#baking

#baking

I think a long enough time has passed since the heyday of Sara Lee to concede the magnificence of the OG BFG: that towering torte of cherry brandy-soaked chocolate sponge, cherries and whipped cream whose name nods to the German Schwarzwalder's many cherry trees and the black, white and red of its traditional dress. It's also a very simple bake, because the show-stopping bit is all in the assembly.

In an effort to find the best pre-made pie crust available, I went on a quest to gather as many as I could get my hands on, test them, and rank them. The following ranking takes into consideration flavor, texture, structural soundness, and how evenly the crust baked - to test all of them, I made a batch of mini apple tarts and performed a blind taste test.

European dairy gets a lot of kudos, which goes double or triple in the highly finessed world of European butter. Reasons are nuanced from one producer to another, but it often comes down to high butterfat content, live cultures, slow churning, and animal feeding practices, which can differ considerably from most American-made butters. Then, in a category all its own, lies the highly coveted French butters. Hailed by professional chefs and home cooks alike, it's especially transformative if you love good bread -

The upcoming season of The Great British Bake Off features Iain Ross, an amateur powerlifter from Coleraine, Co Derry, as a contestant competing for star baker.

The average weights for egg sizes are: large eggs at about 2 ounces, medium at 1.75 ounces, small at 1.5 ounces, extra-large at 2.25 ounces, and jumbo at 2.5 ounces.

Cinnamon can be added to foods and drinks in both whole and powdered form, with powdered cinnamon preferred for baking and dessert recipes.

Crumbl cookie menu rotates, but one item remains, and that's the chocolate chip cookie. It's on the menu every single week, alternating between milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Saleratus, an obsolete leavening agent from the 1800s, was made from bicarbonate of potash and became a staple for pioneers, eventually replaced by baking soda.

Lemon bars are tart, tangy, and sweet, perfectly balanced with a shortbread crust and can be enhanced with a layer of canned cranberry sauce for added flavor.

Homemade bagels taste better than grocery store-bought kinds, which are often more dense and bread-like, but making them is a lot of work.

Jesse's no-knead Cheddar Jalapeño Loaf features bold orange chunks of cheddar and a hint of jalapeño heat, making it a fun and delicious baking project for friends and family.

Sour cream is best when gently warmed or added at the end of cooking to hot dishes, as high heat can cause it to separate and curdle.

"Sugar helps with moisture, browning, and tenderness of our baked goods. It binds ingredients together, without drying them out."

To satisfy everyone, I've filled these doughnuts generously with a thick vanilla custard and a speedy strawberry jam.

Jam circles are a simple, yet delicious dessert made from hollowed-out canned cinnamon rolls filled with jelly or jam, creating a spiced jelly donut feel.

Chocolate meringue pie is a diner classic, combining a flaky crust with rich chocolate pudding and a light, airy meringue that resembles toasted marshmallow.

Toll House offers several cookie dough flavors, which vary in texture and taste when baked. Among them, peanut butter chocolate chip ranked lowest.

Duncan Hines' Perfectly Moist red velvet mix creates a visually appealing product with an adequate rise and a moist, spongy interior that resembles a sea sponge.

Using an air fryer is an effective method to ripen bananas quickly, taking only about eight minutes. The bananas should retain their peels during this process.

The base is an incredibly light genoise sponge that's topped with a layer of jelly, allowing for creativity in flavor selection.

Willis Johnson patented a game-changing solution: hand-cranking rotary egg beaters. This invention changed at-home baking for good and was registered in 1884.

Sage, particularly fresh, has a nuanced flavor ideal for biscuits. Both fresh and dried can be incorporated into the dough by mixing with dry ingredients.

Baking a basic layer cake requires finesse for proper proportions, making leveling necessary to avoid waste. Leftover cake scraps can transform into delicious desserts, like whoopie pies.