Essential Tips for Measuring Wet, Dry, and Sticky Ingredients

Posted on August 23, 2011

There is an art to measuring, and it can make the difference between a beautiful cupcake and a hocky puck. Some simple tricks will ease the cooking and/or baking process and keep clean-up to a minimum as well.

Choose the proper measuring utensils. Use plastic or metal stacked cups for measuring dry ingredients. Why? Because these cups are designed to allow the cook to level off the ingredients by running a flat edge across the top. Liquids are hard to measure in these cups because everyone tends to leave a bit of space at the top to avoid spills. Sometimes this space can throw a recipe off by up to 1/4 cup of liquid.

Measure all liquids, thin or thick, in a Pyrex measuring cup. Look at the fill line at eye level to make sure the measurement is accurate.

Choose the proper method to measure flour according to how the flour is called for in the recipe. The difference in weight can be up to 1 ounce, which has a huge effect on the outcome of the recipe.

1 cup all-purpose flour: Dip the measuring cup into the flour and sweep the top.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour or cake flour: Place the measuring cup on a piece of parchment paper (or something to catch the extra flour) and sift the flour directly into the cup. Return the stray flour to the flour container.

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted: Dip the measuring cup into the flour, sweep the top, and then sift the flour.

Measuring butter in the stick form can yield erratic results. Oftentimes the wrapper is not perfectly placed on the stick of butter so the tablespoon marks are off. The best way to get an accurate measurement is to mark the midpoint of the stick and then mark the midpoint of each half, and then each quarter. One stick will yield 8 tabelspoons…and each tablespoon is equal to ½ ounce.

When measuring sticky ingredients like honey, molasses, or syrup, spray the cup with nonstick cooking spray before filling it. The substance will slip right out of the cup.

Brown sugar is often written in recipes as packed or lightly packed, the difference being up to 2 ounces. Brown sugar can be packed by hand, with the back of a spoon, or with the bottom of a smaller measuring cup.

Measuring peanut butter, or any other tacky, messy substance can be a challenge. I like to line my measuring cup with plastic wrap and then fill it. I simply lift out the wrap and dump the ingredient into the bowl. No gooey mess to clean. Hooray!

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Tasting Spoons, etc.

Posted on April 27, 2011

No more rummaging through drawers looking for a spoon while trying to stir what’s on the stove. Keep your tasting spoons and forks on the counter within easy reach. I have 4 of these stainless steel containers from Ikea…one for utensils and measuring spoons, another for wooden spoons and chopsticks, a third for ladles, spatulas, etc, and the last one for misc stuff. It works for me…give it a try.

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Tea Strainer Doubles as a Sugar Sifter

Posted on November 25, 2009

powdered-sugar1
Need just a quick dusting of sugar on a cobbler, crisp, pie, cookies, pound cake, or fresh fruit? A bulb-shaped fine-mesh tea strainer is perfect for the job. Open the strainer, add powdered sugar, and dust away!

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Homemade Salad Dressing Made Easy

Posted on September 9, 2009

Take the guess work out of salad dressing and make a fool-proof batch every time. Feel free to substitute ingredients, including fancy oils (walnut, avocado, hazelnut) and flavored vinegars (tarragon, raspberry, white balsamic). Instead of crushing the garlic clove, smash it with the blade of a knife, so you get the garlic flavor without small pieces clogging the squirt bottle opening. To produce consistent results, purchase a wide-mouthed plastic squirt bottle (minimum one-cup capacity) and mark lines on the side of the bottle to indicate how much vinegar and oil to add. Here’s a classic vinaigrette recipe to get you started.

Catherine’s Classic Vinaigrette
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil

Combine the mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar in a squirt bottle. Seal the top and shake vigorously Add the oil and shake again. Keep refrigerated. The dressing will last about 1 month refrigerated.

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The Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg

Posted on August 21, 2009

hard boiled egg isolated on white

There is, in fact, an art to boiling a perfect hard-boiled egg…and in the end it has less to do with boiling and more to do with letting the egg cook off the heat. Place your egg(s) in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water and a generous sprinkling of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, then remove the saucepan from the heat, cover, and let stand 15 minutes. Remove the eggs, crack each shell on the counter, and place in a bowl filled with ice water. When cool enough to handle, peel and eat.

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How to Toast Nuts

Posted on August 3, 2009

Spinach and Mandarin Orange Salad

Whether you are making a pecan pie, garnishing a frosted cake with sliced almonds, or throwing pine nuts into a salad, toasting the nuts before you use them unleashes their fantastic flavors. Toasting is easy, and it can be done a number of ways: 1) In a skillet over medium heat, with or without butter or oil; 2) in a preheated 350˚ F oven for about 8 minutes; or 3) under the broiler (watch carefully to avoid burning). You can make a big batch and store them in an airtight container to last the whole week. Pine nuts may develop whitish spots, but this does not affect their taste or freshness.

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Reduce Blender Clean Up

Posted on August 1, 2009

Cleaning the hard to reach angles of a blender’s lid can be a royal pain. So, here’s a trick: Place a piece of plastic wrap between the top of the blender container and the lid. When the contents splash up, they will hit the plastic wrap and the lid will stay clean. For small jobs, just a piece of plastic, without the lid will do.

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No More Garlic Hands

Posted on July 30, 2009

garlic-handsSometimes tough smells, including garlic, onions, and fish, are difficult to remove from your hands. Lemon or lime is always a good cure, but if that doesn’t work, try rubbing your hands for a minute with a couple of tablespoons of cheap mouthwash, then rinse.

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Grease the Grater

Posted on July 30, 2009

Grated cheddar cheese on wooden board

Semi-soft cheeses, such as cheddar and mozzarella, can turn your food processor attachment or a hand-held grater into a gummed-up mess. To prevent this, using a cooking oil spray, coat the feed tube and grater attachment of your food processor, or the grater panel of your hand-held device before grating.

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Keep Salad Greens Crisper Longer

Posted on June 24, 2009

Fresh greens are like flowers…they need to be treated with a gentle hand and stored properly to maximize their shelf life. Ideally, wash greens on the same day you purchase them (this does not apply to tight-headed greens, such as endive or radicchio, which should be cleaned just before consuming). Then, remove any damaged outer leaves, separate the remaining leaves, and place them in a large bowl of water. Gently squish to remove any dirt. Lift the greens out of the water, leaving the dirt behind: do not pour them into a colander, which simply throws any dirt back on the clean leaves. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner, then place them in a zip-lock bag or airtight container and refrigerate. Also, do not cut or tear the leaves before storing them as that will create more surface area for oxidization (the rusty color that sometimes occurs).

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