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To cut food into cubes.

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To whisk something is to lightly and quickly beat/mix something to combine ingredients together. This picture shows the wire whisk being the utensil mixing the ingredients.

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This photo is another way to whisk.

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Boiling is heating a liquid to cook the food. The boiling point is 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius.

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Bechamel is one of the 5 mother sauces. It is made by a white roux combined with milk. The sauce is white and thick.

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A thickening agent used in soups and sauces to enhance and structure them. The roux is made from a mixture of fat and flour with equal proportions. The color goes darker as it cooks longer.

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The process which the yeast eats sugar, and releases gases like carbon dioxide to help spread your baked good.

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Saute means brown/fry quickly with a bit of fat.

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Parbake means to partially bake something in your baked good. You can bake it for some time, and then bake it again. You can also freeze in between.

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The Biscuit Method is cutting in fat into your biscuit mixture. The fat, (shortening or butter) would melt into your biscuit to give it a buttery coating and texture. This enhances the flavor of the biscuit.

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A special way of adding something to your mixture by using your pastry blender, or something else to mash the ingredient until it is into small pieces.

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Kneading is a special technique that includes your hands to press, stretch, and fold to evenly distribute  the yeast. This would help your breads rise.

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A pastry brush is used to glaze a pastry with the finishing touches, or to add flavor to your pastry.

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A pastry blender is a kitchen tool used to combine fat into your flour mixture to make your pastries. This tool helps make the batter into coarse crumbs.

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Fold in means that you use a spatula or a wooden spoon to pour in add-ins in your batter. It is also a similar term for "mixing". You use a spatula to scoop batter and drop. This step is to repeat until fully mixed.

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Folding your ingredients keeps baked goods light and fluffy, and prevents delicate ingredients from being crushed. Find out how with these simple tips!

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Streusel is the crumbly topping on top or layered in the pastry. It is made from butter, sugar, and flour.

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The sour cream enhances the flavor of your product. Sour cream helps balance the flavor with its sour, creamy, flavor. Sour cream helps moisture your pastry.

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The Muffin Method is a special way to make good muffins.
First, you preheat your oven to 380 degrees. Mix dry ingredients from the recipe into one bowl, and mix wet ingredients from the recipe into another bowl. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Next, mix in the add-ins. The next step is the most important: Just mix the batter for ten stirs, which is when your batter is just mixed; it is okay if the batter is lumpy. If you mix more, your muffins won't come out so good and shaped well.

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The cream of tartar is a powdery acid, used for making cookies. Its scientific name is potassium bitartrate. The cream of tartar helps give the structure to cookies and makes your cookies fluffier.

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Cream of tartar is one of those mystery ingredients you might have seen in your grandma's pantry without knowing what it's used for. After all, its name doesn't give you a clue-not like baking powder or baking soda. Yet just a touch of it makes a big difference in your baking and cooking. Here's what it is and how to use it in recipes, and even around the house. #multitasker

What is cream of tartar?

First of all, it's not creamy. It's a dry, powdery, acidic byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. Its sciency name is potassium bitartrate, aka potassium hydrogen tartrate or tartaric acid (hence the name). But you can find it in the spice aisle labeled as plain ol' cream of tartar.

What is cream of tartar for?

Adding a small amount of cream of tartar when you're beating egg whites-usually 1/8 teaspoon per egg white-speeds up the creation of foam and helps stabilize the structure of those miniscule air bubbles you're whipping up. In baking, this means mile-high meringue pies, melt-in-your-mouth meringue cookies, and angel food cakes that practically float off the plate.

Why is cream of tartar in snickerdoodle cookies?

It's what separates a tangy, chewy snickerdoodle from an ordinary cinnamon-coated sugar cookie. The acid in cream of tartar gives snickerdoodles their distinctive tangy flavor, and the chew happens because cream of tartar prevents sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing into crunchiness. Science!

How else is cream of tartar used in recipes?

When combined with baking soda, it becomes a leavening agent (the stuff that makes baked goods puff up in the oven) by producing carbon dioxide gas. If you ever run out of baking powder, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Add a pinch of cream of tartar to boiling vegetables to help them retain their bright, fresh color.

A pinch of cream of tartar also helps stabilize whipped cream to prevent it from deflating.

Make colorful, edible play dough!

What can I substitute for cream of tartar?

Use 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar to create the acidic effect of 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar in a recipe.

What is cream of tartar's shelf-life?

Cream of tartar keeps its freshness indefinitely, as long as you store it in a cool, dry spot. When in doubt, you can test it by looking at it and smelling it. It should look white and powdery, and it should smell mildly acidic.

How else is it used around the house?

Cream of tartar makes an effective non-toxic household cleaner all by itself or combined with other earth-friendly kitchen ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar. Try these ideas:

Metal polish: Add water to make a paste to polish stainless steel and aluminum. This also removes scratches on white bowls and plates caused by knives and forks.

Copper polish: Add lemon juice in a 1:1 mixture. Rub on, rinse off.

Poreclain sink, tub, toilet scrub: Add distilled white vinegar in a 1:1 solution.

All-purpose scrub: Add distilled white vinegar in a 4:1 solution (i.e., 1 cup vinegar to 1/4 cup cream of tartar). This also cleans stainless steel sinks like nobody's business.

Related

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Cream of Tartar: What It Is and How to Use It - Allrecipes Dish

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Cream of tartar is one of those mystery ingredients you might have seen in your grandma's pantry without knowing what it's used for. After all, its name doesn't give you a clue-not like baking powder or baking soda. Yet just a touch of it makes a big difference in your baking and cooking.

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The disher is an equipment used for scooping amounts of dough and squeezing them to make equal balls for pastries. Dishers come in many sizes.

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Refrigerated cookies have a high proportion of fat. The tight dough is formed into a long roll, about two inches in diameter. The roll is wrapped in foil/plastic wrap, and refrigerated until firm. When the dough is firm, it is cut into thin slices. The slices are placed on a lightly greased cookie sheet and baked. Famous refrigerated cookies are pinwheel cookies.

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Here are three types of icebox cookies. The cookies will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Click on SHOW MORE for recipe ingredients and baking guide.

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Bar cookies are made from soft dough. The dough is spread evenly into a jelly roll pan or square cake pan. Bar cookies come in a bar-shaped cookie. It really depends on the thickness of the dough, so that the texture could be chewy or cake-like. Cookies, after being baked, could be cut into squares, or many shapes.
Fun Fact: Brownies are popular bar cookies.

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Chewy and Fudgy Brownies- Everyday Food with Sarah Carey

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Best quality chocolate makes for best tasting brownies! Watch as Sarah Carey creates the ultimate chocolate brownie recipe with the perfect shiny and crackly crust. Get the recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/1165236/chewy-brownies Subscribe for more easy and delicious recipes: http://full.sc/P8YgBt --------------------------------------------------------------- Want more? Sign up to get the Everyday Food video recipe email, served daily.

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Please note, use 2 teaspoons of baking powder in this recipe, not baking soda*** See the recipe for The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies @ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/detail.aspx Watch how to make "miraculous" 5-star sugar cookies. In this video, you'll see how to make a top-rated sugar cookie recipe.

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Rolled cookies are made from a stiff, tough dough. They are rolled on a board or a pastry cloth to a certain thickness.(From 1/8 to 1/4 inch) These cookies are cut out with a cookie cutter and placed on cookie sheets.
Fun Fact: Sugar cookies are popular rolled cookies.

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This tutorial answers all your questions about making the perfect sugar cookies from how to measure the flour, to how thick to make the dough. Like this recipe? to get recipes delivered to your inbox!
It's that time of year again. As soon as October hits, it's practically already Christmas. Normally I try to send out packages of baked goods to family and friends, but this means I need extra room in my freezer, a lot of butter, and some patience.

I love making sugar cookies, but I have to admit, about half way through decorating them, I'm kinda over it. It's a lot of work and it's quite messy. But I still love it.

When I was a kid, I looked forward to decorating sugar cookies every year! I helped my mom cut out all the shapes and roll the dough. My brother and I would wait patiently for her to make all the frosting colors and then we would sit down and decorate them together.

Let's be real, the best parts are eating the cookies (or the dough!). I love the cookies with sprinkles. I know, shocker, right? Almost all of my cookies are decorated with buttercream, I am not really a fan of royal icing, but I do love the look of royal icing. Lucky for you, part two of this post will be some tips and tricks to decorating with buttercream.
Tip #1: Start your dough with cold butter.
Today let's talk about Tip and Tricks for Perfect Sugar Cookies. It's going to be messy. Have a glass of hot chocolate or wine on hand and let's get through a few of these helpful hints together.
Tip #2: Measure out dry ingredients if possible
If your butter is too soft, then your dough will be softer and you will have to refrigerate the dough for longer. I like to take my butter out of the refrigerator and soften it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds max. It takes longer to soften in the mixer, but once you mix it with the sugar, it will be good to go.

One of the reasons your cookies are too dry or crisp may be because you added too much flour to your dough. I have an inexpensive scale that I use to measure out my flour and my sugar by weight. If you can sift your flour, that's even better.
Tip #3: Don't over mix!
Helpful tools: Sifter , Digital Kitchen Scale
Tip #5: Don't skip out on the refrigeration time
You aren't making a frosting that needs to be whipped to perfection. Beat your dough at a low-speed until the flour is incorporated. This is a common tip for any baked good. Don't try to mix in the dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. You don't need it! Since you will be handling the dough as you roll it out, you don't want it overworked from the start. It will result it tougher or drier cookies.
Tip #6: A well-floured surface
A good dough needs at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator. This allows the dough to stiffen, which in turn makes it easier to roll out. The good thing about sugar cookie dough is that you can actually prepare it in advance and freeze it!

I always use a silicone baking mat or a large piece of parchment paper (and I tape down the corners). I use a handful of flour on top of the parchment paper, because as your roll out the dough, it will absorb the flour and prevent the dough from sticking to the parchment paper. BUT, after I cut the shapes out and transfer them to a baking sheet, I use a pastry brush to brush away any excess flour. I bake my cookies on a silicone baking mat (preferred) or parchment paper.
Tip #7: Roll out the dough in small batch
Helpful tools: Parchment Paper , Silicone Baking Mat

Your dough may need about 10 minutes to rest after you take it out of the refrigerator. Pack and roll it into a disc. It is always easier when you have a manageable amount of dough. I recommend about a softball size or less. You can roll it out two, maybe three times before it get's too soft.
Tip # 8: Flatten, Roll and Rotate
Helpful tools: Rolling Pin

I treat my cookie dough like I treat a pie crust. Slightly flatten the dough in the center, flip it over and rotate to flatten the other edges and continue this process 2-4 times until the dough starts to thin out. This also allows you to see if you need more flour on the surface. Always roll from the center to edge.
Tip #9: Test the cookie dough
Once my dough becomes to soft, after I roll it out 2-3 times, I set any leftover dough aside, and wait until the end to use it again. All those leftover scraps make a lot of good cookies! It just becomes difficult to mix cold dough with soft dough.
Tip #10: Thicker is always better
This one is just for fun. I always say the total yield of my recipe will vary on how much cookie dough I eat. Eat the cookie dough at your own risk, I know some of you are probably thinking I'm crazy, but that's ok.
Tip #11: Use your space wisely!
I don't know about you, but I like a good thick sugar cookie that is still soft! I roll out my dough quite thick because when I eat a sugar cookie, I don't want just the frosting. If your dough is thinner on the edges, don't use it. Roll it into the next batch

I lay out my cookie cutters over my dough until I don't have any more room left. I just want to be efficient with my space. I have some mini cookie cutters. I love these mini cookies because when I give away plates of cookies, I use these to fill space, usually unfrosted. Or sometimes I send a little container of frosting a long with it and then it becomes Dunkaroos. Do you remember Dunkaroos? The best.

Helpful tools: Mini Cookie Cutter , 3-Piece Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter Set

Do you have a cookie that is sticking to the edges? I have seen some people recommend sticking the cookie cutter in flour, but I usually don't do this. Instead I just give the cutter a gentle wiggle to get the cookie cutter out.
Tip #13: Know your dough!
If the dough comes out sticking to the cookie cutter, I hold my cookie cutter over my sheet pan and tap my wrist until the dough comes out. If the cookie is ruined, just put it back into your soft dough and re-roll it.
Tip #14: Keep it moving
It can take a while to find the right dough, the one that works for YOU. Know how much your dough will rise after it bakes. This way, you will know how far apart to place your cookies on the baking sheet, what is the right baking time and how to store them.

I only bake one tray at a time, on the top shelf. If I bake 2 trays at a time, my dough doesn't bake the same. Yes, it is slower. But we are talking about making perfect cookies right?
Tip #15: Slightly under baked
Helpful tools: Wilton Recipe Right 3 Piece Cookie Pan Set

If the edges of my cookie start to brown, they are over cooked. The recommended baking time on my cookie dough is 10-12 minutes. I always bake it for 9 minutes, because as the cookie cools, it is still sitting on a hot pan.

Once one pan goes in the oven, I have another one ready to go. Always keep it moving. It does help things go faster.
Tip # 16: Bake ahead and freeze
Helpful tools: 3-Tier Cooling Rack

Once my cookies are completely cooled, I freeze them on a sheet pan, and once frozen, I transfer them to a freezer-safe container. When I want to pull some out to frost and serve, I thaw them flat on a baking sheet.

Now I would love to hear from you! What are some tips and tricks that work for you?? I've shared my Nana's sugar cookie when I made these Flower Pot Sugar Cookies for Mother's day and this is the cookie recipe we have made since we were kids.
This post is sponsored by Wilton. I only works with brands I love and use. Keep up with all the happenings. Follow Beyond Frosting: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Bloglovin | Google+ Don't miss a thing, subscribe at the end of this post! Visit Beyond Frosting's profile on Pinterest.
Stay tuned for part 2 where we are going to talk about decorating with buttercream!
This post does contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase something from this post, I earn a small commission. The money earned from affiliate links helps support the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support!

Flower Pot Cupcake Sugar Cookies

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Tips & Tricks for Perfect Sugar Cookies - Beyond Frosting

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This tutorial answers all your questions about making the perfect sugar cookies from how to measure the flour, to how thick to make the dough. Like this recipe? Subscribe to get recipes delivered to your inbox! It's that time of year again. As soon as October hits, it's practically already Christmas.

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Dropped cookies are made from a soft, smooth dough. The dough is dropped from a spoon/disher, and put unto cookie sheets. Leave about 2 inches of space between cookies.
* Dropped cookies will spread out more than rolled cookies.*
Fun Fact: Chocolate chip cookies are popular dropped cookies.

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Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Drop Cookies - Everyday Food with Sarah Carey

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Sarah takes the beloved chocolate chip cookie to a higher stage of delicious with this incredible Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Drop Cookie. Try dipping one in a warm and well whipped cappuccino and enjoy! Recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/964683/chocolate-toffee-oatmeal-drop-cookies Subscribe for more easy and delicious recipes: http://full.sc/P8YgBt More Sweet Treat Recipes: http://full.sc/Q9cvnf --------------------------------------------------------------- Want more?

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Pressed cookies are made from a very rich, hard dough. The dough is packed into a cookie press(this is a tool that makes different shapes) and pushed through discs onto cookie sheets. The cookies vary in size and shape. For example, Swedish Spritz cookies are made with a cookie press.

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This is a how-to video showing the viewers how to make spritz cookies - chocolate spritz cookies to be exact.

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There are many types of cookies and how to make them. Molded cookies are made from stiff dough. Small pieces are teared from the dough, and rolled/shaped with your fingers. This video is molding using pan shapes.
Fun Fact: Crescent and small balls are the most common shape for molded cookies.

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Making Molded Almond Cookies for my family's Christmas!

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These cookies are a must at every family Christmas gathering! Here's how to shape them, and to get the recipe, go to http://www.feastofedencooksathome.com/holiday-recipes-2016/molded-almond-cookies

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The Maillard Reaction happens to your everyday foods, such as potatoes; meat, like bacon; and cookies.

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The Maillard reaction (pronounced "my-yard") is a culinary phenomenon that occurs when proteins in meat are heated to temperatures of 310 F or higher, causing them to turn brown. Named for the French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard who discovered the process at the start of the 20th century, the Maillard reaction is similar to the process of caramelization, where carbohydrates like sugar turn brown when heated.

While caramelization is not the identical chemical process as the Maillard reaction, the effects are visually very similar. You probably know it by the colloquial term " browning."

What the Maillard Reaction Does to Food

Many popular foods owe their roasted umami flavor to the Maillard Reaction. Many popular foods undergo this culinary phenomenon during cooking. Here's a small list of the taste we owe to this chemical reaction.

Chocolate

Coffee Roasting

Browning of meats

The dark brown crusts of bagels, pretzels, and toast

Malted barley found in wheat beers

Black garlic

Condensed Milk

Golden brown color of french fries

Using the Maillard Reaction

The Maillard reaction is the principle behind the browning of meat when it is seared as a prelude to braizing it. This process creates a thick, dark-brown crust on the surface of the meat that enhances its appearance and flavor, and can only be produced by high-temperature, dry-heat cooking techniques.

One of the prerequisites for obtaining a dark brown crust on your meat is ensuring that it is dry before putting it in the pan. If it's too wet, the moisture will cook off, forming steam, which interferes with the browning process and tends to produce a gray exterior rather than brown. You'll want to make sure that you ​ get your pan very hot before adding the meat.

A cast-iron skillet (like this one) is excellent for browning meat because it gets very hot and maintains its temperature very well.

Doctor Louis Camille Maillard

In 1912, a French chemist named Louis Camille Maillard was attempting to synthesize biological protein synthesis. He published a paper explaining how amino acids react to sugars when heated; this reaction would become known as the Maillard Reaction. Along with being a chemist, Maillard was a physician specializing in kidney diseases. For many years the Maillard Reaction was mostly studied for its culinary, delicious as that is, researchers are now finding medical applications for it as well.

Maillard Reaction in the Human Body

Scientists have found that the Maillard reaction also occurs naturally in the human body. It is a step in the production of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), where proteins or lipids in the body bond to sugars. These AGEs affect nearly every cell in the body. Doctors have found a correlation between the production of AGEs and many diseases. In particular, it seems to correlate to degenerative eye disorders and some diabetic complications. Doctors think that the suppression of this reaction may have medical value.

Research is ongoing to discover all the medical implications of this interesting chemical reaction.

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What is the Culinary Process Known as the Maillard Reaction?

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The Maillard reaction (pronounced "my-yard") is a culinary phenomenon that occurs when proteins in meat are heated to temperatures of 310 F or higher, causing them to turn brown. Named for the French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard who discovered the process at the start of the 20th century, the Maillard reaction is similar to the process of caramelization, where carbohydrates like sugar turn brown when heated.

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This reaction is due to the chemical response of amino acids and reduced sugars that give browned food(mostly cooked by caramelization) its recognizable color. (Note: This is not only for cookies)

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Why the Maillard Reaction Makes Everything Delicious

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This is a long explanation of caramelization!

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This process is the browning of  sugar, which the sugar produces a nutty flavor and brown color.

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Master this technique with our foolproof tips.

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Creaming Video

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Master this crucial first step to baking.

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The Creaming Method is used to make light and fluffy desserts. The Creaming Method is whisking or mixing ingredients to create air bubbles in the mixture. This is when the mixture is light and fluffy. So, when you hear the word "creaming", it means beating ingredients together to form a texture that would help the cookies bake in the oven. There are many ways to cream ingredients together.