Ready to start your holiday baking? Baking experts advise using quality ingredients and measuring carefully. Use soft, not melted butter or margarine—unless the recipe says to melt. Preheat your oven. Use the suggested pan size. Follow doneness advice. Cool on a rack.
Experiment for nutrition. The results may differ from what you’re used to.
- For more fiber
Go 50-50. Use half white flour, half whole-wheat flour.
Add fruit or nuts: dried berries, currants, apricots, apples, papaya, dried plums (prunes); and almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, peanuts. Try fresh pomegranate seeds!
- For less fat and/or cholesterol
Substitute pureed fruit: Use applesauce, pureed dried plums, or mashed bananas for half the butter, margarine, or oil. (Great for bar and drop cookies)
Try yogurt in place of sour cream in biscuit or muffin batter, or bread dough.
Use egg whites in place of some (not all) whole eggs. Using only whites toughens baked goods.
- For less added sugar
Reduce sugar by 25 to 33 percent, unless the recipe’s already been adjusted. For good results, for each cup of flour, plan 1/2 cup sugar in cakes; 1 tablespoon sugar for muffins and quick breads; 1 teaspoon sugar for yeast breads.
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