Most bakers will tell you that exacting measures are the key to a perfectly cooked result. In culinary school baking class, we used scales that measured to the hundredth of an ounce. We have a little secret that will save you some time in weighing out three ingredients: milk, water and eggs. Each of these ingredients weigh equal to the amount of their volume. In other words, a fluid ounce of water weighs one ounce on a scale.

A PINT, A POUND THE WORLD AROUND…MILK, WATER, EGGS!

Making caramel sounds so intimidating and kind of scary (with all that molten hot sugar), but it doesn’t have to be.  Here is a quick, easy and safe way to make caramel.

What you need:  1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Here’s the drill:  Pour the milk into a double boiler or in a stainless steel bowl placed into a saucepan filled with water.  Bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to low.  Cover and cook on low for 60-90 minutes.  Stir the milk occasionally.  You will know it is ready when it is thick and a nice caramel color.  Remove from the heat and beat until smooth.

If that’s not easy enough for you, this caramel can also be made in the microwave!!  Just place the milk into a microwave safe bowl.  Heat on medium power 4 minutes.  Give it a good stir. Heat again at medium-low power 8-12 minutes more.

Once you’ve mastered this caramel, check out our recipe for Millionaire’s Shortbread to utilize it in a delicious holiday treat!

It is holiday cookie making time again.  Here are your holiday baking tips!

*After mixing your cookie dough, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.  This allows gluten to relax and the butter to solidify.

*This seems obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how often people don’t Preheat the oven!

*Baking cookies on a silicone mat (like Silpat) will help with sticking.  Of course you can always use parchment paper but a reusable silicone mat is a little friendlier to the environment.

*Once your cookies are baked, cool them on a wire rack.  Air circulation above and below the cookies will slow carry-over cooking.

*Store your cookies in an airtight container.  Each layer of cookies should be separated by a piece of wax paper.

*If you are planning to ship your treats, freeze them before shipping. They will stay intact and fresher longer.

Holiday baking season is here!!!

Although the use of fresh vanilla beans does enhance the flavor of baked goods, they can get pretty pricey.  Online deals for whole Madagascar vanilla beans provide a lower price for buying in bulk but, even then, they come out to over a dollar each.  So if you are going to splurge on whole vanilla beans for your holiday baking, at least get the very most out of them you can.

*Once you have split the bean pod and scraped the seeds out to use in your baked product, place the seed pod into a zip-top bag with enough granulated sugar to cover.  After a few days, this sugar will be vanilla scented and flavored.

*You can make your own vanilla extract - 1 cup of vodka and 3 split and scraped vanilla beans left in an airtight container for 2 months will produce the tastiest vanilla extract!  The darker it gets, the more flavor it will have.

To get the greatest volume when frothing egg whites, leave the whites out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before.