I find electric ovens to be the most reliable kind. Always preheat the oven to the required temperature and place the rack so that the article to be baked will sit in or just under the centre of the oven. The temperatures given here should work with both conventional and fan-assisted ovens, as the times are quite short. Browning tends to occur a little earlier in a fan-assisted oven. Cooking times are indications and what will work to the minute in one oven will need less or more time in another. That is why I always try to describe what to look for, such as colour, firmness, etc.
Other appliances (mixers, blenders and food processors) are discussed in Sweet-making Equipment on p.19.
See Sweet-making Equipment on p.19.
The most useful whisk in my kitchen is a balloon whisk. It allows a lot of air to enter whisked mixtures and is also the best instrument for folding dry ingredients into wet, keeping the mixture light.
Plain and serrated round cutters are useful for cutting out tartlets. Always wash and dry them well after use so that they do not rust. You may need to flour or dust them with icing sugar when cutting out sticky doughs and marzipan.
Each recipe specifies what kind of tin to use. Good-quality ones will not warp. Note that dark tins will cook faster than light or uncoated ones. Always prepare them as advised, even if they are non-stick.
Simple thin bamboo skewers or wooden toothpicks are best for testing for doneness. Special non-stick testers are useless, as their non-stick properties will prevent the batter from sticking to them, cooked or not.
If baked goods are not allowed to cool properly on a wire rack, they will go soggy from the condensation that builds up.