Cooking Tips 1

Great collection of cooking tips from cooking cache include tips for measuring ingredients, how to tell if an egg is fresh, storing/freezing baked goods and more.

Additional Cooking Tips

Homemade Non-Stick Coating

1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Shortening
1 cup Flour
In a large mixing bowl, mix until smooth with electric mixer. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed. Use this to coat pans for cakes, muffins, pies or anything that requires greased and floured' pans.

From: Michelle of Indian River, Michigan

After you have used a stick of margarine or butter, save the wrappers and put in a ziploc bag and throw in the freezer. The next time one of your recipes call for greasing a cake pan,etc. pull out one of these wrappers and use it for that purpose. It works great and is economical too!! :-)

From: Judy of Florida

Substitute for a large egg is two tablespoons of mayonnaise.

From: Donna

Just an easy hint for all who love cabbage rolls. I take the core out of the cabbage, wrap in WET paper towels, & microwave for about 10minutes. You can use every leaf this way. If all the leaves aren't soft, just re-wet the towels & microwave another 2-3 minutes. Hope this helps some...enjoy your site a lot, Donna.

Choosing Butter, Margarine or Shortening

For the best flavor and texture, be sure to use the exact type of shortening -- butter, margarine or vegetable shortening -- called for in each recipe. Substituting one type for another could change the taste or the texture of your finished product. Do not use vegetable oil spreads, diet, "lite", soft, whipped, or liquid versions of butter or margarine. These products may also give you unsatisfactory results.

Measuring Ingredients

Be sure to measure your ingredients carefully. Use metal or plastic nested cups for dry ingredients like flour and sugar, and graduated glass or plastic cups with spouts for liquids. If you use the liquid measuring cup for flour you may get an extra tablespoon or more per cup, which could make cookies hard and dry. To measure flour, lightly spoon it from the canister into the measuring cup and level it with a straight edge of a spatula or knife. Do not tap or shake the cup to level it. When measuring brown sugar, pack it firmly into the dry measuring cup so that it holds its shape when it is removed.

Preheating Your Oven

Preheat oven for at least 10 to 15 minutes before starting to bake. Oven temperatures can vary from the dial settings by as much as 50 degrees, so you may need to check the temperature with an oven thermometer. If you don't have one, try a test cookie. If it spreads too much, the temperature may be too high.

Getting the Best Baking Conditions for Cookies

Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Center the rack in the middle of the oven. If you put two baking sheets in the oven at one time, it is best to switch their positions halfway through the baking time. Allow cookie sheets to cool thoroughly between batches. Putting the dough onto hot cookie sheets may cause the cookies to spread and brown too much around the edges.

Selecting Baking Sheets for Cookies

Use flat baking sheets or those with very low edges. Shiny, heavy gauge aluminum is best; dark cookie sheets may cause excessive browning. For best results, the cookie sheets should be 1 to 2 inches smaller than the oven rack on all sides to allow for proper air circulation.

Preparing Cookie Baking Sheets

Prepare cookie sheets and baking pans as directed before you begin to mix the recipe. If light greasing is suggested, use vegetable oil spray or a small amount of solid vegetable shortening. Do not use butter or margarine as it may burn on cookie sheets. You might also want to use bakers' parchment paper (available in many supermarkets and specialty stores) instead of greasing cookie sheets -- it will also save on cleanup time!

Sizing and Shaping Cookies

Make cookies in the same batch the same size and shape. Arrange pieces of cookie dough in even rows on the baking sheets so they heat evenly. Do not leave large empty spaces; this may cause cookies to burn.

Cooling Baked Goods

Allow cookies to cool slightly before removing them from the baking sheet. As soon as they are firm enough to move without breaking, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Do not leave cookies on the hot baking sheet -- they will continue to cook!

Storing Baked Goods

Wait until cookies have completely cooled -- then store them in tightly covered containers. Do not store crisp and soft cookies together -- the crisp ones will soften.

Freezing Cookies

Freeze baked cookies for months of ready-made snacks. Cooled cookies, double-wrapped in plastic sheets or plastic storage bags will last up to 3 months. To thaw, remove cookies from freezer, unwrap and place them in a single layer on wire racks for 15 to 30 minutes. Store uneaten cookies in a tightly covered container.

How to tell if an egg is fresh

Old wives' tales? Maybe. Lower uncooked eggs into a bowl of water. If the egg settles horizontally, the egg is fresh enough for human consumption. If it settles vertically, feed it to the dog. If it rises to the top, feed it to the hydrangeas.

How to hard cook eggs without cracking them

Use fresh eggs, preferably organic or grain fed, as they peel more easily once cooked. They also have better texture and flavor.
Handle like eggs. Or nitroglycerin.
Bring eggs to room temperature before cooking. This helps prevent cracking due to the sudden shock of temperature change and ensures a properly cooked egg. If you do use eggs right out of the refrigerator, add a minute or two to the cooking time.
Simmer eggs. A rolling boil is too violent. Call them "hard cooked" instead of "hard boiled" and you'll remember this hint.
Don't crowd the pan. The eggs will knock each other and crack.
In a saucepan, bring enough water to cover the eggs to a boil. With a slotted spoon, lower the eggs into the water. Quickly, bring the water back to a boil. Lower the temperature to medium heat and simmer exactly 10 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of cold tap water. The cold water will stop further cooking and create a gap between shell and egg for easier peeling. You may put the eggs right into a color bath now if you wish.

How to color eggs without the silly kit

In a bowl (not metal), pour in enough water and white distilled vinegar to cover the eggs. For pastel colors use one cup of water to 1 tablespoon of vinegar. (Intensify the color by reducing the amount of water used or leaving the eggs in the dye for longer periods of time.) Using basic food coloring, mix your own shade in the water and vinegar. Be sure the food coloring is completely blended so there are no "stains" on the eggs. Carefully submerge hard cooked eggs in the color bath, rotating frequently, until of desired intensity.

Egg coloring tricks

For an easy tie dyed look, wrap the egg with rubber bands before coloring.
Take a candle or other piece of wax and draw whatever you fancy on the egg-- the dye will not be absorbed by the wax.
Mix some offbeat colors. Or use a very strong solution of dye and leave the eggs in it for a long while-- a deeply colored egg is gorgeous.
Fashion a ring to hold the egg at the end of a handle out of some seizing wire (or other stiff wire) and lower the egg very, very slowly into the bath to create a striated effect.
Let kids decorate the eggs. Set some eggs aside that will not be eaten, collect odds and ends from house and garden, provide glue sticks, and let the little ones put Fabergé to shame.

Cooking Tips 1

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