1. Egg whites need to be at room temperature for greater volume when whipped. Remember this when making meringue.
2. When preparing several batches of pie dough, roll dough out between sheets of plastic wrap. Stack the discs in a pizza box, and keep the box in the freezer. Pull out the required crust as needed.
3. Place your pie plate on a cake stand when placing the pie dough in it and fluting the edges. The cake stand will make it easier to turn the pie plate, and you won't have to stoop over.
4. Make kitchen utensils can be used to make decorative pie edges. For a scalloped edge, use a spoon. Crosshatched anad herringbone patterns are achieved with a fork. For a sharply pointed effect, use a can opener to cut out points around the rim.
5. Keep srtawberries fresh for up to ten days by refrigerating them (unwashed) in an airtight container between layers of paper towels.
6. When grating citrus peel, bits of peel are often stuck in the holes of the grater. Rather than waste the peel, you can easily brush it off by using a clean toothbrush.
7. When cutting butter into flour for pastry dough, the process is easier if you cut the butter into small pieces before adding it into the flour.
8. To keep the cake plate clean while frostiing, slide 6-inch strips of waxed paper under each side of the cake. Once the cake is frosted and the frosting is set, pull the strips away leaving a clean plate.
9. When decorating a cake with chocolate, you can make a quick decorating tube. Put chocolate in a heat-safe zipper-lock bag. Immerse in simmering water until the chocolate is melted. Snip off the tip of one corner, and squeeze the chocolate out of the bag.
10. Professionally decorated cakes have a silky, molten look. To get that appeatance, frost your cake as usual, then use a hair dryer to blow-dry the surface until the frosting slightly melts.
11. To ensure that you have equal amounts of batter in each pan when making a layered cake, use a kitchen scale to measure the weight. |
