>U Mom Knows Best: Baking Hacks For Better Baking

Monday, July 15, 2019

Baking Hacks For Better Baking

Do you love to bake?


       I received a sample from Nielsen-Massey to facilitate this post. This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

  Most people think baking a batch of cookies or a cake is a simple thing to do. They think you just take a little bit of this and a little bit of that and then mix it all together. Some people think that there is no need to follow a recipe when baking. Some people can be great at cooking and then fail when it comes to baking. These are the people that don't realize that baking is a science and one needs to follow the recipe in order to get good results. I remember the first time my husband made cookies and he did not follow the high altitude directions. The cookies were greasy blobs of dough that stuck to the cookie sheet. My husband did not realize that living 5000 feet above sea level affects how one bakes. He did not realize that high altitude baking requires more flour and less butter. My husband is an excellent cook but he is not allowed to bake as he never follows the recipe. My husband also does not realize that silicone baking sheets are a must-have baking item to keep cookies from burning.




How to be a better baker

 I have been baking since I was a kid so I have this baking thing down for the most part. I started baking cookies when I was about ten and over the years learned how to bake everything from bread to cakes. I was a teenager who loved reading cookbooks. Over the years of baking, I have learned many baking hacks and tips from how to cream butter to how to separate egg whites. I put off treating myself to a Pink Kitchenaid mixer as I thought that my baking skills did not need this appliance. I am glad that the pretty pink color of the stand mixer got my attention as this useful baking appliance is taking my baking to a whole new level. I discovered that the Kitchenaid stand mixer allows me to whip up a batch of homemade frosting so quickly. My son has discovered the joy of baking as the stand mixer is so fun to use.


The best vanilla for baking

 I have also discovered that the quality of ingredients is very important for the best baking. Things like using real butter and pure vanilla extract do make the best tasting sugar cookies. Did you know that there are different types of pure vanilla and that they have different flavor notes? My favorite pure vanilla is crafted from premium, hand-selected Ugandan vanilla beans. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Ugandan Pure Vanilla Extract has a flavor profile that is bold and creamy-sweet with notes of chocolate. I love that Nielsen-Massey uses a proprietary cold-extraction process to preserve more than 300 delicate flavor compounds in their Pure Vanilla Extracts to consistently deliver the richest tasting vanilla from around the world. I love using this vanilla extract when I make my Chocolate Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies and Dairy-free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.





How to separate egg whites & whisk

 Things like separating eggs can also affect your baking. If you are trying to whip egg whites for a recipe, the slightest amount of egg yolk in the bowl can ruin the end result. I used to think that I knew how to separate egg whites but I recently learned a better way to separate the egg white from the yolk and it did not involve using the eggshells. I also learned that whisking was not just a circular motion but it was so much more. These new baking hacks have taught me that I can always learn new techniques to bake like a pro. I love watching cooking shows to learn new baking and cooking hacks. These cooking shows inspire me to do more baking and cooking. I always discover new recipes when I watch celebrity cooking shows. Do you know how to separate egg whites for the best baking? You need to watch the below video as you might be surprised at why it is bad to use the eggshells to separate the egg whites.



25 comments:

Joan said...

I am not a great baker but I do try and these are great tips.

Sheri said...

I am definitely a baker. I can cook but baking is what I love. I give people recipes and either they loved it because they followed the recipe, or tried to cheat to make things faster and it was ugh!

AiringMyLaundry said...

So cool. But no, I am not a baker. I tend to burn things. I do love to eat, so I'm a fan of buying things from my friends who are bakers. Or sometimes they feel bad and just give me cookies since I burn the things.

Passion Piece said...

I'm not the best cook, but I do love baking cakes. Hope your tricks will help me in the kitchen and will make this baking experience even more pleasant. :)

Kelly said...

These are such helpful tips! And I totally agree that a good vanilla can make all the difference!

Mama to 6 Blessings said...

What great hacks. My daughter loves to bake, she could definitely use these suggestions. I love your mixer by the way!

Kathy said...

I love to bake, especially with my kids. They love it and I've always enjoyed it too. Love your great hacks here.

Wren LaPorte said...

These are great tips! I love baking, but don't always know the best way to do things.

Amberly said...

These are awesome tips! I have wondered about the best kind of vanilla. Thank you for sharing!

Kokoa Magazine said...

I am a horrible baker I think because it takes to much time to do each measurement with cooking it's not as much. Great tips
Kita

Ruth I said...

I love baking but these hacks are so new to me. I agree about using quality products, there is a big difference on taste!

Gust si Aroma said...

I love baking! I bake every week! These tips are so useful for me!

Waren Jean Go said...

I think the most difficult for me when baking is definitely separating egg yolk and egg white. That video really helps!

Why Girls Are Weird said...

I do love to bake, although sometimes I'm not the greatest at it. Thanks for the tips!

Rachel said...

I also use a silicone baking mat. It is a huge help. Plus I will never go with generic vanilla extract again.

Krystel | Frugal Living said...

I truly think that baking is an art. Wish I knew more people who did it.

Celebrate Woman said...

I love baking. But it's never enough to learn and see how others do it and what tricks and tips they have to offer. Thank you, Master Baker!

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, these are some great tips. I want to start baking more.

Wander With Ola said...

Wow, what an interesting post! Love all the helpful tips here. Thank you for sharing! ~ Ola @ WanderWithOla

Brittany said...

I think i'm a lot better at baking than cooking but I need to do more of it! Thanks for sharing this post with some hacks!!

holyveggies said...

I want to start using vanilla more in baking. I feel like it gives such a nice flavor to cakes. Thanks for sharing these tips.

Lyanna Soria said...

I like to cook but I don't think I'm cut out for baking yet. But I will keep these tips in mind in case I wanna start trying.

Miss Tilly And Me said...

these would make awesome gifts for my daughters teachers at the end of the school year. They look delicious

Enriqueta E. Lemoine said...

Saving this post Tara, so comprehensive. I'm a cook and I love baking. This is an amazing guide. And I love Nilsen vanillas. Thanks for sharing!

Mommy Sigrid said...

Hmmm... I haven't seen that brand of vanilla here in our locality. Would love to try that.

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