Spring Entertaining
The Introduction
The Essential Guide To Baking With Classic Ingredients
Simplicity at it’s finest– flour, sugar, leavening, eggs, butter & buttermilk– with these ingredient essentials in your kitchen, the possibilities are endless for making baked goods at a moments notice in order to celebrate a host of upcoming small gatherings ranging from graduations & bridal showers to birthdays & more. Whether you’re just beginning to learn how to bake or you’re a seasoned enthusiast, it’s important to have several common ingredients available in order to make preparations effortless. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a repertoire of classic, simple baked goods ideal to offer guests when hosting special gatherings with loved ones. I’ll show you how to highlight certain ingredients as common threads to your collection in an effort to make smart use of purchases, offer a pleasing, cohesive selection of recipes & show you that when in doing so, time in the kitchen may be streamlined. In the meantime, be certain your kitchen is stock with a few key pieces of equipment to make baking easy & fun.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{helpful advice}
How To Bake For Spring Entertaining
Most everything lovely that comes out of your kitchen, begins with planning & logistics. From curating the finest ingredients to making certain supplies are available to create a beautiful gift for someone dear to you, many tasks must be taken care of before baking can even begin. Create a list, place orders for items now & make a timeline.
The Essential Guide To Baking With Classic Ingredients
Spring parties are an opportunity to celebrate family & friendships with specially prepared baked goods that may be offered to guests. Use this refresher guide to be certain you’re on task with these helpful pointers.
No. 1
The Ingredient Staples
The most important task before baking can begin is being certain the proper ingredients are well stocked in your pantry & refrigerator. The average 4 pound portion of sugar yields approximately 9 1/2 cups while you can expect approximately 13 cups from a 5 pound bag of flour. Assess the items you plan to bake. Pound cakes use a large quantity of eggs & butter. Purchase pecans in bulk to make the smartest use of your budget. Any remaining nuts may be stored in the freezer for several months & used for a variety of recipes at a later date.
Brushing pans with melted butter not only helps in releasing cakes from tins but it aides in providing extra flavor to them. Check individual recipes to be certain you’re on task & if parchment paper is needed, do not skip the additional step of lining the pans.
Always use pure vanilla extract in recipes. Vanilla bean paste may often times be substituted for the beans to use in custards & sauces but just know they will be a little sweeter in flavor. Use a fresh batch of spices for cakes & cookies to ensure the best taste.
No. 2
The Tools & Equipment
Invest in quality bakeware at every turn. I prefer heavy, silver or gray pans for layer cakes yet thinner, sturdy pans for pound cakes as the bake time is often lengthy. Once you have a brand that performs well in your oven, don’t stray from it when replacements are needed.
The most popular time to reach for rolling pins is during baking designed for entertaining. In order to truly streamline time in the kitchen, I’ll be sharing recipes that do not use them. However, keep it close as there is a time & place for these essential pieces of equipment.
Microplane graters are wonderful for capturing citrus zest quickly while a mortar & pestle may be used to grind spices. Check local kitchen stores for these essentials & ask associates to guide you in choosing the best tool to complete the task you have in mind.
The Pan Essentials
Half Sheet Pans
These multipurpose, hardworking essentials may be used to make little cakes or dozens of irresistible cookies. The thick bottoms ensure the cookies brown & bake evenly. Use them for to deposit & retrieve items from ovens more easily, too. Invest in up to a half dozen & reserve several for just baking tasks. If you take care of them, your reward will be found in the goods produced from them.
Silicone Baking Mat
Although a silicone baking mat is not necessary for the items I’ll be featuring, it may be used in place of parchment paper. The choice is yours. Once items are baked, they release easily from the surface & withstand extremely high oven temperatures.
Parchment Paper
Pan liners are considered a true baker essential. Parchment paper is used not only to line cake pans but to cover half sheet pans when dozens of cookies are in order. Be certain to pick up several rolls to have on hand at a moments notice.
Springform Pans
Always invest in {9 to 10-inch} springform pans of quality with snug fitting sides & bottoms. To keep bakeware looking its best, remove items from the base & transfer to a serving platter for slicing into portions.
No. 3
The Logistics
Many cakes & cookies may be prepared in advance. I’ll guide you in how to store them until you’re ready to arrange them & offer to guests.
The Tune
“Our Love Is Here To Stay” Billie Holiday
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Be sweet.
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