Baking

Baking is the cooking of food by dry heat in an oven in which the

action of the dry convection heat is modified by steam.

Preparing baking dishes and pans

Rub a piece of butter over the inside of the dish with a paper
towel, making a thin, even coating.
Sprinkle in some flour, then shake and tilt the dish until it is
coated. Turn the dish upside down and tap out the extra flour.
Sifting flour
Method 1: Put a sifter over a bowl, add the flour and squeeze the
handle to force the flour through the mesh screen.
Method 2: Put a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and add the flour.
Hold the sieve by the handle and gently tap it against your other
hand.
Cracking eggs
Gently but firmly tap the middle of the egg on the edge of a bowl
to crack the shell.
Hold the egg over the bowl and pull the shell halves apart, letting
the egg fall into the bowl.
Beating butter and sugar
Combine the butter and sugar in a bowl. The butter should be
slightly soft for the best results.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and
sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes.
Every now and then, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of
the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Cutting butter into flour

Scatter the butter chunks over the flour. The butter should be
very cold for the best results.
Method 1: Using a pastry blender, make quick chopping motions,
pressing down firmly into the butter.
Method 2: Using 2 table knives, cut through the butter and flour
by pulling the knives in opposite directions.
The mixture is ready when it looks like coarse crumbs with small
pieces of butter still visible.
Whipping cream
Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the cream. Increase
the speed to medium-high as the cream thickens. It will take
about 3 minutes.
Turn off the mixer and lift the beaters. The cream is ready if it
stands in medium-firm peaks. Be careful not to beat the cream
too long!

Baking Terms
Baking blind
This is the process of partially or fully baking a pastry case in the
oven without the filling. Line a tart tin with pastry, cover it with
greaseproof paper and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans
or dried chickpeas, beans or lentils. Baking blind is ideal if you
have a no-cook filling, a filling that needs little cooking or is
cooked at a low temperature. It ensures a crisp finish.
Beating
This is the rigorous mixing of ingredients using a wooden spoon,
electric whisk, food mixer or food processor. The purpose is to
thoroughly combine ingredients and to incorporate air, making
cakes light and fluffy.
Creaming

This is the term used in baking for beating sugar and softened
butter together to form a lighter coloured mixture that is aerated.
This is one of the ways to add lightness and volume to cakes.

Curdling
Curdling is when a food mixture separates into its component
parts. A creamed cake mixture may curdle if the eggs are added
too quickly or are too cold. It can be brought back by adding a
tablespoon of flour.
Dusting/Dredging
This involves sprinkling sugar or spices over food as a decoration.
A recipe may also ask you to 'dust' a work surface with flour or
icing sugar to stop dough or fondant icing from sticking before
kneading and rolling it out. A tea strainer or fine sieve is suitable
for dusting. You can also buy a shaker or dredger which consists
of a cup with a handle and perforated lid.
Folding in
A technique used to gently combine a light, airy ingredient (such
as beaten egg whites) with a heavier one (such as cake mix). The
lighter mixture is poured on top of the heavier one in a large bowl.
Starting at the back of the bowl, a metal spoon is used to cut
down vertically through the two mixtures, across the bottom of
the bowl and up the side. The bowl should be rotated slightly with
each series of strokes. This down-across-up-and-over motion
gently combines the ingredients to create a light, fluffy
consistency.
Icing
There are a number of different ways to ice a cake. Icing is a term
used both for the action of covering a cake and for the covering
itself. Icing is sometimes called frosting, particularly in American
recipes.
Sifting

This is the method of passing flour, cocoa or icing sugar through a

sieve to remove lumps and aerate it. Most cake recipes will
suggest you sift these ingredients for best results.

Baking Tools and Equipments

Baking can be a lot of fun, but without the right equipment, it will
only cause you a lot of headaches. Just as a mechanic requires
the proper tools for fixing a car, youre going to need the proper
tools for your baked goods. If youre just getting into the baking
scene, check out the list below, and make sure you have these
tools in your kitchen. Youre going to need them if you plan to
make any kind of baked good.

Springform pans
These are used for cheesecakes, streusel-topped cake, delicate
tortes, and other cakes that would be damaged by turning them
upside down to remove them from the pan

Double boiler
A set of two pans nested together, with enough room in the
bottom pan for 1 or 2 inches of water. Double boilers are used to
cook or heat foods that need gentle heat, such as melting
chocolate. The water in the bottom pan is brought to a simmer,
and the second pan is set on top

Mixing bowls
Used for mixing, whipping creams or egg whites, preparing
ingredients, raising breads, or just storing food in the refrigerator

Measuring spoons
These are used for measuring small amounts of ingredients such
as spices, leaveners, and extracts, and very small amounts of
liquids. Pour liquids, such as vanilla extract, to the rim of the

spoon; level dry ingredients, such as salt or baking soda with a

straightedge

Scales
Professional bakers use these to weigh ingredients instead of
using measuring cups to measure by volume, for the simple
reason that weight measurements are more precise and accurate

Spatulas
These tools has many uses including scraping batters down from
the sides and bottom of a mixing bowl, spreading fillings, stirring
stovetop custards and chocolate while heating, folding lighter
ingredients into heavy batters, scrambling eggs, and more.

Whisk
Used to whisk or stir wet or dry ingredients together, beating egg
whites or cream, stirring ingredients as they heat in a saucepan
and folding ingredients together

Rolling pins
Used for shaping and rolling dough; essential for rolling pie
pastry, sugar cookie dough, and bread dough

Wire cooling racks

Used for setting just-out-of-the-oven hot baking pans to cool.

Muffin pans
These are a rectangular metal baking pan with six or twelve cup,
used to bake both muffins and cupcakes. Designed to replace
parchment papers. Muffin pan sizes are typically mini, standard,
and jumbo sized

Jelly roll pans

Often used to make bar cookies, shortbread, sponge cakes,

Cookie and Baking sheets

These are rimless, flat metal sheets, perfectly designed for
placing rows of cookies

Loaf pans
These pans are used for most quick bread recipes, such as
banana bread and zucchini bread.

Food processor
Machine for chopping, dicing, mixing pastry dough, mixing some
cookie dough's, and pureeing fruit.

Mixer
A table top or handheld machine that can knead bread doughs
using a hook and whip butter and eggs together with the whisk
attachment for flaky cookies.

Pastry brush
Use these to spread glazes and grease pans

Zesters
These are stainless steel strips with tiny razor-sharp edged holes.
When you scrape a whole orange or lemon across the zester it
removes the colored and flavorful part of the fruit (the zest),
without including the bitter white pith underneath. This tool can
also be used to finely grate chocolate, hard cheeses, whole
nutmeg, and fresh ginger.

Sifter

Used to sift and eliminate or separate clumps from any dry

ingredient, including flour, cocoa powder, and confectioner's
sugar. The most common sifter is a canister type with either a
single mesh screen, or triple mesh screen and a rotating blade
that is controlled by a rotary or squeeze handle. Choose a sifter
with at least a three-cup capacity.

Pastry blender
Also known as a dough blender, is used to cut butter or other fat
into dry ingredients, such as when making piecrust, scones, or
biscuits. A pastry blender has stainless steel wires shaped into a
half-moon, with a stainless or wooden handle for gripping. In
place of a pastry blender, two kitchen knives also work well for
cutting the ingredients together.

Pastry brushes
Used to brush liquid type ingredients onto pastries or breads. For
example use a pastry brush to brush butter onto a hot loaf of
bread, or an egg wash onto bagels, or milk onto a pie crust, or to
wash down the sides of a saucepan when melting and
caramelizing sugar. A pastry brush is even helpful for brushing
excess flour from dough during rolling, and brushing up spilled
flour on the kitchen counter. Choose a high quality brush with
either natural bristles or silicone bristles that are securely
attached to the handle. High quality pastry brushes are easy to
clean with soap and water and should last for years.

Parchment paper
Also known as baking paper, is a baker's secret weapon. These
paper is used to line baking sheets before baking cookies,
ensuring cookies that won't stick to the pan, lining cake pans to
allow cakes to slide right out of the pan, and for folding into cones
for piping icing or chocolate.

Baking Products!!
Peanut Butter-Banana Muffins

1 cup flour
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mashed fully ripe bananas
(about 1 large)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. Vanilla

STEPS:
Heat oven to 375F.
Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk peanut
butter and milk in medium bowl until blended; stir in
bananas, egg, oil and vanilla. Add to flour mixture; stir just
until moistened.
Spoon into 12 muffin pan cups sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 18 to 20 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers
comes out clean. Cool slightly.

Cinnamon Pull-apart Bread

 3 cans (7.5 oz. each) refrigerated

buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.)
PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese,
softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. Milk
STEPS:
Heat oven to 350F.
Cut each biscuit into quarters.
Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add
biscuit pieces, 1 at a time; toss to evenly coat.
Place half the biscuit pieces in 12-cup fluted tube pan
sprayed with cooking spray; drizzle with half the butter.
Repeat. Sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake
40 to 45 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes
out clean and top is golden brown. Cool in pan 5 min.; invert
onto plate. Remove pan. Cool 10 min.
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp. milk in
small bowl with mixer until blended. Beat in remaining milk,
if needed, for desired glazing consistency. Spread over warm
bread.

Chocolate Bliss-Caramel Cake

1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate

3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

 25 KRAFT Caramels
2 Tbsp. milk
1 pkg. (12 oz.) BAKER'S
Semi-Sweet Chocolate
Chunks
STEPS:
Heat oven to 350F.
Line 13x9-inch pan with
foil, with ends of foil
extending over sides; spray with cooking spray.
Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in large
microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted.
Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix
well. Blend in eggs. Add flour; mix well. Stir in nuts. Spread
into prepared pan.
Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center
comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.)
Meanwhile, microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable
bowl on HIGH 2-1/2 min., stirring after 1 min. Stir until
caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended.
Spread caramel sauce over brownie; cool 5 min. Sprinkle
with chocolate chunks. Cool completely. Use foil handles to
lift brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

Baking fun facts!

2 billion:
The number of cookies Americans consume every
year. Thats 300 cookies per person annually!
Cookies are eaten in 95.2 percent of U.S.
households.
Something Sweet BakeShop in Daphne, Alabama,
currently holds the Guinness World Record for
making the worlds largest brownie. When baked,
the brownie weighed in at 234.2 pounds. It was made with

108 cups of flour, 54 pounds of butter, 432 eggs, 216 pounds

of sugar, and 27 pounds of chocolate.

Avoid an Overmixing Oops

Be careful not to overmix your cookie dough. When flour is
combined with wet ingredients, proteins in the flour are
activated that help hold the dough together. If the proteins
are overactivated, however, your cookies will turn out tough.
To avoid this, stop mixing when there are no streaks of flour
remaining in your mixing bowl. If chocolate chips or other
add-ins are going to be used, stop mixing when there are
just a few streaks of flour left so you can combine it all
together without overmixing.