“I’m not a baker — I don’t bake! The
biggest thing for me is that I always like to look for simple, easy kinds of tricks when it comes to baking a
dessert,” chef Corbin Tomaszeski tells Lifestyler.
Check out his tips,
courtesy of Carolans Irish
Cream,
on how to make the most from your baking.
Tip 1
—
Always garnish with things that are already in the recipe. E.g. using white chocolate shavings for the white
chocolate mousse.
Tip 2
—
If you are making bars that call for peanuts and you have a guest with allergies, you can easily replace the
peanuts with rice cereal, dried cherries, et cetera.
Tip 3
—
Don't have enough cookie sheets? No problem — turn a baking pan upside down and drop the cookie dough on the
bottom.
Tip 4
—
Store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread. The moisture from the bread will keep your
cookies soft and fresh. This tip also works well with brown sugar as the bread prevents it from
hardening.
Tip 5
—
Cookie Cutter Trouble? Dip the cookie cutter in slightly warm vegetable oil. It will give you a much cleaner
cut. This works well with plastic cookie cutters.
Tip
6 — Never reuse hot cookie sheets. When you throw another batch of cookies on the
sheet and place it back in the oven, this causes the next batch of cookies to burn on the bottom. Always cool
sheets in between batches. If you’re in a hurry, run cool water on the back of the cookie
sheet.
Tip 7
—
To keep cake from cracking when baked, avoid overbeating. Too much air in the batter causes cracking when
baking. Also, add a beaten egg slowly to the batter to prevent the batter from becoming too
stiff.
Tip 8
—
If the top of your cake is browning too quickly, place a pan of warm water on the rack above the cake while
it is baking in the oven. Or simply cover it with aluminum foil.
Tip 9
—
Is a toothpick too short to check for doneness? Well… try using a raw long spaghetti
noodle.
Tip 10
—
If your cake seems to be sticking to the pan or it seems like it’s about to split when trying to take it out
of the pan, just hold the pan over a low flame for five to eight seconds and the cake will come out nice and
firm.
Tip 11
—
For the flakiest upper pie crust, just brush the top crust lightly with a beaten egg before baking. It’ll add
a nice colour and flavour to the crust.
Tip 12
—
Don't have any frosting at all? No problem. Just add a big marshmallow to each cupcake two minutes before
taking them out of the oven! •
To put these baking tips to good use, try out some of these recipes.
Photo Courtesy: Carolans Irish
Cream
