Useful tips and hints in and around the kitchen.
To test if a cake or pudding is cooked, gently press down the top with one finger; if it springs back it’s cooked. Alternatively insert a metal skewer into the centre and if it comes out clean the cake is cooked through.
To check if your sugar thermometer is accurate, place it in boiling water and make sure it reads 100 °C. If it’s off by a few degrees just subtract or add where necessary.
Agave nectar, a sweetener made from the Agave plant, is available from most health shops. It is a healthier option than sugar. The syrup is 30% sweeter than sugar, thus you require less agave nectar than you would sugar. If a recipe calls for agave and you would rather use sugar, just add an extra 1⁄3 to the listed quantity.
Simply add baking powder to cake flour. For every 250 ml flour add 5 ml baking powder.
I really believe baking powder has a limited shelf life. Before you start to bake, make sure your baking powder is fresh and has not passed its expiry date. I replace my baking powder every few months.
Everyone’s oven differs. If you are not familiar with baking and don’t know your oven well, I would recommend that you get an oven thermometer and check that your oven temperature is correct before you start baking.
Add 50 ml lemon juice to 450 ml full-cream milk; this makes 500 ml buttermilk.
I prefer to use gel colouring to regular food colouring. It doesn’t have the artificial and synthetic taste that other colouring agents have. With recipes that call for more than 5 ml colouring, you really should use gel colouring. It is available at specialist baking stores.
I prefer using vanilla paste or vanilla pods and seeds but realise that others prefer vanilla essence. You can substitute 2.5 ml vanilla paste or 1 vanilla pod, split open and deseeded, for 5 ml vanilla essence.
A lot of my recipes call for a pinch of salt – salt enhances flavour and I like the fact that it cuts through very sweet things, it is essential when making something really sweet like meringues.
I always use salted butter, it adds more flavour and I always have it in the house. Unsalted butter is also more expensive.
To test if your jam has set, place a side plate in the freezer until it is completely cold. Spoon a little jam onto the cold plate and let it cool. Touch it gently with your finger and if a skin has formed and it wrinkles, the jam is ready. This indicates that it will set.
Some recipes in this book call for extra large eggs and some for large eggs. It is preferable to use the specified size, but if you don’t have the correct size you can make do with what you have. It’s not going to affect your final result seriously. For the best results when baking, store and use your eggs at room temperature.
Place the egg in a glass of water. If the egg floats to the top, it is old. If it stays at the bottom of the glass, it is still fresh.
I always line the base of my cake pans and baking trays with greaseproof paper and grease them generously with butter. With muffin pans, it is not necessary to line the bases, just grease with butter.
I prefer to use digital scales for baking, as they ensure the most accurate reading when weighing ingredients. For good results where baking is concerned, accuracy is essential.
To ensure crisp, golden and glossy scones and pastry, brush with an egg glaze. I add 15 ml milk to one egg and whisk well. This mixture is enough to brush over a standard tart or batch of scones.
If you require castor sugar and have none in the house, here is an easy solution. Place granulated sugar into a food processor and pulse a few times. If you don’t have a food processor, spread sugar between two sheets of paper on a tray and roll with a rolling pin or empty wine bottle.
I am not a fan of silicone cake moulds. I find they don’t hold their shape and the cakes tend to come out a bit wonky. They also change the outside texture of cakes and aren’t true to tradition. If you like baking with them and that’s what you have in your kitchen, then by all means use them.
Keep your cakes and baked goodies in airtight containers in a cool place and they will stay fresh for at least 2 days.
I don’t like keeping my cakes in the fridge, as they tend to dry out. When a cake has been refrigerated it loses the light fluffy texture of a freshly baked cake. Freezing cakes is a great solution if you are pressed for time; you can simply bake your cake – let it cool, wrap it well in clingfilm and freeze. When you need it, remove from the freezer and let it defrost. Frozen cakes still taste fresh.
Slowly adding hot liquid to a cold mixture so that the egg in the cold mixture does not cook.
Heating a liquid to just below boiling point. When flavourants, such as vanilla pods or seeds or a cinnamon stick, have been added strain the liquid through a sieve before using.