Tips for Melting Chocolate

Whether you’re baking brownies, chocolate cake, or making chocolate truffles, they all have one thing in common, CHOCOLATE !!! Something most people love to eat but it's not always easy to work with. Whether you are working with dark, semisweet, milk, or white chocolate, using a microwave, or a hot-water bath, there are a few fundamental tips you can follow to help you avoid some of the common pitfalls:

• Make sure the chocolate is chopped into uniform pieces to ensure even melting. Never try to melt large bars or blocks of chocolate that have not been chopped.


• Make sure to keep the chocolate dry as it melts. Unless the chocolate is being melted in a large amount of water (2 tablespoons water per ounce of chocolate is the minimum amount), AVOID all contact with water! Chocolate will become unworkable if it comes into contact with even a few droplets of water. It will seize up, or become hard and lumpy. Even the steam from the bottom of a double boiler can cause this problem. If it does seize, you can blend in a teaspoon of vegetable oil (NOT butter or margarine) and the chocolate should smooth out. Make sure your bowls, workstation, and spatulas are completely dry.


• Melt the chocolate slowly over low heat. Chocolate is very delicate and can become lumpy or grainy if overheated.


• Stir the chocolate frequently with a rubber spatula once the outer edges start to melt.


• Chocolate retains its shape when melted, so the only way to know if it is truly melted is to stir it. Do not rely on appearances alone.

Tips for Baking with Sugar

Let's talk about the second ingredient from the dynamic duo of your baking pantry, sugar. This essential ingredient comes in a variety of forms, and knowing which to use is essential to baking success.

Sugar, another basic in baking, gives tenderness and sweetness to doughs and batters. Sugar also causes browning because it caramelizes (turns brown) when heated. Sugar also is a food source for yeast, making it rise. You should have three different types of sugar on hand: granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar, and brown sugar (light or dark).

• Granulated sugar is standard white sugar, made from either sugar cane or sugar beets, and is the most popular and readily available sweetener in baking. Superfine sugar is a form of granulated sugar that dissolves easily in liquid. You can make your own superfine sugar: Place 1 cup of granulated sugar in the blender, cover, and process for 1 minute. Let it sit for about 1 minute longer to let the "smoke" settle. This produces 1 cup of superfine sugar. Sometimes superfine sugar is used in frostings and certain cakes. It dissolves quickly, so it doesn't need much cooking time.
• Confectioners' (powdered) sugar has been refined to a powder and contains a small amount of cornstarch to prevent lumping. Confectioners' sugar dissolves instantly in liquid and has a smoothness that makes it a popular choice for frostings, icings, and whipped toppings. It's also perfect for dusting cake tops and brownies (one of my favorite uses). If your confectioners' sugar becomes lumpy, you can sift it.
• Brown sugar, both light and dark, is a mixture of granulated sugar and molasses. Brown sugar has a deeper flavor than granulated sugar. The color of brown sugar depends on the amount of molasses mixed in, dark brown sugar has more. Light brown sugar is the most common type used in baking, but the more assertively flavored dark brown sugar is also used. Recipes specify which brown sugar to use when it makes a difference; otherwise, you can use whichever you have on hand.
• When exposed to air for an extended amount of time, brown sugar has a tendency to harden. If this happens to your sugar, there's a quick fix: Place the hardened brown sugar in a heatproof bowl, and place the bowl in a baking pan containing about an inch of water. Tightly cover the entire baking pan with aluminum foil and place it in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes or until softened. Use the softened brown sugar immediately, because it re-hardens when it cools. You can also use your microwave to soften brown sugar. Place the hardened sugar in a microwavable dish. Add a wedge of apple. Cover and microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Let stand for about 30 seconds, then use normally.

NOTE : Store all your sugars in airtight containers in a cool, dry place.

Tips for Baking with Flour

No matter what you decide to bake, the dynamic duo of your baking pantry consists of flour and sugar. Each of these essentials comes in a variety of forms, and knowing which to use is essential to baking success. This blog will focus on flour and the next will focus on Sugar.

Flour is the primary ingredient for most cakes, cookies, pastries, and breads. Although it is one of the most basic baking ingredients, it also can be the most confusing, because of the wide variety available on grocery store shelves. Several different kinds of flour are available for baking but you should become acquainted with three basic types of flour: all-purpose flour, cake flour, and bread flour.

• All-purpose flour is a blend of hard and soft wheat flours. The presence of more and tougher gluten in the hard wheat results in a rather elastic product. This produces the texture you want for cakes and cookies. Bleached and unbleached all-purpose flours can be used interchangeably, but unbleached flour has a higher nutritional value.
• Cake flour is made with soft wheat, producing less gluten when mixed, so your cake will be more delicate, with a slightly crumbly texture. When purchasing cake flour, don't buy self-rising cake flour unless the recipe specifically calls for it. If you do buy it by mistake, omit the baking powder or baking soda and salt from the recipe.
• Bread flour has a higher gluten-forming protein content, making the dough nice and elastic. This makes it ideal for bread-making.

NOTE : Don't store any of your flours in the paper sacks you buy them in. Instead, transfer them into airtight canisters and store them in a cool, dry place to make sure your flour won't absorb any odors or off-flavors and label the containers. Flour can last up to six months if stored properly in the pantry and indefinitely if stored in the freezer.

Baking Tips for Beginners

If you have thought about or you have decided to start baking, good for you! Following these baking tips will make your experience more enjoyable and easier.

• When measuring brown sugar for recipes, be sure to pack it into the measuring cup for accurate measuring.
• Butter has a narrow melting range, 82.4°F to 96.8°F, so it will melt quickly even at low temperatures. To avoid burning, melt butter on low temperature settings and watch carefully.
• Flat cookies? Unacceptable. If your recipe is okay, then possibly your butter is too soft and warm. Start with CHILLED butter right from the refrigerator, Do not soften the butter to room temperature. Also make sure the cookie sheet you use is cool, and not warm.
• When baking cookies, be sure to sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together, even if the flour says it is pre-sifted. This is the key to fat cookies.
• If a recipe calls for milk, try buttermilk instead.
  When cutting butter, cut cold butter into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks, and then add dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender gently cut and press the butter into smaller and smaller pieces until the mixture looks like course crumbs.
• Cold ingredients produce the flakiest crust. Be sure to use very cold fat. Once you have your pastry made be sure to refrigerate it since it handles better chilled. Chill for 45 minutes to one hour.
• Baked good tastes better when real vanilla flavoring is used. Imitation flavoring is less expensive, but it doesn’t add the same depth of taste as real vanilla flavoring.