Read Online The Baking Answer Book by Lauren Chattman - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Chattman
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like spatulas made of heatproof silicone, which won’t melt when used to scrape the insides of a hot pan. For removing cookies from a baking sheet, removing the first brownie from a pan, or turning pancakes, you’ll need a spatula with a wide (about 3-inch), sharp blade made of metal or nylon. Finally, both a small (4-inch) and large (10-to 12-inch) offset spatula, which is a metal spreader angled from a wooden handle, are indispensable. Use them to spread frosting, smooth cake batter, and to slide under pie and pastry doughs so they don’t stick to a countertop.
Q What is the best implement for removing zest from citrus fruit?
A Zest is the outer yellow rind of the lemon, lime, or orange that contains the fruit’s fragrant oils and perfumes. The inner white rind, called the pith, has a harsh and bitter flavor and should not be used in baking. Citrus zest isused as a flavoring or a garnish in a variety of baking recipes. Choose your zesting implement depending on how you intend to use the zest.
If you want the zest to disappear into a dough or batter, you should grate it as finely as possible. The small holes of a box grater will accomplish this, but then it will be up to you to pick at the zest, which remains stubbornly stuck on the sides of the grater, with a toothpick, skewer, or tip of a paring knife. Less frustrating and much more efficient is a Microplane grater. A tool originally sold in hardware stores for rasping wood, it easily removes fine shreds of zest from fruit and deposits it onto your work surface (just as the rasp deposits sawdust on the floor), leaving behind the bitter white pith.
For fine strands of zest to use as a garnish, use a citrus zester, a handheld device with five tiny holes that will remove the zest in delicate strands. A citrus stripper or shredder is another utensil with a sharp-notched edge that removes the zest in ¼-inch-wide strips. If you want even thicker strips of zest, to make candied lemon peel or to create a custom garnish, use a sharp vegetable peeler, taking care to leave behind as much of the bitter white pith as possible.
Q I have 15 minutes and $150 dollars to spend on baking odds and ends. What should I put in my shopping cart?
A Aside from the basics I’ve already mentioned, here is a list of relatively inexpensive items you might pick up if you don’t already own them.
Useful Baking Utensils
Bench scraper . A stainless steel straight-edge blade with a wooden handle, this handy tool will divide sticky bread dough with ease and scrape the countertop clean. King Arthur Flour Company (see Resources) sells a silicone scraper with a straight edge and a rounded side that can scrape cookie dough from the inside of a mixing bowl as well. (The catalog claims that this scraper can clean ice off your windshield, but I can’t say I’ve put mine to this use.)
Biscuit cutter . You can always use a juice glass to cut biscuits, but a stainless steel biscuit cutter with a sharp edge and a handle makes the job easier. They are sold in nesting sets of 4, ranging in size from 1½ to 3 inches in diameter.
Citrus reamer . Made of plastic or wood, this implement quickly and efficiently extracts juice from a lemon, lime, or orange.
Fine mesh strainer . Essential for rinsing fruit, straining sauces, and sifting dry ingredients. Choose a fine gaugeor double-mesh strainer with a handle and sturdy feet for stability.
Glass bowls . A set of glass nesting bowls will help you to organize your ingredients as you get ready to bake. These are also essential if you plan on melting chocolate or butter in the microwave.
Ice cream scoop . A spring-loaded scoop that holds a generous tablespoon of cookie dough will let you portion out uniform and beautifully shaped cookies. It is a joy to have if you bake a lot of drop cookies.
Pastry bag and tips . To start off, buy a canvas pastry bag with a small set of tips (star, leaf, basket weave, plain or writing) as well as a coupler so the tips can be
Q What is the best implement for removing zest from citrus fruit?
A Zest is the outer yellow rind of the lemon, lime, or orange that contains the fruit’s fragrant oils and perfumes. The inner white rind, called the pith, has a harsh and bitter flavor and should not be used in baking. Citrus zest isused as a flavoring or a garnish in a variety of baking recipes. Choose your zesting implement depending on how you intend to use the zest.
If you want the zest to disappear into a dough or batter, you should grate it as finely as possible. The small holes of a box grater will accomplish this, but then it will be up to you to pick at the zest, which remains stubbornly stuck on the sides of the grater, with a toothpick, skewer, or tip of a paring knife. Less frustrating and much more efficient is a Microplane grater. A tool originally sold in hardware stores for rasping wood, it easily removes fine shreds of zest from fruit and deposits it onto your work surface (just as the rasp deposits sawdust on the floor), leaving behind the bitter white pith.
For fine strands of zest to use as a garnish, use a citrus zester, a handheld device with five tiny holes that will remove the zest in delicate strands. A citrus stripper or shredder is another utensil with a sharp-notched edge that removes the zest in ¼-inch-wide strips. If you want even thicker strips of zest, to make candied lemon peel or to create a custom garnish, use a sharp vegetable peeler, taking care to leave behind as much of the bitter white pith as possible.
Q I have 15 minutes and $150 dollars to spend on baking odds and ends. What should I put in my shopping cart?
A Aside from the basics I’ve already mentioned, here is a list of relatively inexpensive items you might pick up if you don’t already own them.
Useful Baking Utensils
Bench scraper . A stainless steel straight-edge blade with a wooden handle, this handy tool will divide sticky bread dough with ease and scrape the countertop clean. King Arthur Flour Company (see Resources) sells a silicone scraper with a straight edge and a rounded side that can scrape cookie dough from the inside of a mixing bowl as well. (The catalog claims that this scraper can clean ice off your windshield, but I can’t say I’ve put mine to this use.)
Biscuit cutter . You can always use a juice glass to cut biscuits, but a stainless steel biscuit cutter with a sharp edge and a handle makes the job easier. They are sold in nesting sets of 4, ranging in size from 1½ to 3 inches in diameter.
Citrus reamer . Made of plastic or wood, this implement quickly and efficiently extracts juice from a lemon, lime, or orange.
Fine mesh strainer . Essential for rinsing fruit, straining sauces, and sifting dry ingredients. Choose a fine gaugeor double-mesh strainer with a handle and sturdy feet for stability.
Glass bowls . A set of glass nesting bowls will help you to organize your ingredients as you get ready to bake. These are also essential if you plan on melting chocolate or butter in the microwave.
Ice cream scoop . A spring-loaded scoop that holds a generous tablespoon of cookie dough will let you portion out uniform and beautifully shaped cookies. It is a joy to have if you bake a lot of drop cookies.
Pastry bag and tips . To start off, buy a canvas pastry bag with a small set of tips (star, leaf, basket weave, plain or writing) as well as a coupler so the tips can be
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