Kitchen Tips for You

Kitchen tips for you

• When a recipe calls for an egg, usually it is a large egg that they are referring to.
• Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk are two different products and cannot be used interchangeable in recipes.
• Sweetened condensed milk has a thicker consistency and its great for desserts because of it will not get sugary when heated and it will not form ice crystals in frozen desserts. also it thickens without heat when combined with an acidic juice, such as lemon, Orange, pineapple or apple. 
• for best results for bake cakes in the oven put in center in oven and do not open door until it is almost done. 
• If a cake is difficult to remove from pan, return it to warm oven for 30 to 60 seconds. then invert it into a serving plate or cooling rack. 
• Let cakes cool completely before icing or frosting. unless directions say otherwise. 
• Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen on a cookie sheet until firm. wrapped separately with plastic wrap and kept in the freezer. when they are ready for use, just thaw, frost and serve. 
• Use a wet knife to slice sticky, moist cakes and cheese cakes. Keep a tall glass of hot water handy to dip the knife before cutting. Wipe knife clean with a paper towel after each cut. 
• To prepare the perfect whipped cream. Chill the beaters, the cream and bowl before whipping the cream.
• To make it easier to grate chocolate, first place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• When whipping egg whites, make sure the beaters and bowl are free of greasy residue, or the white won't whip. 
• For more volume when beating egg white, let the whites stand to room temperature before beating. use a glass or metal bowl not plastic with a tapered bottom and wide top. Egg whites expand six times when beaten, so be sure the bowl is large enough. 
• To prevent yolks from mixing with the whites, separate the eggs in a small bowls before adding them to your large mixing bowl.
• Pasteurized eggs have been heated to a temperature that destroys disease producing bacteria but does not cook the eggs. These eggs are safe for eating without additional cooking. Each egg is marked pasteurized in carton.
• Nutmeg comes from the seed of a tropical evergreen tree native to the spice islands. The seed is covered in a lacy coating that is dried and ground into the spice called mace. Nutmeg can be purchased whole or ground. store nutmeg in a jar in a cool dark place.