FALL
&
HOLIDAY
Tips to Share
When your Hosts and guests learn, they return, so we’ve gathered these sweet tips for you to share during your Fall & Holiday parties.
Butter SOFTENED BUTTER (NOT MELTED) is important for many types of cookies. Creaming it in the first steps of the recipe incorporates air into your cookie and also helps the butter mix evenly. Forgot to remove it from the fridge to soften? Two options. First option is to cut your butter into ½ tbsp. portions and leave on your counter for appx. 30 minutes while you gather and measure out the rest of your ingredients. The other option is to cut the butter in half and microwave on 10% power in two 30-second intervals.
BAKING TIPS BUTTER IN YOUR DOUGH CAN CONTINUE TO SOFTEN, especially in a warm kitchen. This will cause your cookies to spread more. To prevent this from happening, refrigerate your dough for 10–15 minutes before baking and remove portions just before baking. GONE TOO FAR? Melted butter needs to be chilled very quickly in order to work in a baking recipe. Stir large ice cubes around in the melted butter for less than a minute to chill the butter quickly back to a softened state. The amount of water melted into the butter during this process is negligible.
• For a smooth glaze over sugar cookies, spread glaze in an even layer using the back of a spoon. • Run a fluted pastry wheel over an unbaked cookie for pretty texture – works great for making Christmas trees look like they have garland. • Baking soda as a leavener starts reacting as soon as it is wet, so there is a time limit on how long it will make cookies rise. Baking powder reacts twice as a leavener, when it is becomes wet and again when it is heated. • Cookie dough made with baking powder can be made up to 7 days ahead and removed from the refrigerator to bake while cookie dough made with baking soda should be used within 2 days. • OVER-BAKE YOUR COOKIES? Although there is no remedy for burnt cookies, remember that cookies continue to bake after being removed from the oven. If you’ve allowed your cookies to bake a few minutes too long, remove them immediately from the warm cookie sheet and carefully transfer to a wire rack. If you really like soft cookies, remove your cookies from the
oven before they are completely done and let your hot cookie sheet help with the carryover baking. This will give you the softest possible results while still being thoroughly cooked in the middle. • Rotate cookie sheet during baking for even browning. If using 2 cookie sheets at once, their placement on the different level racks should be rotated as well. • NO BROWN SUGAR? Use 1 tbsp. molasses mixed into 1 cup granulated sugar as a substitute for light brown sugar or 2 tbsp. per cup as a substitute for dark brown sugar. • To prevent your cookies from baking together, bake in staggered rows. • To avoid overly crisp edges, use chilled dough and a cool baking sheet (not one that is already warm from the oven). • USING FROZEN HOMEMADE COOKIE DOUGH? Place dough portions on cookie sheet and allow to defrost for about 20–60 minutes. Then bake as directed. (They may require an additional few minutes of bake time.)
WHICH APPLE IS BEST FOR WHICH PURPOSE?
FOR BAKED APPLES
FOR EATING FRESH
FOR PIES
FOR APPLE SAUCE
Rome, Granny Smith, McIntosh, Braeburn
Gala, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Cameo
Rome, Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Jazz
Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Granny Smith, SweeTango
SPICE & SEASONING TIPS • Removing the seeds and ribs from jalapeños lessens their spicy kick. Capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot, is more concentrated there. • Quickly roasting peppers in a hot oven (500° F/ 260° C) for 5 minutes will also tame their heat. • Milk is your best option for cooling your mouth after eating something too spicy. • Seasoning your meats with black pepper before searing will tame the pepper’s punch. Season with black pepper after cooking if you want more punch.
• Want to use raw onions but the flavor is too strong? Mellow out the sulfuric compounds by soaking the sliced onions for 15 minutes in a mixture of water and baking soda (1 tbsp. per cup of water). Just rinse the onions after soaking to remove any baking soda taste. • Using a coarse salt when seasoning individual cooking items such as meat or fish can help keep you from over salting. The large granules are easier to feel and control, they distribute evenly over the surface and cling well to the surface.
FREEZING TIPS • The faster that fruits and vegetables are frozen, the less their texture suffers when defrosted. Maximize air flow around the object you are freezing by clearing shelf space around it. Most often, the rear center of a freezer is the coldest, so clearing that shelf is most worthwhile. Freezer Mates® Containers also help your fruit and veggies freeze very quickly. • Freeze any extra coffee left over each morning to add to iced coffee drinks without watering them down.
W H EN S E A S ON I N G DISHES,
TO PRESERVE A
remember to account for the reduction of liquid, especially in soups and sauces.
LOT OF FRESH PEELED GARLIC, you can freeze it, which only mildly diminishes its flavor.
Make it a habit to season lightly during the cooking process and adjust the seasonings at the very end. Here are tips for balancing flavors:
TOO SALTY? Try an acid like vinegar, lemon or lime or a sweetener like sugar or honey.
NOT SALTY ENOUGH? Before reaching for the salt again to season a soup or stew, try a dash of lemon juice or one of the varieties of vinegars in your cupboard (and a little can go a long way). This is often described as adding “brightness” to a dish. Try it and see if you enjoy the taste before adding any more desired salt.
TOO SWEET? Add vinegar, citrus or a dash of cayenne.
TOO MANY ONIONS? Freezing onions works well when they will be used later in a cooked application such as omelet or soup. Peel and dice onions before freezing them. It’s not recommended to use frozen onions again in an uncooked application, such as salsa or salad.
TOO SPICY OR ACIDIC? Add a fat like butter, cream, cheese or olive oil or a sweetener like sugar or honey.
MISCELLANEOUS TIPS TO CLEAN YOUR MICROWAVE, microwave ½ cup lemon juice (or cut a fresh lemon in half, squeeze juice and place halves into ½ cup water) on high power 3 minutes. Carefully remove and wipe clean.
TO PREVENT STAINING, spray your Tupperware® container with nonstick cooking spray before storing any dishes with a tomato-based sauce or any dish you think may stain.
If you’re short on space to store your Freezer Mates® or FridgeSmart® containers when you’re not using them, consider keeping them in the freezer or fridge. They’ll be easy to find, they’ll remind you what to grocery shop for and you won’t have to create a new space in the kitchen
CLEAN STAINED TUPPERWARE with a paste made of baking soda and a little water.
©2014 Tupperware 2014-353-037 EN
for them.