Emails are nice, but you can't 'attach' a box of cookies to your mail. So if you're baking cookies for relatives and friends, and can't hand deliver them, you've got to resort to old-fashioned mail. Luckily there are many cookies that can survive the distance and taste just as good as they were the day you baked them. Here are essential tips for mailing cookies that won't end … [Read more...] about Tips for mailing cookies
baking
How do I get chewy brownies?
A lot depends on the recipe. But as a general rule try to get more liquids into the recipe (like corn syrup -- just reduce the sugar) and fats (like butter). Take out the brownies before they're completely cooked and then let them cool. … [Read more...] about How do I get chewy brownies?
Do I need to adjust the cookie recipe if I live in high altitudes?
Above 3,000 feet the atmospheric pressure becomes lower, liquid boils quicker and evaporation is faster. This means flavor, especially among sugars, become more intense. In concrete terms your chocolate chip cookie may become flatter and sweeter if you bake it on a high mountain than on sea level. To help adjust for this, reduce the quantity of fat or increase the quantity of … [Read more...] about Do I need to adjust the cookie recipe if I live in high altitudes?
Can I substitute cake flour for all purpose flour?
Most recipes all for all purpose flour which you can buy bleached and unbleached. Don't use cake flour unless the recipe says that it is an acceptable substitute. Cake flour contains less gluten and is more powdery, and tends to produce a lighter cookie. If you only have cake flour subtract two tablespoons of cakeflour from each cup called for by the recipe. … [Read more...] about Can I substitute cake flour for all purpose flour?
Basics of making bar cookies
Bar cookies are a great 'first recipe' for someone who's baking for the first time. They're one of the easiest cookies to make, in terms of preparation: you just pour the cookie dough into the pan, and shove it in a preheated oven. Even now, after more than a decade of baking, I prefer making bar cookies when I'm tired or running short on time. I don't have to shape the … [Read more...] about Basics of making bar cookies