Interesting cooking tips

INTERESTING COOKING TIPS.

 

1. When testing cakes, Mum used to use a fine straw rather than a metal skewer.  A metal skewer leaves a mark, whilst a fine straw is more accurate than a metal skewer.

She used to run her fingers along the straw for traces of mixture. She used to know whether then cake was cooked  if tiny soft balls formed.

 

2. If a fruit cake is overcooked, you can sprinkle brandy or sherry over it., wrap in paper and store in airtight container with a ripe apple.  She used to replace the apple every few days.

 

3. When cooking rich cakes, especially fruit cakes, line the cake tin with brown paper or baking paper to absorb butter and flavour during cooking.  As cake cools, it reabsorbs.

 

4. A small container of water placed in oven when cooking rich cakes will prevent the cake from drying.

 

5. Never overheat butter and sugar as it reduces volume. If the mixture curdles when adding eggs, add a little flour.

 

6. White spots on top of cooked cake indicated sugar was not properly dissolved when creaming with butter.

 

7. To make a marble cake, divide a plain cake mixture in half.  Colour one portion with cocoa.  Drop spoonfuls of our one colour into corners and centre of pan.  Spoon other colour into space and swirl knife through mixture.  Use food colour for any combination of colours you fancy.

 

8.Always have ingredients at room temperature especially eggs and butter. You can soften butter in a microwave but be aware that very soft or melted butter alters a cooked cake texture.