12 Tips for Crafty Bakers

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Reported by Frieda Thomas

If I couldn't craft or scrapbook I would be a baker. Yup! I would. I worked eight years in a grocery store bakery, and after that many years in a bakery you leave that kind of job with a few skills and some knowledge. In my mind, baking is much like crafting. Except, my kitchen counter, the cake, sugar cookie, etc. is my canvas.

My husband calls baking a work of art - but he's looking at the finished project. As mentioned above, I agree with him to some extent. However, baking can be a science. For example, if you add too little (or too much) salt, you can completely ruin a recipe! Trust me, I've ruined my share of recipes. Which leads me to...

Tip #1: unless you want sunken Banana Cranberry Walnut muffins, or anything sunken, make sure your baking soda is stored properly and NOT expired. My muffins rose, but the minute I took them out of the oven and they began to cool, the tops sunk:

Now I need to talk about something that motivated me to try a recipe that is a bit more complex as far as baking. Did any of you watch the movie called "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep? Remember the scene where she makes croissants with Steve Martin in the middle of the night? Well, that scene got me wondering what was all involved with making croissants from scratch. And I've been wanting to try ever since. Heck, even the movie "Julie and Julia" motivated me to finally open up my Julia Child cookbook.

One problem with Hollywood is, the directors tend to make things - such as making croissants from scratch - look easy and instantaneous. It was easier than I thought, but several steps were involved, as well as LOTS of butter (not margarine) and folding. AND a Proofer to help make the croissants rise. An internet search took me to a website that taught me how to create a Proofer in my oven. Only it doesn't work out very well with a gas oven - which I would never give up since it is a Viking - because the steam escapes through the pilots.

As you can see, the croissants did rise a little. But not quite enough. In retrospect, I wish I let them sit out all night, covered, to get them to rise better: This leads to tips #2 and 3.

Tip #2: if you are serious about baking - even as an amateur - and have the space and money, invest in a half-size proofer. There are several available on ebay and various websites. Otherwise, you can try the DIY method found on various websites on the internet if you are unable to maintain a constant temperature of 70-80 degrees in your home or oven for the rising process. I'm trying to convince my husband a proofer is a good investment and cheaper than a second oven. A proofer can also be used as a food warmer.

Tip #3: not letting your dough rise enough can, and will, affect the hardness and softness of the shell or crust.

Let's talk about candy making for a little bit. Candy making is another part of baking I consider a science. Over the holidays I made pralines. First of all, there is a discrepancy on how to pronounce this very sweet candy. If you are from New Orleans, or Louisiana in general, you probably pronounce it praw-leens. If you're from anywhere else, you quite possibly pronounce them pray-leens. It's alright to pronounce them as pray-leens, but if you're in New Orleans and pronounce it that way, they'll immediately know you're not local.

I made pralines for the first time over the holidays and it took me three attempts to get the consistency just right for pouring. But that was after I went to the internet. My cookbook had the ingredients, and directions, but it wasn't quite right. After I added pecans and vanilla, the mixture started to harden right away! I barely had time to spoon the mixture on the pan and by the time I finished it was more like clumps. I got better results after I took my problem to the internet and sought advice. Ahhhh! now my pralines look how they should. Below are the "before" and "after" pics:

Tip #4: if you're having issues with your baking item, even though you are following the instructions in your cookbook, don't be afraid to look for a You Tube video or online website for guidance and advice. Your cookbook may not share helpful tips that will provide near-guarantee results.

Next up are the petites-fours I recently made. Petites-fours is defined as anything that is bite-size; within one or two bites. By that definition (not sure I agree with it), mini-muffins, mini-eclairs, mini-croissants, and mini-anything qualify as a petite-four. I learned (and in a couple instances remembered) several tips to share from this project - which can also be applied to cake decorating.


Tip #5: Cut and dip your petite-four pieces in the fondant while the cake is still frozen. The fondant will coat better and without getting cake crumbs all over the place. If you see crumbs, you're not working fast enough, hence, your cake is thawing out. After dipping and drying, you can re-freeze your petites-fours for later use.

Tip #6: for cake decorators, use frozen layers when icing to avoid getting crumbs mixed with your icing. As mentioned above in Tip #5, if you see crumbs, you're not working fast enough, hence, your cake layer is thawing out.

Tip #7: Always ice the bottom side of the cake, not the top. Yes, you will need to level the top of your cake, then flip your cake layer over so it is bottom up. This method will help as well with those nasty crumbs that can ruin the look of your cake.

Tip #8: If you want to spread a layer of fruit jam between your cake layers, melt down the jam in a sauce pan on low heat prior to spreading. Your jam will spread smoothly and without ripping up your cake.

Below is a photo of a container of petites-fours I made, as well as a cake I made using the freezing method. Yes, I drew out the Queen of Hearts. Getting the Jimmies on the side is easy; simple pour the Jimmies into a cookie sheet and carefully hold the cake to the pan spooning the Jimmies on the side of the cake with your free hand:

Now, I want to talk pies. Who doesn't like pie? While at a friend's house I learned a new way to make pumpkin pie. Add sour cream. Also, beat the egg whites so it's stiff and fold into the mixture. It makes pumpkin pie so much fluffier and tastier. Yum! I found a recipe online for pumpkin pie with sour cream and egg whites and we did not have left overs for the next day! But that's not my tip. My next tip applies to ALL pies and one of many things I learned from that bakery job I once had.

Tip #9: when baking a pie, use a dish that absorbs and retains heat well. A glass or porcelain dish will do just that, and it will give your pie a nice golden crust. Also, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the pie in the center of the cookie sheet. There are a few reasons for this. First, you can feel confident carrying your pie from the counter to the oven without spilling the contents, especially if liquid-y like pumpkin pie or quiche. Second, spillage in the oven won't happen because the contents will land on the cookie sheet; easier to clean up. Finally, you give your pie dish a flat, even surface. I also do this with muffin tins. Below is the photo, again, of the muffins I mentioned earlier. They are on a cookie sheet:

What is Christmas without a gingerbread house? This past season I decided to super-size it. If you're thinking uh-oh, well, er, you got that right. Only it's worse than you are probably imagining. Yup.

The first gingerbread house I ever made required caramelized sugar to glue the pieces together. It takes a lot of sugar, and you need to work quickly once the sugar has melted; but it's very easy to do. Current recipes told me to glue the house pieces together with royal icing. That was only one of my mistakes. I also needed supports on the house due to the super-sizing; the house was heavier than usual and it collapsed in seconds.

Tip #10: always use caramelized sugar to "glue" together the pieces of your gingerbread house. Once the sugar hardens, you can go over the sides and corners of the house with royal icing.

Below is a photo of the gingerbread house before it collapsed. We knew it wasn't going to last - and not because the grand-kids were begging to eat it. So I literally had seconds to take the photo. You can see the roof starting to cave-in and the front of the house separating from the side of the house and falling inward:

I know, I know. And there were three gingerbread men casualties in this horrible tragedy as well! Sigh! Everyone involved in the creation of this house got to decorate a side or part of it. Even my husband helped; who do you think did the math to super-size the house in the first place? But he's an engineer and should have known the roof would cave-in without proper supports so I blame him for this tragedy (joking). Seriously, the support needed to be an extra piece of the house-side, positioned securely inside the house between the front and back pieces.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I used meringue powder instead of egg whites for my royal icing. Works great, cost efficient, and it's a time saver!

Ready for your next tip?

Tip #11: buy a food scale that measures up to 5 pounds. Some cookbooks for bakers measure in ounces instead of using cups or measuring spoons. If possible, mark in your cookbook how much your scale measurement "translates" to in cups and measuring spoons so you can save yourself time when you use the recipe again. However, keep in mind measuring in ounces is more accurate than measuring in a cup or measuring spoons.

I do not have a photo for my next tip because a photo isn't really required for this one.

Tip #12: Do not line your baking sheet with aluminum foil. Bread items will brown unevenly. It's ok to use in your casserole dish or broiler pan for easy clean up, or to reheat something; but not as a liner for your food. Use parchment paper or baking sheets instead. To keep your breads from sticking or baking into the paper, sprinkle the parchment with corn meal.

Furthermore, do not line the bottom of your oven with foil; the heat cannot be distributed properly and evenly in your oven, your food will not cook properly as a result, and it can cause heat damage to your oven. This foil tip has nothing to do with using the shiny or dull side as the results will be the same in either case. If you feel you must line some part of your oven, I suggest you line the rack you are using, but do not cover completely; or use Tip #9 provided above. Remember, you need even heat distribution for your food to cook (and brown) properly and too much foil will block the heat.

Finally, what's a baking article containing 12 tips without the famous baker's dozen? So here it is. Tip #13: use a shiny metal pan for muffins, cake and cookies. The heat reflects off the metal which produces a nice golden crust. You know those cute silicone muffin/cupcake pans and cups? and other silicone products? They're great if you're icing your food or need specific shapes; but not so great if you're using them for muffins or other food products that do not require icing. The reason is, the heat cannot reflect off the silicone pan; that means your muffin, cookies, or cake will not brown.

Pros:

• With determination and patience, baking is easier than what most people think. Learn from your mistakes or the mistakes of others.
• You can impress your friends without having to take a professional baking class.
• Many You Tube videos available as guides to explain what cookbooks don't cover, as well as simplified versions of some recipes.

Cons:

• Baking is not for everyone. It's often easier to buy something at the store
• Time is money, and not your friend if in a hurry.
• Proofers are expensive and take up a lot of space.

Conclusion: I have a lot of fun baking, even if it doesn't come out they way I intended. A few simple tips can help make baking (and cooking) a pleasant experience. Making notes in my cookbooks also help me remember what to do the next time I use the recipe. I found it best to keep a pad of paper and a pen near me so I can make notes while I work. Then I write in my cookbook what works and any hints and tips that are necessary. If the page in my cookbook doesn't allow me that much space, I print it and stick it in my cookbook where I can find the original recipe. In a worse case scenario, I email myself the website link or notes with detailed keywords so I can search for it at a later date. Unfortunately, with the conveniences and services many grocery stores offer these days, I believe baking is becoming a thing of the past.

Do you think baking is an art or science? What would like to attempt to make but haven't yet tried? Which one of these tips do you find the most useful?


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