WOW! Your Guests with Holiday Baking

WOW! Your Guests with Holiday Baking

by | Dec 15, 2022

Holidays are truly worth celebrating! And baked goodies are but just one way many families observe not just the holiday but family traditions and what is special.

Baking favorite treats can become a family holiday tradition.
Photo source: Heidi Copeland, UF/IFAS Extension Leon County

Nonetheless, baking brings on an anxiety that cooking does not. In fact, baking is considered a science by some, whereas cooking is an art. Baking requires fairly exact measurements, whereas cooking can be very forgiving. Adding or subtracting ingredients can be personal discretion. For the most part, you cannot do that with a baked product.

However, once you get the basics down, the world is your oyster… you can do anything you want.

In baking, every ingredient has a specific purpose. For example:

  • Flour gives the structure  to baked products (there are many types of flour)
  • Eggs bind the ingredients and can add to the leavening (think fluffy egg whites) to baked goods
  • Baking powder, baking soda, and yeast are leaveners (make baked products rise)
  • Fats, like butter, margarine, oils, or lard, add both flavor and texture to baked products
  • Flavorings (like vanilla) enhance the flavor of a recipe… know that a little goes a long way
  • Sugar sweetens and adds to the texture of baked products (there are many types of sugar)
  • Salt enhances the flavor of all the other ingredients in a baked product

Know, too, that in baking, measuring is of utmost importance. Dry ingredients should be measured in a dry measuring cup and wet ingredients in a liquid measuring cup. Small amounts of both wet or dry ingredients can be measured with measuring spoons.

Using a kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure both liquid and dry ingredients. Accuracy in baking is of utmost importance. That is what science is all about. Too much or too little of an ingredient can mean disaster.

Other helpful baking tips include understanding the processes. Terms in baking include (but are not limited to):

  • Beat
  • Blend
  • Cream
  • Cut in
  • Fold in
  • Grease and flour
  • Mix
  • Whip

And then there are other issues. Baking requires an oven that has temperature controls. Knowing how your oven works is quite important. It never hurts to purchase an oven thermometer to check temperature accuracy. Know the property of the pans you are using. Baking pans can be made from a variety of materials… aluminum, cast iron, ceramic, glass, stainless steel, etc. Each of these heats a bit differently.

Holiday baking recipes can be heavy on fat, sugar, and sodium. Baking holiday goodies can be done nutritiously. The secret is to bake with simple substitutions. It is possible to use healthier ingredients without sacrificing flavor.

Here are some ways to lighten up your holiday baking:

Ingredients                                                                        Substitute

  • 1/2 cup butter/margarine                                                         1/4 cup applesauce & 1/4 cup canola oil
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk                                                     Low-fat sweetened condensed milk, low-fat evaporated milk
  • Egg (1)                                                                                           2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • Evaporated milk                                                                         Evaporated skim milk
  • All purpose flour (1 cup)                                                           Whole wheat flour, cake flour, or self-rising flour
  • Salt                                                                                                Ground spices
  • Heavy cream (1 cup)                                                                  1 cup evaporated skim milk
  • Margarine (stick)                                                                         1/4 cup olive or canola oil
  • Sugar (1 cup granulated)                                                            Brown sugar or marketed sugar substitute
  • Buttermilk (1 cup)                                                                        Milk and vinegar, milk and lemon juice, or sour cream                                                                                                                                        and milk
  • Chocolate chips (1 cup)                                                              1/2 cup mint chocolate chips, dried fruit, chopped nuts
Chart adapted from American Cancer Society

The Home Baking Association, https://www.homebaking.org/, is a great website to reference. Their main goal is to perpetuate generations of home bakers.

Don’t be intimidated by baking. With a bit of patience and practice, you will be able to WOW! your holiday guests with delectable treats that may become a family holiday tradition for generations to come.

Heidi Copeland, CFCS

Extension Agent

Leon County Extension

Dorothy C. Lee, CFCS

Extension Agent

Escambia County Extension

Experiment When Cooking with Herbs

by | May 16, 2013

Be adventurous in cooking with herbs!

Be adventurous in cooking with herbs!

Many novice cooks fret about what herbs to add to a recipe, when to add them and how much to add.  There are no rules when cooking with herbs! The fun of livening up recipes with herbs is in the experimenting. For those who want more guidance, a guide is included indicating which herbs are good with which foods. Use this only as a guide. Experiment by adding a small amount of an herb or combinations of herbs to a dish, then taste. Add more if the flavor doesn’t suit you.

Add the herbs during the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. Certainly this cannot be done for recipes that require the herbs to be mixed in with the batter or dressing, for example.  But for stews, vegetables and other recipes, adding herbs at the beginning of the cooking process diminishes the subtle flavor.  Fresh herbs pack the most flavor. Gardeners can grow their own herbs and then preserve their harvest by either freezing or drying. Fresh herbs are available at local grocery stores and farmers markets.  Dried herbs can be found at any grocery store.

If you don’t have a recipe, start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more as needed to reach your ideal flavor. You don’t want the herbs to overpower the other flavors in the dish.   If a recipe calls for dried herbs, you can substitute fresh herbs. Dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs so you will need to use more of the fresh herbs. If the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried, crushed herbs or 1/4 teaspoon of powdered herbs, use 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of fresh. If a recipe calls for fresh herbs, substitute dried herbs by decreasing the amount by half.  When doubling a recipe, do not double the herbs or spices. Increase their amounts by 1 1/2.  Remember, it is better to start with less and add more if desired.

Try using fresh herbs to add flavor while cutting back on fat, sugar and salt in recipes.  Cooking with herbs also may have additional health benefits.  Research is showing herbs have antioxidants which may help prevent cancer and heart disease.  So, be adventurous and trying adding more herbs to some of your favorite recipes.  Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office for more information on growing or cooking with herbs.

Guide for Using Herbs:

Mint:     Desserts, lamb, peas, fruit salads, sauces

Cilantro: Mexican and Asian cooking, rice, salsa, tomatoes

Sage:     Cottage cheese, game meats, pork, rice, poultry, soups (chicken, minestrone, and vegetable), stuffing

Parsley:  Salads, vegetables, pastas

Dill:     Tomato dishes, yeast breads, eggs, coleslaw, potato salad, fish, beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumber, summer squash

Oregano:  Tomato dishes, beef, game meats, veal, spaghetti, clams, soups (bean, minestrone, and tomato), beans, eggplant, and mushrooms

Rosemary: Dumplings, eggs, game meats, lamb, veal, poultry, fish, barbeque sauce, chicken, beef, soups (pea and vegetable), beans, mushrooms, potatoes, cauliflower, turnips

Thyme:    Eggs, game meats, lamb, veal, rice, poultry, barbeque sauce, fish, oysters, chowders, soups (onion, tomato, and vegetable), mushrooms, tomatoes

Basil:    Tomato products (juice, pasta sauces, pizza sauce, etc.), eggs, game meats, lamb, veal, rice, spaghetti, vinaigrette, soups (minestrone, pea, potato, and vegetable), beans, eggplant

RECIPE:  Basil Pesto

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, removed from stem
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan or Asiago cheese

In a blender or food processor, puree the basil, parsley, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the nuts and the cheese and process briefly until the pesto reaches the desired consistency. Makes 2 cups.