Well, we’ve all experienced this. You decided to bake yourself a cake and you are halfway through when you realize you don’t have a key ingredient. Is there anything more frustrating than this? Probably not. It pisses me off, even more, when most of the batter fall right out of the bowl. I usually end up with more batter on the counter than in the bowl. Without realizing it, baking becomes a headache. But it doesn’t have to be this way, guys. If you want to improve your skills and reduce baking stress, I’d recommend that you keep reading.
Ripen bananas in the oven
If you are in the mood for banana bread but your bananas aren’t ripe enough, don’t worry. FoodNama has got your back. Put them inside an electric/gas oven at 300ºF for 30-40 minutes. I will also recommend that you get parchment paper to line the pan or foil will also do the job. This is done to avoid the mess created if some bananas leak. Once the bananas are ripe and soft, take them out of the oven and let them sit aside for 30 minutes. Afterward, use them to make your amazing banana bread! Thank me later :’)
Protect your brown sugar by throwing in a piece of bread
Once, I was about to bake cinnamon rolls for a friend when I saw that my brown sugar has gone bad. It made me really sad but that day my friend gave me a piece of advice that changed my life forever. So, the best way to keep your brown sugar fresh as day one is by putting a small piece of bread inside the sugar. I don’t know what exactly is the chemistry behind this but this hack has saved my brown sugar since that day. It remains soft and never gets gross, sticky, or moldy.
Split baking time in some recipes
I read this hack years ago in an article published by Alton Brown. He suggests that to make the best brownies, you have to split the baking time. So, bake your brownies for 15-20 minutes and then take them out and let them rest for another 20 minutes. Then, put them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes, and voila! You have the best brownies ready.
Make your own buttermilk
You never have to purchase buttermilk ever again if you master this trick. All you have to do is take 1 measuring cup and add milk to it. Then add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to it. Mix the two with the help of a spoon and let it sit for 5-7 minutes. This way you have buttermilk ready in less than 10 minutes at home. And fortunately, it does the job very well.
Place a towel under your mixing bowl
Who hates it when their mixing bowl keeps sliding from one place to another? The best trick is to place a wet towel underneath your bowl when you start whisking. I usually roll it in a long tube and then make a circle out of it and place the bowl in the center like it’s its nest.