As you all know, I am not a professional pastry chef (although I am in it) therefore, this list of tips and tricks are a small personal compilation of classes I have attended, books I have read, videos I have watched or they are simply Based on my experiences as an amateur pastry chef… you can not follow my advice or suggest new ones Freeze dried candy mystery box. All suggestions are welcome!!!
- Read the recipe
It seems obvious, but it is very easy to get carried away by a baking impulse and not read the recipe until the end, without stopping to think if I will have all the ingredients or utensils, or if I will have enough time. Therefore my advice is to read the recipe until the end before starting. - Sieve
Sifting is super important because we get some particles to separate from others (dry ingredients such as flour, cocoa, sugar…) and for them to aerate when passing through a sieve or strainer. This will give our cakes an extra point of sponginess . We also break up any small lumps that may arise due to packaging or environmental humidity. With this technique we can also make quick decorations, sprinkling icing sugar like rain, as in the Santiago cake for example, or simply using some stencils (stencils). - Eggs
Use eggs at room temperature, even when the recipe does not specify it, it is especially important when you need to give volume to your cake. This is because they can be whipped more easily, resulting in a lighter, fluffier texture. Another reason why it is important that they are at room temperature is because when we mix the egg with the butter, if the eggs are very cold they will curdle the butter. - Butter
Normally in recipes you can find terms like pomaded butter or room temperature butter. When this is the case, take the butter out of the refrigerator an hour before (depending on the temperature of the room, the time needed may vary) before starting to work. If you don’t have enough time to get it to the right consistency, you can use one of these tricks… you can grate the butter, or you can also cut it into cubes and put it in the microwave for a few seconds (without melting it). This texture is perfect to work together with sugar to obtain a smooth cream. If the recipe does not specify it, always use unsalted butter for your desserts. - Buttermilk
We could translate buttermilk in Spanish as buttermilk or buttermilk and its use is very common in Anglo-Saxon recipes such as in the Red Velvet cake or in the delicious Scones , but in Spain it is difficult to find, so I bring you the way to make it homemade with just two ingredients. Mix 1 tablespoon of measuring spoons (15 ml) of natural lemon juice (well strained) or apple cider vinegar in 250 ml of milk. Leave it for a few minutes, until it has set and thickened slightly. It will look like curdled milk but don’t worry, it’s normal. And it will be ready to use.