Tips & Techniques

You’ve made the same cake many times, yet you wonder why sometimes it’s great and at other times not so great. You have used the same ingredients, carefully measured, used the same cake pan, and baked in the same oven. Well, just maybe, what you didn’t take into account is “temperature”. Not the temperature of […]

There are actually three types of butter: salted, sweet and European. The question is which type is best for baking. It is a matter of opinion, but I am in the camp of sweet (unsalted) butter. In order to meet the requirements of the USDA, all butter, salted or not, must have a butter fat […]

Fossil records show that rose species have existed for around 40 million years. People have been using roses for medicinal, cosmetic and culinary purposes for about 5000 years. There are many historical accounts dating back as far as Mesopotamia, and 10th Century Persia. The actual distillation of oil extraction wasn’t until the late 15th early […]

The history of scales goes back to the beginning of time. Relics of the balance scale have been found dating back to 2000 BC. The spring action scale was in use around 1770 and since 1970 we have had the digital kitchen scale. You might ask, why use a scale rather than cups and teaspoons. […]

Dutch Cocoa Powder vs. Natural Cocoa Powder First, the Dutch (also referred to on some labels as European style) is darker. Second,  during the roasting portion of turning cocoa beans into cocoa powder, the Dutch process is treated with an alkali solution.  This leaves you with a smoother, mellow and less acidic powder.  The Natural, […]