10 tips perfect Recipes

muffin pans, a special metal baking pan , sometimes referred to as a muffin tin, with 6 or 12 cup-shaped depressions. most often this pan is made from aluminum., muffin cups are, standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter., giant or texas-size muffin cup is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 5/8 cup batter., muffin cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and holds 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp batter., muffin-top cup is about 4 inches in diameter but are only 1/2 inch deep ., substituting a different size muffin cup, substitute another size muffin cup for original size listed in recipe. if substituting a larger size muffin cup the recipe will yield fewer muffins and if using smaller size muffin cup the recipe will yield more muffins. the bake time will be changed also. bake a larger muffin longer than the original time and smaller muffins a shorter time., tips on baking muffins, grease muffin cups by spraying each cup with no stick cooking spray or using a paper towel dipped in shortening to grease each cup., use paper liners in muffin cups for easy clean-up., if muffin cups are filled more than 3/4 full the muffins will have flat, flying saucer tops. if sufficient room is not allowed for muffins to expand before reaching the top of the cup the muffin will flatten on top., if some muffin cups will remain empty during baking , put 2 to 3 tbsp water in the unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping., if baked muffins stick to the bottom of the muffin cup, place hot muffin pan on a wet towel for about two minutes., source : land o lakes, all about muffins, are you eating muffins or cupcakes, hot breads are always a hit and muffins are 1 of the easiest to make. they are more quickly and easily made than biscuits and no kneading, rolling or cutting is required. they can be a savory, last minute dinner muffin or a sweet delicious breakfast muffin. made using whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, bran, honey, fruits and nuts they can be very nutritious. but like the healthy granola craze which turned into candy bars, muffins also can quickly turn into cupcakes. eating cupcakes for breakfast is your choice, but don tsp tell yourself you are eating healthy breakfast muffins. a recent magazine article revealed some muffins available in new york delicatessens were claimed to be low fat, but actually contained up to 23 g of fat. that s more fat than two egg mcmuffins., what is the difference between muffins and cupcakes, some say cupcakes have frosting. a basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, shortening or butter, 1 cup milk. when the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level., other technical difference between muffins and cupcakes, method of cooking is different for muffins and cupcakes. the muffin method is by far the fastest and easiest. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (all the dry ingredients) are mixed together. this is where the leavening can be uniformly dispersed into the flour. sugar is mixed with the flour to prevent the flour from lumping when combined with the wet ingredients., making and baking muffins, in a large bowl, oil (or melted butter) and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion to disperse the fat more uniformly. then the milk is stirred in. this much mixing can be done ahead and held. the two are combined just before baking., combine, cut and fold liquid into the dry ingredients. mix only to combine. batter will be lumpy but no pockets of dry ingredients should remain. the general rule is only 12 strokes., bake as soon as it s mixed. when filling cups, do not mix batter between scoops. excessive mixing causes loss of leavening., cake method for making muffins, sometimes muffins are made using the cake method , i.e. cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. this is more time consuming but produces a lighter, more tender, cake-like muffin., perfect muffin, perfect muffin has a thin brown crust , a slightly rounded top with a pebbled appearance and a moist, even interior. there should be no peaks, no tunnels which are usually caused by excessive mixing and too much liquid (muffin batter should not be fluid)., more leavening is not better, just because a recipe is in print does not mean that it is in balance. a guide for leavening 2 cups of flour in a recipe is either 2 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, or 4 tsp fast acting baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. excess baking powder and soda taste bitter., here are a few tips for altering muffin recipes, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in the recipe. if these are stiffly beaten and folded in at the end it will produce a lighter muffin with less fat., use non-fat milk instead of whole milk ., use salad oil in place of butter. in place of the fat in the recipe , use 1-fourth of the oil and replace the other three-fourths with fruit puree such as applesauce. jars of baby food fruits provide a quick choice of purees other than apple. adding non-gluten grain products (bran, germ, oatmeal, corn meal) for part of the flour makes a more tender muffin., create your own taste sensations, begin with the basic formula and change 1/2 cup of the flour to corn meal, bran, wheat germ, rye, oatmeal or leftover cooked cereal. add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped apple, dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cheese, nuts., make your favorite muffin mixes by measuring the dry ingredients twice (or more ) into two separate bowls. use 1 and package 1 with the list of wet ingredients to be added when mixing at a later date.

roast beef , tenderloin, tip, eye round, bottom round, rump, any you like (you can use any size roast, just adjust the baking time in the oven 5 mins. per lb.), onion, cut into thin rings, garlic powder

cake is a shortened cake. it contains either vegetable shortenings or butter., butter imparts a very special flavor ., fat should always be at room temperature! (70 degrees f ), this is an important factor ., if it s too cool , it will not disperse properly, if melted, it will not incorporate air., flavorings should be creamed with the sugar and fat., flavors are carried by the fat , hence this mixture will insure uniform distribution of the flavor., next should come the eggs to form an emulsion, thus producing a fine grained cake., add eggs 1 at a time. do not overbeat ., a curdled appearance will yield a coarse texture cake ., sift the dry ingredients before beginning the creaming process ., add this alternately with the liquid ., begin with dry ingredients and ending with the dry mixture., scrape the bottom and sides of mixing bowl often with a spatula, have the pans prepared before mixing ., grease & flour the bottom of pans, but not sides., pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan ., a spatula , cut thru the batter to remove any air bubbles., pan should be placed in the center of the oven at the temperature recommended ., resist the temptation to peek., keep the oven door closed ., when baking time is reached , check for doneness., a toothpick should come out clean with no crumbs attached., check in the center ., also, a cooked cake will spring back when lightly touched ., cool the cake at least 10 - 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan .

use these tips to create , bake and store your perfect cheesecake, bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing. this usually takes 30 minutes., soften cream cheese in the microwave : place unwrapped 8 oz cheese in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds. add 15 seconds for each additional bar of cheese., mix filling only until combined. don tsp over-mix ., use a springform pan so that the sides can be removed ., butter sides or use a metal spatula around the edges immediately after removing the cheese cake from the oven., place springform pan on a shallow pan , like a pizza pan , or cover bottom and up 1 inch around the sides with aluminum foil to avoid leaks in the oven., place a shallow pan of water in rack below cheesecake to keep oven moist., open oven door while baking ., a perfectly baked cheesecake will be puffed around the edges. when shaken , about an inch in diameter in the center should jiggle., cool slowly (about an hour) on a wire rack, away from any drafts., store in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to four days ., bottom of the pan can be removed from the cheesecake once the cake has firmed in the refrigerator. use two spatulas to move cake to serving platter., garnishing a cheesecake should only be done within 1 to 3 hours of serving., cheesecakes taste best when brought to room temperature. this takes about 30 minutes., securely wrap an already firm (about 4 hours in the refrigerator) cheesecake to be put in the freezer. cheesecakes can be kept for up to 2 months in the freezer., thaw frozen cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator .

boneless beef roast , at least 2-1/2 to 3 inches thick, such as tenderloin, sirloin tip roast, eye of round roast, rib-eye (no very tough cuts, please as cooking will not make them tender.), salt and pepper or seasoning or herbs, onion (optional), mushroom (optional), balsamic vinegar (optional), beef broth (optional), cornstarch (optional)

kosher salt, sugar, whole turkey , 12-14 lb (neck, wing tips and giblets reserved, cavity fat removed), onions, coarsely chopped, carrot, coarsely chopped, celery rib, coarsely chopped, unsalted butter, melted

boneless chuck roast (or any tougher beef cut such as brisket, 7-bone roast, etc.), worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, dried oregano, crushed, fresh ground black pepper, baby red new potatoes , scrubbed, carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 4-inch lengths, baby portabella mushrooms , brushed clean and trimmed, garlic cloves, peeled and cut into halves, sweet onion, sliced very thin, vegetable cooking spray, dry onion soup mix, red wine, beef broth, tomato paste (see note )