8
9
(105°F–110°F [40-43C]) water and add a
pinch of sugar or flour from the recipe. If it
does not become foamy/bubbly in 5 to 10
minutes, the yeast may be “dead.” Start over
with fresh yeast from a new package.
COOKIE BAKING
• Use an ice cream scoop to measure out
cookie dough – this keeps the cookies
evenly shaped and uniform in size. We rec-
ommend ice cream scoops in several sizes
– #40, #50 and #60, as well as a larger one
(about
1
⁄
3
to ½ cup) for jumbo cookies. Ice
cream scoops are also good for filling muffin
tins. Use a #16 ice cream scoop to make
muffins or meatballs.
• To better maintain cookie shapes, put
scoops of cookie dough onto sheets of
waxed paper or plastic wrap on a tray and
chill before baking. Most cookie dough can
be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days prior to baking
– be sure to wrap well.
• Cookie dough may also be frozen. Shape
into individual cookies, double wrap and
freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before
baking.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper for
easy release and easy cleanup.
• Let cookies rest on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes
before removing them to a wire rack to cool.
This keeps cookies from wrinkling, crum-
bling or breaking.
• Cookies must cool completely before being
put into storage containers to ensure they
don’t get soggy or misshapen.
BREAD BAKING
• One ¼-ounce packet of yeast equals 2¼
teaspoons yeast.
• Using milk in place of water will produce a
softer crust.
• After baking, you can soften the crust, if
desired, by rubbing it with unsalted butter
soon after removing it from the oven. This
prevents it from drying out quickly.
• If a recipe calls for a specific type of flour,
use the flour recommended. If you do not
have bread flour, you can substitute un-
bleached, all-purpose flour, but your bread
may not rise quite as much.
• Do not use “lite” or tub margarines for bread
baking – they have different structures and
they do not work as well in baking.
• Vital wheat gluten is the dried protein taken
from the flour by eliminating the starch. It is
a good dough conditioner or enhancement
for yeast breads, especially for whole-grain
breads or when using all-purpose flour. If a
recipe specifically calls for vital wheat
gluten, we recommend that it be used for
best results.
• For 100% whole-wheat bread, use 1½
teaspoons vital wheat gluten per cup of flour.
• Lite salt can be used if it has both potassium
chloride and sodium.
• Many bread recipes have a “range” amount
of flour – start by using the lower end of the
range, then add more flour as needed to
produce a smooth, not sticky dough.
• Using too much liquid, or baking on a humid
day, can cause your bread to fall or wrinkle
on top.
• An instant-read thermometer is helpful to
have on hand when making bread. It can
be used to measure the temperature of the
liquid for proofing yeast, and for taking the
internal temperature of the baked bread.
• Liquid for proofing yeast should be between
105°F and 110°F (40-43C).
• Finished bread should have an internal
temperature of 190°F (88°C) enriched
breads, those that normally include eggs,
are done at a higher temperature, closer to
207°F [97°C]).
CAKE BAKING
• Have all ingredients and mixing bowls at
room temperature. Room temperature ingre-
dients incorporate and blend more easily.
• Fill pans immediately after mixing.
• Bake immediately after filling pans.
• Check for doneness at the beginning of the
time range given.
• Cool cakes in pans until cool to touch, and
remove from pans to completely cool on a
wire rack after baking.
• An offset spatula will make spreading
frosting easier than a knife or regular spatula.
EGG WHITES
• Egg whites at room temperature are best for
whipping. Bring to room temperature safely
by placing uncracked eggs in a bowl of
warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add a small amount of acid such as cream
of tartar, lemon juice or vinegar when whip-
ping egg whites to stabilize them and allow
them to reach their optimum volume and
stiffness. Use
1
⁄
8
teaspoon cream of tartar per
large egg white – or 1 teaspoon cream of
tartar per cup of egg whites (8 to 10 large).
• The time required to whip egg whites will
vary with the temperature of the egg whites,
age of egg whites, and temperature/humid-
ity of the kitchen. Keep a close watch while
whipping egg whites.
• In humid or damp weather, you may not get
the volume of whipped egg whites that you
do in drier, warmer weather.
• Place the room temperature egg whites in
the clean, dry mixing bowl. Attach the clean,
dry chef’s whisk. Start whipping the egg
whites on Speed 1 and gradually increase to
Speed 6 until foamy, and then gradually in-
crease to Speed 12. If egg whites are beaten
too rapidly in the beginning, their structure
will not be as stable and strong, and they will
not reach the volume that they should when
completely beaten. Over-beaten egg whites
will also separate or deflate in a meringue
topping.
• Timing when adding sugar to egg whites is
important. Add sugar slowly and gradually
to the whipped egg whites once they start
to foam. Always add sugar in a slow, steady
stream along side of bowl while egg whites
are being whipped – do not add sugar
directly to the center of the bowl on top of
beaten egg whites; doing this may cause
them to deflate.
• When whipping egg whites, they will at
first appear foamy or frothy. Then they will
become stiffer and start to hold their shape.
Next, soft peaks will form – this is when
the tips of the peaks fall when the whisk is
lifted up – soft peaks are often required for
mousses or soufflés. The next stage is me-
dium to stiff peaks. This is used for recipes
such as meringues – the whites will appear
dry, the peaks will hold their shape and the
whites will be shiny. The final stage is stiff
and dry. The whites will not be uniformly
white, but will appear speckled and they will
no longer be shiny in appearance.
• Beaten egg whites should be used imme-
diately after beating them. If they wait for
longer than 5 minutes, they will begin to
deflate and lose volume and structure. Egg
whites beaten with sugar or cream of tartar
are more stable and will last a little longer.
SANITIZING EGG WHITES
Take care when adding raw egg whites to
recipes that are not cooked or baked as there
is a chance they may carry harmful bacteria.
If you have a recipe that calls for raw egg
whites, you may wish to use powdered egg
whites or “sanitize” the egg whites by doing
the following:
• Put the egg whites, 2 tablespoons of
the granulated sugar from your recipe, 2
tablespoons water, and a pinch of cream
of tartar into the Cuisinart
®
mixing bowl
and stir until smooth.
• Put over a pan of simmering water and
stir constantly with a spotlessly clean
rubber spatula until the mixture registers
160°F (71°C) on an instant-read ther-
mometer – start checking the tempera-
ture after about a minute of stirring.
• When the egg white mixture registers
160°F (71°C), dry off the bottom of the
bowl and place it on the Cuisinart
®
stand
mixer. Insert the chef’s whisk. Continue
as directed in your recipe.
WHIPPING CREAM
The difference between heavy cream and
whipping cream is the butterfat content. The
higher the butterfat content, the more stable
the whipped cream. Heavy cream has a higher
