About Ingredients

SALTED BUTTER may be used in most recipes that call for SWEET BUTTER. There is very little salt in butter and usually you will not notice any difference in the taste of baked items. The salt taste is stronger if salted butter is brushed on a baked item.

HOT WATER is defined as water very hot to the touch, but not boiling.

COLD WATER is defined as water very cold to the touch, but not ice water.

ICE WATER is defined as water from the refrigerator or water that has been cooled by adding ice to it.

TAP WATER is defined as water at room temperature, not warm and not cold.

SPICE (type-of) is defined as ground (not whole) unless the recipe specifies differently.

FRUIT may be fresh, frozen or canned. The recipe will usually tell you which to use. Substitute carefully, because all are different.

NUTS may be substituted as to what you have on hand or to suit your taste. Walnuts, almonds, etc. may be substituted for pecans and the recipe will change in taste only. Always store nuts, covered in a very cool place. Nuts go rancid very quick [in a few days] and should be used as fast as possible.

SUGAR should usually be used as the recipe specifies. Sometimes powdered sugar may be substituted for granulated sugar, but not always. Brown sugar comes in light, medium and dark brown. The type of brown sugar you use will determine the characteristics of the baked item.

SHORTENING should be used as the recipe specifies. However, in cookies and in some cakes margarine or butter may be substituted creating a better flavor. Lard is a poor substitute for shortening. With the exception for use in pie dough lard should not be used.

MILK should be used as the recipe specifies. Powdered milk may be used in the place of whole milk, but not used to replace cream, condensed or sweetened condensed milk.

FLOUR should be used as the recipe specifies most of the time. Bread flour is a good substitute for all purpose flour in bread recipes. Cake flour is usually best to use in cake recipes for the best texture. Bleached and unbleached flours are interchangeable in all your recipes.

EGGS should be used always as the recipe specifies. Using two yolks to one white ( as a substitute for one egg ) will make almost any baked item more moist and richer tasting. Using two whites instead of one yolk and one white will make it fat free and it will bake the same.

EGG WHITE POWDER: Two teaspoons of egg white powder dissolved in two tablespoons of warm water is equal to one egg white. You may substitute the egg white powder ( 4 teaspoons powder plus 4 tablespoons water ) for one whole egg in almost all baked recipes.

BAKING POWDER should always be fresh and used as the recipe specifies. Almost all modern recipes call for double acting baking powder. However, if you are using a very old recipe, single acting baking powder is best. Make it yourself by sifting together: 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon corn starch. Use exactly what you need and keep the rest stored in a tightly sealed container.

BAKING SODA should always be fresh and used as the recipe specifies.

DUST is an ingredient term usually meaning to use flour on the work surface to keep something from sticking to it. However, it also means to use cookie crumbs, cocoa, or flour to coat the pan grease inside cake pans to prevent the cake batter from sticking to the pan.

YEAST comes in several forms. Always read the directions and check the expiration date before you use these different kinds.

1. Active fresh yeast comes in a one ounce cube and must be refrigerated.

2. Rapid Rise yeast is dried, comes in 1/4 ounce package and does not need refrigeration. This is very fast acting yeast.

3. Active dry yeast comes in 1/4 ounce packages and does not need refrigeration. This yeast has a normal acting time.

COCONUT is easy to color for parties. Place a few drops of food color in 1/2 teaspoon milk and toss with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of coconut using a fork. Toast coconut in your oven for about 7 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Stir often.

EMULSIFIED SHORTENING is best to use in scratch cakes and frostings. It is usually not sold in stores and must be bought from your *local bakery.

MACAROON COCONUT is great for cookies and to sprinkle as a topping. It is usually not found in stores and must be bought from your *local bakery.

ALMOND PASTE makes a wonderful filling, topping and flavor, but is hard to find in stores. It is also very expensive when you are able to find it. Ask your *local bakery to sell you some.

FRUIT SPREADS are used in frostings—as frostings, between cake layers and as cookie garnishes. Fruit spreads can be bought from your *local bakery in small quantities.

SUGAR SUBSTITUTES may be used in some recipes, but as a rule they do not provide the mass and structure of sugar and will not work. Use recipes designed for sugar substitutes. Sugar substitutes will sweeten cream and can be used to sprinkle over desserts to cut calories a little.

COATED CANDY comes in sweet and semi-sweet forms. We think the semi-sweet has the best flavor for baking. Both kinds are fun to use.

CHOCOLATE should be kept in the refrigerator and covered well at all times. Chocolate picks up the smells of the refrigerator and will taste like the refrigerator smells.

RAISINS are best plumped by putting in hot apple juice for about twenty minutes. A pinch of ground clove in the apple juice makes them even better.

* Kretchmar's Bakery does not sell ingrediants to it's customers.