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Cooking Tips
Remember, if cooking cheese for appetizers, excessive heat & prolonged cooking turns
it stringy & leathery. When making a sauce, stir in the cheese toward the end of cooking
time just until totally melted.
To keep egg yolks from crumbling when slicing hard cooked eggs, wet the knife before
each cut.
Water or milk are most often used for breads. Water makes the crust crisp, while milk
produces a soft crust and a creamy-white crumb. The liquid must be at the correct
temperature; if it is too hot, it will kill the yeast; if it is too cold, the dough will take
longer to rise.
To test the rising of yeast dough: The dough is doubled when two fingertips pressed 1/2”
into it leaves dents that remain. If dents fill in quickly, let rise 15 minutes longer & test
again.
Ways to glaze bread before baking are: for a dark, shiny glaze, brush on 1 beaten egg yolk.
For a light shiny glaze, beat the whole egg or brush on melted butter or margarine. For
shine with no color, brush on 1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water.
If you roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper, dab some water under the bottom
sheet and it won’t skid away.
To improve an inexpensive cake mix, add one tablespoon butter to the batter for a richer-
tasting cake.
Discover baking with mayonnaise. Try substituting mayo as a shortening or oil - it blends
easily, adds moistness and contributes toward a tender texture.
Dip spoon in hot water before measuring lard, butter, etc. - it will slip off the spoon more
Easily.
For recipes using beaten egg whites, the eggs should be separated when cold and the whites
allowed to come to room temperature (egg whites reach their highest volume if beaten at
room temperature). Cream of tartar or sugar added to the egg whites will increase the
stability of the foam...the sugar should be added a little at a time. Be careful not to overbeat
egg whites or they will become stiff and dry, having lost their elasticity, and will almost
certainly collapse as soon as heat is applied. Be sure beaters and bowl, etc. Are completely
free of oil - any trace of oil will prevent the egg whites from fluffing up.
Any recipe which says, “add one egg”, can be made better by separating the white and yolk.
This white, when beaten separately, adds bubbles, tenderness and makes the finished product
lighter. This is true for nearly all boxed items.
If your layer cakes stick to the bottom of their pans, return them to a warm oven briefly. The
layers will come out intact in just a short time.
Fudge won’t “sugar” if you add a dash of cream of tartar.
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