Baking Resources: FAQ’s for Baked Goods

Use light-colored, aluminum cookie sheets to reflect even heat during the baking process. Dark cookie sheets conduct more heat off the surface, which may burn or darken on the edges before they are fully cooked through.
For even browning, place only 2 cookie sheets in the oven at the same time. Place the cookie sheet horizontally and rotate them halfway through the baking process. To rotate, spin the cookie sheets around 180° and swap the cookie sheets from top to bottom and vice versa.

For even browning, place only 2 cookie sheets in the oven at the same time. Place the cookie sheet horizontally and rotate them halfway through the baking process. To rotate, spin the cookie sheets around 180° and swap the cookie sheets from top to bottom and vice versa.

Scoop out cookie dough and put straight into the oven and use parchment paper and scoop cookie dough and put them right into the oven as it will create more spread.

Chill the batter and bake on Silpat baking mat and bake on Silpat baking mat to ensure less spread.

Add vodka or white vinegar to keep the crust flaky, it also prevents shrinking during baking. Work quick to keep all ingredients as cold as possible. Put the assembled pie in the fridge for about 15 minutes prior to baking to ensure the crust from shrinking. Cover crust with pie protector or foil to make sure the filling is cooked through but that the crust doesn’t burn.

Yes. When using frozen fruit, do not thaw before adding it to the pie filling or it can make the pie watery and mushy. Its easy to pre-make homemade pie filling after you pick or harvest fresh fruit in season. Follow the USDA canning procedures or store in freezer safe containers or ziploc bags.

To prevent a soggy crust, dust the bottom crust with a thickening agent and brush with an egg wash. Use a ceramic or glass pie plate, which conduct slow, even heat. Brush the entire pie with egg wash sprinkled with course sanding sugar.

To make the lattice pattern, cut strips of dough, weave into pattern on top of a piece of parchment paper. Chill until use, and lay the pattern on the top of the filling.

Yes, but do not thaw the blueberries before adding them to the dough. Thawed berries release liquid and can turn the batter blue. Before adding blueberries into your batter, toss them into a little bit of flour or cornstarch and fold in by hand.

Yes, you can use a combination of butter, to add flavor, and oil, to yield a tender, moist baked good. Combine them together using equal portions of each to make up the full amount of fat originally called for in the recipe. Choose an oil that is has a neutral, light flavor, such as canola oil or extra light virgin olive oil.

Let batter rest for about 15 minutes before scooping into muffin liners. This will hydrate the flour and help it rise.
Aluminum muffin pans are best to conduct even heat. Unless you are using a tulip muffin liner, spray the entire pan lightly spray the muffin pan to prevent the muffins from sticking. For bakery style muffins, fill your muffin liners at least 3/4 of the way full to ensure they will rise above the liner when baked.

Combine butter to provide flavor, along with oil to yield a tender, moist baked good. If your recipe calls for only butter or only oil, you can combine them together using equal portions of each to make up the full amount of fat originally called for in the recipe. Choose an oil with a neutral, light flavor, like extra light virgin olive oil or canola oil.

Always use light-colored aluminum baking pans since they conduct heat evenly. Dark cake pans may darken or burn the edges before the inside batter is fully baked.

Right after you pull your cake from the oven, cover the cake pan with a baking sheet and let cool for about 5 minutes so that the steam doesn’t escape. Then turn the cake out onto a piece of parchment paper and wrap or cover right away in saran wrap to seal in moisture. If not using right away, place in freezer (even for one day) to lock in moisture.