kitchen basics: how to make brown sugar

next in our kitchen basics series, we're taking a look at brown sugar.  brown sugar is a staple in our kitchen.  it has a sweet bitterness and it adds such depth to recipes.  there are two types of brown sugar sold in grocery stores: light brown sugar and dark brown sugar.  brown sugar is nothing more than white granulated sugar and molasses.  it's easy to make your own brown sugar at home.  you only need two ingredients: white granulated sugar and molasses.

to make light brown sugar, mix 1 cup of white granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of unsulfured molasses.  stir the mixture with a fork until it is light and fluffy.

to make dark brown sugar, mix 1 cup of white granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of unsulfured molasses.  stir the mixture with a fork until it is light and fluffy.

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are there any kitchen tips/tricks that you would like to learn?  leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you would like to see next in the kitchen basics series.

happy cooking!

love, laurie

kitchen basics: how to make self-rising flour

next in our kitchen basics series, we're taking a look at self-rising flour.
self-rising flour is nothing more than flour with a leavening agent (baking powder) and salt in it.  when recipes call for self-rising flour, they don't call for an additional leavening agent since the baking power is already in the self-rising flour.  instead of keeping a container of self-rising flour in your kitchen, it is easy to just make your own as you need it.  you only need three ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

to make your own self-rising flour, simply combine:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

sift the three ingredients together 2 times.  this will incorporate the baking powder into the flour and aerate the flour.  voila!  homemade self-rising flour!

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are there any kitchen tips/tricks that you would like to learn?  leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you would like to see next in the kitchen basics series.

happy cooking!

love, laurie

kitchen basics: measurement equivalents

next in our kitchen basics series, we're talking about measurement equivalents.  have you ever read a recipe that calls for 3 oz. and wondered how many tablespoons or teaspoons that equals?  well, i came up with this little chart that breaks it down for you.  hope you find it helpful!

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are there any kitchen tips/tricks that you would like to learn?  leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you would like to see next in the kitchen basics series.

happy cooking!

love, laurie

kitchen basics: baking soda vs. baking powder

next in our kitchen basics series, we're taking a look at the difference between baking soda and baking powder.  baking is a science, and different ingredients react in different ways.  so it's important to know what chemistry is happening in your recipes.

although baking soda and baking powder may look similar, they are not interchangeable.  in fact, they each work differently in recipes . . .

baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.  when sodium bicarbonate is heated, it produces both carbon dioxide gas and sodium carbonate.  the carbon dioxide gas is a good thing because it is what makes cakes and other baked goods rise.  however, the sodium carbonate is not so great because it can give baked goods a metallic taste.  luckily, that metallic taste can be neutralized with an acid.  therefore, baking soda is often found in recipes with acidic ingredients (such as lemon, buttermilk, or yogurt).  the acid helps to eliminate the metallic taste while still allowing baked goods to rise.

baking powder is a mixture of baking soda, acid, and cornstarch.  any baking powder that is labeled "double acting" will release a small amount of carbon dioxide gas when stirred into a batter or a dough, and then will release more carbon dioxide gas when heated.  therefore, baking powder is often found in recipes with non-acidic ingredients (such as whole milk).

simply put: baking soda needs an acid and baking powder has an acid.

see, science can be fun (and tasty)!

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are there any kitchen tips/tricks that you would like to learn?  leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you would like to see next in the kitchen basics series.

happy cooking!

love, laurie

kitchen basics: how to make cake flour

next in our kitchen basics series, we're taking a look at cake flour.  cake flour lightens cakes and makes them super soft and delicious.  there is usually a box of cake flour on hand in my kitchen.  however, it always seems that when i find a recipe that calls for cake flour, i'm all out.  luckily there's an easy way to make cake flour.  you only need two ingredients: all-purpose flour and cornstarch.

measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour.  remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and put them back in your flour container.  replace the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.  sift the all-purpose flour and the cornstarch together 5 times.  this will incorporate the cornstarch into the flour and aerate the flour.  voila!  homemade cake flour!

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are there any kitchen tips/tricks that you would like to learn?  leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you would like to see next in the kitchen basics series.

happy cooking!

love, laurie

kitchen basics: buttermilk substitutes

next in our kitchen basics series, we're taking a look at buttermilk substitutes.  i never seem to have buttermilk in the refrigerator when i need it.  lots of recipes call for buttermilk, and certainly nothing can beat real buttermilk.  however, there are a few great substitutes for when you don't have any buttermilk on hand.  here are the best buttermilk substitutes . . .

milk + vinegar
put 1 tablespoon of vinegar in the bottom of a 1 cup measuring cup, then top with milk.  stir and then let the mixture sit undisturbed for 2 minutes.

milk + lemon
put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in the bottom of a 1 cup measuring cup, then top with milk.  stir and then let the mixture sit undisturbed for 2 minutes.

milk + yogurt
stir 1/4 cup of milk and 3/4 cup of plain yogurt together.  (this makes a nice thick buttermilk substitute.)

milk + cream of tartar
stir 1 cup of milk and 1 3/4 teaspoons of cream of tartar together.  stir until no lumps remain.

non-dairy milk + non-dairy yogurt + vinegar 
stir 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk, 3/4 cup of non-dairy yogurt, and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar together.

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are there any kitchen tips/tricks that you would like to learn?  leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you would like to see next in the kitchen basics series.

happy cooking!

love, laurie

kitchen basics: cutting a recipe in half

i share a lot of recipes here on the blog, and i thought it might be helpful to also share a few tips/tricks in the kitchen.  so, i decided to start a new series called kitchen basics.  to kick things off, let's take a look at cutting a recipe in half . . .

sometimes a recipe yields entirely too much.  i often find myself cutting recipes in half so that i don't have so many leftovers.  sure, it's easy to cut a recipe in half when there are measurements like 1 cup or 1/2 teaspoon, but it's a bit more confusing when there are measurements like 1/3 cup.  if you're cutting a recipe in half, how do you measure 1/6 of a cup?  well, i came up with this little chart that breaks it down for you.  hope you find it helpful!

are there any kitchen tips/tricks that you would like to learn?  leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you would like to see next in the kitchen basics series.

happy cooking!
love, laurie