Baking Season is Here!

Indeed the cold weather has inspired me more to bake these days.  Hot food, mulled wine, cider, movies, and stoking the embers of a fireplace all sound really comforting and nurturing.  I am not sure what I want to bake next, but I got these great tips off the internet for a winning outcome:

 Use an oven thermometer -- ovens can by off by as much as 75 degrees. (Mine is almost 100 degrees off!)

 You'll get better volume from cakes if the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin mixing.

 Shiny pans are best for cake-making because they reflect the heat and produce cakes with tender crusts. If you use glass baking pans instead of metal, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

 Whenever a chocolate cake recipe calls for greasing and flouring the pan, grease it and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder instead.
 Before measuring sticky sweeteners such as honey or corn syrup, lightly coat the measuring cup or spoon with vegetable oil. The syrup will easily slip out.
 Don't open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking time. Sudden movement or temperature changes can cause a cake to fall.

So have fun this winter with old and new recipes and we'll see you back here with something delectable to share!