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FAQ

This page is always in development. More FAQs coming soon. If you have a question you want answered? Ask Away!

General Questions

What’s your favorite recipe?
There are definitely too many to choose from. I like all of them!

Do you have a Twitter? A Facebook Fan page?
I have both. Follow me @bakingbites on Twitter and “Like” Baking Bites on Facebook here.

What kind of camera do you use?
I currently use a Nikon D5000 for my photos, although I almost always keep my trusty little Canon PowerShot IS1400 on hand because I never know when I might need to photograph something when I’m out and about. The Nikon is very versatile, and fairly compact for a digital SLR, which is wonderful. I use a variety of lenses. The Canon is a nice point-and-shoot that gives you lots of scene/auto options and pretty good control over the manual settings, which is very helpful for taking food photos.

Is there a printable version of your recipes available?
Yes, there is. At the bottom of each post (on the post’s individual page) there is a “Print This Post” link. It takes you to a page like this one.

I just tried one of your recipes. Can I post about it on my personal blog? Is it ok if I reprint your recipe?
I’m thrilled that you tried a recipe and want to share it with your blog’s readers. I hope you took pictures of your results to give them the full effect! You can reprint the recipe on a personal blog, and I would very much appreciate it if you link back to Baking Bites as your source.

I write for a newspaper or corporate blog. Can I post/write about it? Is it ok if I reprint your recipe? Is it ok if I use one of your photos?
While I’m thrilled with the interest and love the fact that you want to share it with your blog’s readers, I tend to look at this more closely than personal blogs. Linking to me any time is wonderful, and always welcome. I would prefer if you don’t reprint my recipe unless you have tried it yourself and/or have sent me an e-mail to ask first. Reprinting a photo with a link to my post is fine, but I would appreciate it if you copy the photo and upload it to your own server, rather than linking directly from mine. I love to work with other sites and other publications, so please talk to me if you have any questions at all.

Do you have a privacy policy?
Yes, you can read it here.

Why didn’t you respond to my e-mail?
I get a lot of e-mail and, while I try to respond to everyone, I’m just not always able to do it in a timely fashion. Occasionally, my spam filter will even catch one or two before I get to them at all. I try to play catch up when I can, but if I haven’t gotten to your question, you can always resend it as a reminder!

How many cookbooks have you written?
I have written The Baking Bites Cookbook (& updated ebook), How to Make Frozen Yogurt, How to Make Ice Cream, How to Make Vegan Frozen Desserts and Tiki Drinks: Tropical Cocktails for the Modern Bar – with plans to do more.

Where else do you blog?
In addition to Baking Bites, I run several other blogs: coffee at Brewed Daily, cocktails at Modern Tiki and travel at Travels with Nic And Rob. I am also a regular contributor to the Craftsy blog!

Food and Recipe Questions

What is “ap flour”?
In some of my older recipes, I used “ap flour” as shorthand for “all purpose flour.”

Should I use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar when a recipe calls for brown sugar?
You can use either, or opt for the middle ground of golden brown sugar. Darker sugar will have a slightly stronger flavor, but there will not be a huge difference if you opt for one over the other. Choose your favorite or what you have on hand. If your store, or your area in general, only caries plain “brown sugar” with no dark/light modifiers, that is fine to use, too.

Does my brown sugar need to be packed?
Yes, it should be. Brown sugar is typically measured when packed because of the way that the sugar clumps together; it is inaccurate to scoop it, as you might do for regular sugar.

Should I use unsalted butter or salted butter when a recipe calls for butter?
I always bake with unsalted butter because the salt content of butter can vary from brand to brand and I don’t want my cookies accidentally coming out too salty. That said, it does not matter which type of butter you use for these recipes unless one type or the other is specifically called for.

What is room temperature butter? Do I need a thermometer?
Room temperature butter is not a specific temperature. It simply indicates that the butter should be soft enough for you to spread easily and, if you press it, to leave an indentation in a stick of butter with little resistance. It should not be melted or melting. Softened, room temperature butter is optimal for recipes that call for creaming.

How do I beat egg whites?
You can read about that here.

How do I make a flaky pie crust?
You can read about that here.

More baking and ingredient how-to posts can be found at this link.

Content Questions

Do you own all those pots, pans, books and foodie gadgets that you feature?
I have lots and lots of kitchen gadgets and cookbooks, but I don’t own every single item that appears on the site. If I did, I’d definitely need a much bigger kitchen. Mine is overflowing as it is because I do have a lot of stuff. For items I don’t already own, I check out and test all kinds of things at kitchen stores, bookstores, friends’/relatives’ houses, restaurants and anywhere else I find them. I love to see what new books and gadgets are out there and I love to share with readers. The posts that give the most in-depth looks at baking equipment and ingredients are tagged as reviews in the title. I am not paid to write any product reviews.

When you have a contest or giveaway, do you personally buy the items you put up as prizes, or are they supplied? By the way, you should have more giveaways!
Anything I give away on my site, such as a cookbook or specialty baking pan, has been purchased by me personally. In the event that an item has been supplied to me, I will disclose it in the post. I’m glad to hear that you like the giveaways. I will try to do them a bit more often!

Why are there no negative reviews of cookbooks?
I prefer to write only about books I like, or find appealing in some way, so I am very unlikely to spend time writing negative things. But just because I haven’t written about it, doesn’t mean it’s not a good cookbook. There are an awful lot of books out there and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get to all of them – not even all the ones already on my bookshelves.

Can I send you something to review?
Sure, though be sure to e-mail me first. I can’t guarantee I’ll write something up, but I love checking out new books and new baking-related products.