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When boiling your mac and cheese, you can just put the Macaroni inside the boiling water for a few minutes.

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This used to be one of the first lessons in home economics classes; invariably white and pasty, it coated many a bland dish. When well made, however, it has a proper place in homey, creamed dishes, often making leftovers stretch or giving cooked foods new life. And it is important as a base for soufflés. The French term for this medium-thick white sauce is béchamel. The foolproof way to attain a perfectly smooth sauce is to have the milk hot when added to the butter and flour. It uses an extra pot, but as you become more proficient, this cautionary measure may not be necessary.

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You make roux by mixing the flour with a whisk and then cooking it at least long enough to eliminate the raw flour flavor (about three minutes).

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Roux (pronounced "roo") is a classic thickening agent for soups and sauces, with roots dating back more than 300 years in French cuisine. A good roux gives dishes silky-smooth body and a nutty flavor, and making it is easier than you think.

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How to Make Roux and Use It to Thicken Soups and Sauces

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Roux ("roo") is a thickening agent for soups and sauces with roots dating back more than 300 years in French cuisine. Here's how to make it, step-by-step.

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Simply put, the Muffin Method is a technique whereby two mixes are created: a mix of wet ingredients (eggs, soft or liquid fat, milk and sugar) and a mix […] 08/30/07 Baking Basics Mixing Methods The Muffin Method 1 Comment.

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No it's not some odd, pastry-based form of birth control. It's one of the simpler of the Big Five mixing methods, something every baker should know. Simply put, the Muffin Method is a technique whereby two mixes are created: a mix of wet ingredients (eggs, soft or liquid fat, milk and sugar) and a mix [...]

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Portion scoops, or dishers, come in a wide range of sizes and are handy for quickly dispensing uniform servings of cookie dough, muffin batter, potato salad, ice cream, and other soft, difficult-to-manage foods. The trouble is, it can be surprisingly hard to figure out what size the scoops actually are.

Manufacturers identify scoops in very different ways: by volume (listed in fluid ounces, tablespoons, or milliliters), by diameter, or, most commonly—and most confusingly—according to a numbered system unique to portion scoops. In this system, scoops are given numerical “sizes” based on the number of level scoops it would take to empty a quart. It would take twenty level scoops with a #20 scoop, for example.

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This restaurant-kitchen tool can make you a faster, more efficient home cook.

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cream together butter or margarine and white sugar. Add egg, vanilla and milk. Mix well.

Gradually add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Roll spoonfuls of dough in your hands and dip one end in colored sugar. Place on baking sheets and press top down with a glass. Bake for 12 minutes.

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My mother made these all year round, she would just change the color of sugar in which they were dipped. Consider putting a small amount of powdered drink mix (e.g.. Kool-Aid crystals) in white sugar to get different colors, and a little flavor. (Don't omit the sugar or the flavor will be too strong.

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Beat the butter for 1 minute add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs and mix for 1 minute. Add the flour and salt an beat for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl. Refrigerate dough for 1 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Oil mold with vegetable oil or spray. Dust mold with flour, then tap mold on side to remove any excess flour. Press dough into mold, scraping excess off with a knife so that dough is flush with the edge of the mold. Loosen edges and let dough fall onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from sheet.

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Maura

Original recipe yields 48 servings (2 -4 dozen)

Nutritional Information

1 Serving
Servings Per Recipe:
Amount Per Serving

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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Directions

1. Beat the butter for 1 minute add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs and mix for 1 minute. Add the flour and salt an beat for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl. Refrigerate dough for 1 to 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

3. Oil mold with vegetable oil or spray. Dust mold with flour, then tap mold on side to remove any excess flour. Press dough into mold, scraping excess off with a knife so that dough is flush with the edge of the mold. Loosen edges and let dough fall onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from sheet.

Reviews
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My review

I'm not sure how real sugar cookies are supposed to taste, but these tasted REALLY good especially out of the oven. It was easy to cut the cookies and none broke, but I froze the dough for about...

I'm a mother of two girls who are always wanting to make cookies so i decided to try this recipe with them and it was horrible!! This recipee just tasted like salt i recommend you DO NOT use thi...

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Maura Original recipe yields 48 servings (2 -4 dozen) 1 Serving Servings Per Recipe: Amount Per Serving * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients.

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A potluck staple, bar cookies (or bars) are made from a batter or stiff dough that is poured or pressed into a baking pan or baking dish, then baked, cooled and cut into bars, squares or diamonds. Bars can be single-layered (like brownies) or multi-layered – with cake-like or chewy textures. These cookies raise the bar on delicious.

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Baking 101 - Bar Cookies | QuakerOats.com

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A potluck staple, bar cookies (or bars) are made from a batter or stiff dough that is poured or pressed into a baking pan or baking dish, then baked, cooled and cut into bars, squares or diamonds. Bars can be single-layered (like brownies) or multi-layered - with cake-like or chewy textures.

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One of the best known uses for cream of tartar is for stabilizing egg whites while whipping them. A pinch of cream of tartar added while the whites are being whipped will strengthen the matrix of bubbles and help prevent the egg foam from collapsing too quickly. The tartar also helps to increase the volume of the egg foam and keeps them bright and white. Cream of tartar is also often added to baked products to help activate the alkaline baking soda. In fact, cream of tartar mixed with baking soda is what gives us baking powder.

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This is a question that has bugged us for quite some time! What is cream of tartar? Is it natural? What does it do? And please tell us it has nothing to do with the tartar that dentists talk about...

Ok, the good news first: cream of tartar is completely unrelated to teeth. Whew!

In fact, it's an acidic by-product from the process of making wine. It's found in the sediment left behind in barrels after the wine has been fermented, and it gets purified into the powdery white substance that we use in baking.

One of the best known uses for cream of tartar is for stabilizing egg whites while whipping them. A pinch of cream of tartar added while the whites are being whipped will strengthen the matrix of bubbles and help prevent the egg foam from collapsing too quickly. The tartar also helps to increase the volume of the egg foam and keeps them bright and white.

Cream of tartar is also often added to baked products to help activate the alkaline baking soda. In fact, cream of tartar mixed with baking soda is what gives us baking powder.

One more way cream of tartar gets used in the kitchen is when we're working with sugar. Where cream of tartar is a stabilizing agent for egg whites, a pinch added to boiling sugar is actually an interfering agent. The cream of tartar gets in the way of sugar's natural tendency to bind together and prevents those dreaded sugar crystals from forming.

Some sources say that white vinegar or lemon juice can be substituted for cream of tartar, but it can get tricky since you need more vinegar to get the same acidic reaction and that amount of added liquid could cause problems with the original recipe. We think it's best to stay with the real thing and keep it stocked in the pantry!

Related: Pantry Basics: What's the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder?
(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)

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This is a question that has bugged us for quite some time! What is cream of tartar? Is it natural? What does it do? And please tell us it has nothing to do with the tartar that dentists talk about... Ok, the good news first: cream of tartar is completely unrelated to teeth.

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Browning, or the Maillard reaction changes the flavor and the color of the food. Maillard reactions generally only begin to occur above 285°F.

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Temperatures during cooking -- The Maillard Reaction

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(Skip to 3:20 for Carmalization) Caramilization is when sugar molecules break down under high heat making something like caramel. Carmalization starts at 356 Degrees Fahrenheit.

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How to make the perfect cookies (according to science) - Stephanie Warren

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The creaming method is primarily used to cut fat, during creaming sugar crystals cut into the fat making air pockets, and it also raises it to make the food more puffy.