Nothing looks worse than a pasty, undercooked pie crust and yet there are lots of tips and tricks out there that tell you how to keep your pie crust from overbrowning. You don’t want the crust to burn around the edges, of course, but as far as I’m concerned, you want a pie crust to be a deep, rich golden color and to have a ... Read More »
Fresh fruit pies are great, but they’re best when they’re freshly baked. There isn’t always time to make a crust, assemble a pie, bake it and let it cool all before you want to serve it. After all, if you’re preparing it for a party, that adds quite a few steps to your preparation for the day! This begs the question, is it possible to ... Read More »
Creme brulee’s signature is that crisp, caramelized crust that sits atop the delicate custard. You make it by sprinkling on a layer of sugar, then caramelizing it with the flame of a kitchen torch. If you’ve made creme brulee, before you may have run into a common problem with this straightforward-sounding step. Sugar that is in too thin of a layer won’t caramelize into a ... Read More »
Today is the last day to submit baking questions to the Ask Aida show on the Food Network. So far, lots of great questions have been asked In case you need some inspiration, or are looking for a quick answer, take a look at some of the baking questions I’ve previously answered on Baking Bites: How to rotate multiple cakes while baking Why you need ... Read More »
Ginger is an incredibly versatile ingredient. Fresh ginger has that unmistakable bite to it and grates easily into sweet and savory dishes. Ground, dried ginger has a warmth to it that is unique, along with a mild flavor. My favorite kind of ginger is easily crystallised ginger, or candied ginger. Ginger is candied in the same way that orange peels and many other fruits are ... Read More »
I have two espresso machines (don’t ask why I have two – even I would say that you really only need one) and a regular drip coffee maker, so I have no shortage of caffeinated beverages in my kitchen. I still sometimes include instant coffee powder or instant espresso powder in my recipes, though, and am often asked why this is. Instant coffee powder is ... Read More »
When you’re reading through recipe instructions, particularly for baked goods, you probably come across the phrase “do not overmix” fairly often. The notion of “overmixing” can be confusing if you’re just getting into baking – after all, cookie dough is either mixed, or it isn’t, right? The final stage of making a cookie dough or cake batter often involves stirring flour, or a flour mixture, ... Read More »
“What do you call this?” Having cooked for many, many people – friends, family, acquaintances, etc – over the years, I have found that there are two types of people. Those who are into cooking will ask what is in a dish. Those who aren’t tend to ask me what it is called, instead. The first type of question is straightforward and easy to answer. ... Read More »
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