a cloth and start cutting. The residual heat on the knife blade gives you perfect slices every time.
Store leftover cake in the microwave
Looking for a dry place to store your cake before or after the party? Stash it in the microwave. It’s a sealed environment, which is free from dust and moisture. This means your cake stays fresh for longer at room temperature.
Remove Eggshells with a Wet Finger
Very often, when you crack, eggs a piece of the shell falls into the bowl. Instead of reaching for a spoon to scoop out the eggshell, wet your finger and put it in the bowl.
The eggshell is magnetically attracted to your finger, and voila, you can quickly remove it!
Burnt Edges? Shave it Off
If you find that your cake or muffin has a burnt edge, don’t reach for the knife. When you cut it, you end up removing large chunks of good pieces too.
Instead, use a vegetable peeler to shave off the burnt edges. This helps you preserve the cake as much as you can. Try using this method for your burnt toasts too.
Grate Butter
One of the key steps in making fluffy biscuits and pies is to ensure that your butter is incorporated thoroughly into the flour. Reduce the mixing time, by grating butter. This way, the small bits of butter mix easily with the dough.
Cooking Spray for Measuring Sticky Stuff
It can be quite frustrating to remove sticky substances like oil, molasses, honey and others out of your measuring cups and spoons. The secret to removing this stuff easily? Just spray cooking spray on your cups and spoons, before you add in the ingredients.
What more, the ingredients slide out super easily, making for easier cleanup.
Chill your Tools for Fluffier Whipped Cream
The key to super stiff whipped cream is chilled pans and beaters. Place your mixing bowl and beaters in your fridge, before you beat whipped cream. You can get beautiful, stiff peaks if the equipment is cold.
Make cooking spray at home
Don’t want to spend on cooking spray? Make it right at home. Mix ½ cup each of vegetable oil, shortening, and all-purpose flour. Mix well till everything is incorporated. Then, store in an air-tight container for around six months.
To use this, just use a pastry brush and spread a layer on your cake pans. Your cakes will slide out like magic the next time you bake.
These are a few baking hacks that will make your baking stress-free and super convenient. So, are you ready to don the baker’s hat?
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