from washable canvas, silicone, or plastic, a pastry bag
is useful when dividing small amounts of batter, piping
filling on a layer of cake, and putting the final decorative
touches on your masterpiece. A set of plain and star tips will
enable you to frost and decorate with professional finesse.
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BAKING FAVORITES
WORKING WITH BATTER
When creating a cake batter, use these pointers to prevent a
heavy, dense cake or a cake with large air pockets. For other
types of batters, such as brownies, read the recipe directions
carefully as these tips may not apply.
Folding in Ingredients
• To fold whipped egg whites (or whipped cream) into a
batter, you want to retain as much aeration as possible,
so use a gentle hand and as few strokes as possible.
• With a large rubber spatula, dollop a scoop of the whipped
egg whites onto the batter, then gently stir it in; this step
lightens the batter to make it easier for folding. Spoon the
remaining egg whites onto the batter.
• Starting in the center of the bowl, use the rubber spatula
to “slice” through the whites and batter to the bottom of
the bowl, then pull the spatula up the side of the bowl
and swoop over the top and back to the middle. This
action will gently mix the egg whites and batter together.
• Continue with this motion, rotating the bowl, until the
mixture is combined and no white streaks are visible,
being careful not to overmix and lose the aeration.
Mixing Batter
• To prevent overmixing, stop mixing just when you see
that the ingredients are evenly blended and you can
no longer see streaks of individual ingredients.
• If you see streaks of ingredients like flour or baking
powder in your batter, be sure that you mix the
ingredients thoroughly until evenly blended to prevent
undermixing.
WORKING WITH DOUGH
Depending on what you’re baking, different doughs will
have different textures, visual cues, a different methods of
handling. These expert how-tos prevent results that are
dense, tough, or chewy.
COOKIE DOUGH
The first few times you work with cookie dough can be
tricky. But like other rewarding baking adventures, practice
makes perfect—especially if you follow these handy tips.
Rolling out Dough
• Flour your work surface and rolling pin before getting
started. Or, if the dough becomes too sticky and tricky,
roll it between sheets of waxed or parchment paper.
• When rolling out dough, work quickly so that it doesn’t
become too warm. This will help ensure that the cutout
shapes don’t spread when they bake. If your kitchen is
warm, refrigerate the cutout cookies on a baking sheet for
15 to 20 minutes before putting them in the oven.
Cutting Dough
• Dip cookie cutters in flour before pressing them into the
dough, and place cookie cutters close to the edge of the
rolled-out dough so you can cut out as many cookies as
possible and minimize scraps.
• If you can’t find the right cookie cutter, trace the shape out
with scissors. Then place this template directly on the rolled-
out dough and cut out shapes with the tip of a paring knife.
• For special occasions, make a big impact by using cookie
cutters in the same shape but in an assortment of sizes.
Try this with Gingerbread Cookies (page 45) during the
holidays. Be sure to group similar sizes together on
separate sheets so they bake evenly.
general baking tips
From mixing batters and making doughs to storing them properly, different baked goods
require different methods. Here are our tips and techniques for achieving the best results
with your baking.
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BAKING FAVORITES
• If dough scraps become sticky, refrigerate them for 10
minutes before rerolling. (And resist the temptation to
roll the same piece of dough more than twice.)
Freezing Dough
• For best results, follow the instructions in each recipe
regarding chilling and wrapping cookie dough; many require
refrigerating the dough for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• To save time, the dough for some recipes can be prepared
ahead
