Be a Better Baker with These Baking Hacks
Hack #1: Use Ziploc bags for easy piping.
You don’t need a fancy piping bag to do some decorating (unless you want to use one, of course!). But it’s likely that many of us don’t have spare piping bags lying around. Fortunately, there’s a super simple hack to get the same professional-looking piping with something you probably already have in your kitchen: a plastic Ziploc bag. All you need to do is fill up a plastic Ziploc bag with your icing, twist the top to get rid of excess air, and snip one of the bottom corners. Ta-da! An easy, homemade piping bag. Keep in mind that how much you cut off the corner will determine how thick your piping is. Cut off a smaller amount for thinner piping and vice versa for thicker piping. You can even create a star-tipped effect by cutting the corner a certain way!View this post on Instagram
Hack #2: Substitute wine bottles for rolling pins.
If you’re new to baking or perhaps just a casual baker, you may not have all the bits and bobs an avid baker might. Since it’s not used for much else outside of baking, one item that may not be in your inventory is a rolling pin. Like the Ziploc bag hack, you can easily find a substitute for a rolling pin with items you already have. In this case, wine bottles make great impromptu rolling pins. If not a wine bottle specifically, any smooth bottle or cylindrical object will get the job done.
Hack #3: Bring eggs to room temperature with warm water.
Many professional pastry chefs agree that using room temperature ingredients helps everything come together seamlessly. You can leave your eggs out on the counter in advance, but what happens if you forget to or are short on time? The good news is, there’s a much faster way to bring eggs to room temperature and all it requires is a bit of warm water. Simply submerge your eggs in some warm water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure the water isn’t too hot, or else you run the risk of cooking the eggs.Hack #4: Hot water for smooth icing.
Icing can be tricky at times and getting a smooth spread might turn out to be frustrating for some. You don’t have to put up with patchy icing, though—some hot water will fix it right up. Take your icing spatula (or whatever tool you’re using) and dip it in hot water. Then, wipe off the excess moisture and you’re good to get started. Warming the metal helps the icing spread smoothly and evenly. Now you’ve got a finish worthy of winning a baking competition!Hack #5: Line your pans with parchment paper.
From cookies to brownies, getting things off of/out of the pan can be a hassle sometimes. Perhaps you go for that perfect Insta-worthy square of brownie with a nice crispy edge, but part of it gets stuck to the pan and you’re left with more of an odd shape than a pretty square. The solution? Line your pans with parchment paper before baking. It’ll make serving them much easier since you can lift things right off the pan. Plus, it makes clean-up simpler and who doesn’t want that?Although these baking hacks are simple, the results they yield are oh-so-satisfying. Got any other baking hacks you want to share? Comment below or shoot us a message! We’d love to hear them and we’re sure your fellow bakers would, too. Now that you know how to get great results with these baking hacks try some of our delicious globally-inspired seasonal recipes. Each one is delivered to your door, complete with pre-measured ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions. Or, you can sign up for our BāKIT Box subscription and pick from our rotating menu of tasty treats each month.
