Kitchen Tips

Recipes for success

• Measure liquid ingredients in a glass measuring cup. Solid ingredients should be spooned into metal or plastic measuring cups.
• Pack brown sugar firmly into dry measuring cups for an accurate measurement.
• Coat a glass measuring cup with cooking spray for easy removal when measuring sticky ingredients like corn syrup.
• Before cutting bar cookies, place them in the freezer to harden.
• Use shiny baking sheets; dark pans absorb more heat and can cause over-browning.
• Start your holiday baking with fresh boxes of baking soda and baking powder.
• Store nuts in heavy-duty storage bags in the freezer for a longer shelf life.
• Arrange baked and cooled cookies in airtight containers. Line the bottom with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or wax paper, and separate each layer with foil or wax paper. Seal the container and label it with contents and date before freezing.
• Most cookie dough can be tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator up to one week or in the freezer up to three months.
• If you’re having trouble grating cheese, try chilling the cheese first. If cleaning the grater is a problem, brush it with oil before grating.

Recipe rescues

• If your cookie dough is too dry, stir in a tablespoon or two of milk.
• If cookies harden and stick to the cookie sheet or a cake sticks in the pan, return them to the oven for 1 minute.
• To cool cookies, place them on a wire rack or a sheet of wax paper sprinkled with sugar. Cookies will cool without getting soggy.
• Keep berries, chopped green bell pepper, chopped onion, parsley, soft breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, and a variety of toasted nuts on hand in zip-top freezer bags in your freezer.
• Make use of your microwave for thawing foods or jump-starting the cooking process for meats.
• Soups and stews can be made less salty or fiery by adding several large pieces of raw potato. Don’t forget to remove the potato before serving your dish!
• When a cake turns out dry or layers fail to come out of the pans evenly, make parfaits or a trifle. Crumble the cake into glasses or a dish and layer with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
• When the chocolate you are melting seizes (clumps), stir in a tablespoon of vegetable oil or shortening to smooth things out.
• To thicken a mousse, stir in whipped heavy cream.
• If you accidentally scorch a recipe or sauce, do not scrape the bottom of the pan. Transfer the rest of the sauce to a clean pan immediately.
• Lumpy gravy? Strain the lumps from the gravy, then mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and add it slowly to thicken the gravy.

Handy substitutions

Need an ingredient you don’t have? Sometimes a substitution can be made.

Measurements & oven temperatures

Egg substitutions