Sharing my Cooking and Baking Tips & Lesson Learn Tips

Cooking and Baking Tips
I'll try to add on as many tips as I learn through my baking days~

Ingredients
1. Egg White can last up to 1 week in the fridge or a month in the freezer.
2. Sift powder form ingredients before starting the mixing process is to avoid pockets from forming. Example: Flour, Baking Powder, Cream of Tartar, Matcha Green Tea, etc.
3. Cooking Caramel - Once placed over the heat, try to avoid stirring the caramelising sugar. Best is do not stir at all. Why? It's because stirring also promotes crystallisation.


Cookies
1. Chilled dough overnight in fridge does make a difference.
2. Do not over fold the chocolate chips if not the dough will be colored.
3. Add additional All Purpose Flour to have a crispier cookie texture.


Cakes
1. Volcano Top: Generally, the smaller the cake the higher the temp but shorter time, vice versa, the bigger the cake the lower the temp but longer time. How much longer or shorter depends on individual oven. If the big ones is baked after the small ones, the oven might be hotter than 180 degrees by the time the big ones were sent in.


Icing
1. There is no need to thaw the Cream Cheese and Butter, however, they need to be in cubes and chilled.
2. Frosting need to be placed in the fridge for 30mins before use.
4. Common to use 1M or 1D Wilton nose for piping.


Eggs
1. Strain at least two times so that it is smooth.


Bread
1. It is possible to prepare extra portions of dough. At the last rise of the dough, wrap it in plastic and freeze it. When needed, thaw the dough and let it rise to double its size. Then bake.
2. Bake until done, cool it completely. Then wrap it in plastic and freeze it. This can keep for up to six months. When needed, take it out and thaw it. Then bake it in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 5 mins for a small bun and 10mins for large ones.


Alcohol Storage - cap is tight and keep in cool and dark place
1. Kahlua shelf life for 4 years unopened; shelf life of 1-2 years opened.
2. Cointreau shelf life for 5 years unopened; shelf life of 1-2 years opened.


Found this Link which has 32 Essential Baking Tips: http://www.berries.com/blog/essential-baking-tips


Click here for our blog page Baking Classes for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~