Kitchen Tips

CheeseCake Tips

1/2/2025

Cheesecakes: I love them. They are my favorite type of cakes. Once you find a recipe that you like, stick with it! I found mine about 30 years ago and it's reliable, no matter what:

My Favorite Cheesecake Recipe
Six Cookie Crumb Crusts

Here are my tips:

You can use virtually any pan for a cheesecake: I usually leave the bottom part of the cheesecake pan on the cake. It's easy and there are not problems. HOWEVER, the next time I want to make a cheesecake, the bottom of the pan cannot be found. It's like that elusive sock that gets lost. No matter where you look, it is gone! I always make my favorite cheesecake for Christmas. One Christmas Eve, tired from wrapping and cooking, and talking, and wining, I reached for my cheesecake pan and no bottom! Mind you, I now have at least 6 cheesecake pans, and can't bear to throw away the ones with missing bottoms. The minute I do, the bottom will appear. What did I use that Christmas Eve? A cast iron skillet! I declare that was the best cheesecake I ever made and the bottom of the pan certainly did not get lost.
Always put a small pan of water in the bottom of your oven while baking your cheesecake. Technically, it's called a water bath, but don't bathe your cheesecake. The pan of water provides humidity and keeps the cheesecake from drying out or cracking too much. Mine sometimes crack anyway, but no one has ever complained. Leave the pan in the oven until the water has cooled; it can slosh and burn you, otherwise. There are brave folks out there who put their cheesecake pan into a larger pan of water. I'm not one of them. Putting the pan of water in the oven seems good enough.
Your cheesecake should still "wiggle" a bit when it comes out of the oven. Don't wait until all the wiggle is gone; it won't be nearly as good. The texture will be more grainy than creamy.
Put your cheesecake in a fairly warm environment to cool off. I usually put mine on the stovetop or near the stove. If it cools too quickly, it will definitely crack. Let it cool completely before transferring it to the fridge.
To cut your cheesecake: Unless you've already grabbed a fork and are digging in, use a hot knife. I keep a glass of hot water near and dip the knife in periodically. You can spray the knife with cooking spray too, but that's not convenient when cutting many slices.

Which onion to use?

10/26/2020

Yellow Onions
Great all-purpose use for:

soups and stews
casseroles
sauces
roasting with meat and chicken

White Onions
Sharp and crunchy to use for:

salsa
saute with other vegetables

Purple or Red Onions
Peppery and delicious to use for:

sandwiches and burgers
guacamole
pickling
salads

Sweet Onions (Vidalia / Texas 1015)
Sweet as sugar and great for:

onion rings
frying
baking
roasting

Shallots
Lovely and mild, perfect for:

salads
salad dressings,
garnishes

Perfect Meringue

10/16/2020

Ingredients
4 egg whites (room temperature)
1/2 cup sifted sugar
dash salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps

Put egg whites in a ceramic mixing bowl. Do NOT use a metal or plastic bowl. Beat with a whisk or mixer until soft peaks form when you lift the beater up (turn the mixer off first, of course).
Gradually beat in sugar, salt and flavoring.
Spoon meringue evenly over pie, but not too smooth. Spread well to edge, so it won't shrink.
Bake in preheated 425 degree oven until delicately brown - about 5 minutes.
To cut easily, dip knife in hot water.
If meringue "weeps," too much sugar was used or sugar was too coarse. If meringue shrinks or is tough, the oven was too slow.

Never let things boil over again!!
The solution: a wooden spoon!
Place the wooden spoon over the top of an open (not lidded) pot of boiling soup, pasta, rice, etc. and it won't boil over. I have no idea how this works - it's just magic.

Soup Too Salty? Too spicy?

10/9/2020

Added too much salt to your soup?
Too much spice?
Here's the cure: a big slice of potato or apple. Just throw it in and leave for awhile, but not long enough to cook. If it starts to get soft, the salt or spice will go right back into the soup. Try it!

Seafood Marinade

10/9/2020

Beer poured over seafood is a good marinade.
It makes for a flaky texture!
Marinade at leas an hour in the refrigerator.

Is it done Yet?

10/4/2020

Yeast Breads:

Make sure your pan is in the middle of the oven and leave some space around pans, if baking more than one.
Tap the crust lightly with your knuckles - listen for a hollow sound. It's done!

Quick Breads and Cakes:

When a wooden pick or a cake tester inserted in the thickest part comes out clean, with no crumbs, it's done!
If your quick bread - like banana bread, etc. has a crack down the middle, don't check for doneness in this crack. Try right next to it.
Most will pull away from the sides of the pan a bit when done.

Measuring

10/4/2020

Liquid Ingredients:

To correctly measure, put the cup on a sturdy, level surface. Don't hold it up in the air!
If the recipe calls for 1/8 cup, you can just use 2 tablespoons instead.
For honey or syrup, lightly grease the measuring cup, making it easy to remove the ingredient and get a more accurate measurement. (Works for jelly or jam too!)

Solid Ingredients:

1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup = 1/4 pound (1 stick - 8 tablespoons)
Whipped butter or margarine or is not an equal substitute.

Dry Ingredients:

Powdered (confectioner's) sugar and cake flour are light and pack down easily, making for difficulty measuring. Sift them first into a bowl, then measure.
Same as liquids: 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons.
Liquid measuring cups don't work so well with dry ingredients.
Pack down brown sugar into your measuring cup or spoon.
For breadcrumbs, oats, cornmeal - pour into the measuring cup, then tap lightly and level off with a knife or spoon.

Random Tips...

10/1/2020

Corn:

Use a CLEAN shoe horn to remove corn kernels from the cob!
A dampened paper towel will help remove the silks from an ear of corn.

Cupcakes:

Frost cupcakes in half the time by dipping the top of the cupcake into soft frosting, twirling slightly, and then quickly turning right-side up.

Eggs:

Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water when you poach eggs. It helps set the whites so they do not spread throughout the water.

Frying Bacon and Other Meat:

To prevent fat splashing when frying meat, sprinkle a little salt into the pan before putting the meat in.
Soak bacon a few minutes in cold water before placing in skillet. This will lessen the tendency to shrink and curl.

Marshmallows:

When you cut marshmallows, dip your scissors in a glass of confectioner's sugar or hot water to keep them from sticking.
Use a fork for stirring small amounts of dry ingredients and a spoon for stirring liquid ingredients.

Milk:

heating milk, rinse the pan with cold water to prevent scorching and sticking.

Muffins:

Muffins come out of the tins easily, if the hot pan is put straight from the oven onto a wet dish towel.

Onions:

You won't have as many tears when cutting onions, if you put the onions in the freezer for 4 to 5 minutes before slicing.

Potatoes:

Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes before baking will bake more rapidly.
Sweet potatoes will not turn dark if put in salted water (5 teaspoons to a quart of water) immediately after peeling.
A thin slice cut from each end of a potato will speed up baking time.

Rice:

A few drops of lemon juice added to a pot of simmering rice keeps the grains from sticking together.

Shrimp:

To make a small amount of shrimp go further in a casserole or other dish, split large, fat shrimp horizontally. The shrimp flavor permeates the mixture more thoroughly when you slice them this way.

Don't have it? Substitute!

9/27/2020

Don't have that ingredient? Just substitute!
Here are some common ones:

1 cup buttermilk = 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar + 1 cup milk
1 cup honey = 1/3 cup water + 1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup = 1 cup sugar + 3/4 cup water
1 cup sour cream = 1 cup plain Green yogurt
1 cup heavy cream = 1/3 cup melted butter + 3/4 cup milk (Don't try to whip this!)
1 cup butter = 1 cup applesauce (I learned this trick from a dietician! It works in baked goods.)
1 teaspoon vanilla = 1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 egg = 1/2 banana or 1/4 cup apple sauce
1 cup cake flour = 1 cup regular flour minus 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons cornstarch (whisk)
1 cup self-rising flour = 2 cups all-purpose flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder & 1/2 teaspoon salt (whisk)

How's your cake?

9/27/2020

I have been baking since I was old enough to hold a spoon. Mama somehow did not trust me with helping out with other dishes. However, helping to bake cakes, pies, and especially, cookies, was on my agenda at a young age. I say, especially cookies, because although she loved all things sweet, she was not that fond of cookies.

However, there were a couple of store bought ones that my parents loved. Daddy loved Nabisco Fig Newtons and Mama loved Nabisco Pinwheels, the Grand Queen of all store cookies. Pinwheels consisted of a wafer with jam on top, then a thick layer of marshmallow, topped off with the whole thing covered in chocolate. She claimed it to be her downfall. Nabisco still makes both. All cookies are my downfall; I never met a cookie without eating it!
My cake baking tips are cloaked with all sorts of humorous memories. If you just want the facts, then jump to the bottom and there is a SHORT LIST.

Problem-solving tips for baking cakes: Keep your cake smooth, not cracked on top. Put your cake on a middle rack in the oven. That keeps it from forming a crusty top too quickly.

Make sure your cake is done! For most cakes, insert a cake tester (a utensil that will immediately disappear after you use it), a wooden skewer, a knife, or a toothpick and see if it comes out clean. If it does, it is done. My Grannie Annie used to yank a straw from her broom and use it! If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it has batter clinging to it, leave the cake to cook a bit more. Watch it carefully, baking too long will make your cake dry. (This is NOT the way to test cheesecakes!)
Do not be tempted to open that oven door and check on your cake too soon. Do that and your cake will sink like the Titanic.
Keep it moist - use the correct amount of baking powder. Too much and your dessert will be a desert. A pinch or a dab usually will not work when baking.
Fluffy is desirable for cakes, towels, cat, and blankets. Bringing all ingredients to room temperature makes for a fluffier cake!
I have been known to bake on a whim, not carefully planning out my ingredients ahead of time. If there is no CAKE FLOUR at your house, here is a substitute: Take 1 cups of regular or all purpose flour. Remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Sift two or three times and use in place of cake flour.
Mother, the patron saint of patience, would curse when trying to remove cakes from their pans. Mama only had one curse word in her vernacular: Sh@t. She claimed it was acceptable to say it, because her mother used it only when sewing. Mama used it while sewing, but expanded it to baking, as well. You have to understand that she thought fart and poot were bad words! Needless to say, once old enough, I made it my life mission to learn every curse word I could. Really, I only had to sneak in the room when someone from the shipyard called Daddy with a problem. Believe me, Daddy knew more than one curse word! Lining or greasing your cake pans means less sticking. Mama always did both! She greased the pans with butter, then put a layer of waxed paper on top of that. Be advised, you will have to peel the waxed paper off the bottom of the cake. Nope, not for me. You can use parchment (baking) paper.
Want a cake that has risen well? Preheating your oven will do the trick!
After filling your cake pans with batter, gently tap them on the counter to release air bubbles. This eliminates those spongy holes in your cakes.
Do not try to put frosting, icing, or even glazes on a hot cake! Do not even remove that cake from the pan while hot; let it cool on a rack. That is, unless you can't wait and will be satisfied with eating it straight from the pan! Shhh; I never did that! Some people even freeze their cakes a bit before frosting them. Surely, they don't have family members whining to eat cake NOW?
Once your batter is all mixed, put it straight away into your cake pans. If it sits in the mixing bowl for awhile, this may cause it to not rise enough. You are not baking bread...
If your cake recipe begins with the words, "Beat the sugar and softened butter together", then do it and do it well. Thoroughly mixing these helps create a smoother cake texture.
Problems with sink-holes? If your cake sinks in the middle, then your oven temperature may not have been consistent or high enough. Did you peek too many times? You could have cooled off the oven just enough to cause a sink hole!
Here is a trick to prevent crumbs all in the icing! Do a crumb-coating. With a rubber spatula, put a thin layer of icing all around the areas of the cake. Let it cool in the fridge for 15 minutes, then bring it out and finish icing it. The crumbs will stick to the first coating and will not appear in the final product. I feel like this is an art. If you are a normal person, you may need to practice this a bit.

Short List

Make sure your cake is done! Insert a cake tester, a wooden skewer, a knife, or a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it has batter clinging to it, leave the cake to cook a bit more. Watch it carefully, baking too long will make your cake dry. (This is NOT the way to test cheesecakes!)
Do not be tempted to open that oven door and check on your cake too soon. Do that and your cake will sink like the Titanic.
Keep it moist; use the correct amount of baking powder. Too much and your dessert will be a desert.
Bringing all ingredients to room temperature makes for a fluffier cake!
If there is no CAKE FLOUR at your house, here is a substitute: Take 1 cup of regular or all purpose flour. Remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Sift two or three times and use in place of cake flour. By this time, you probably will have discovered that you have no cornstarch either and will just get in the car and drive to the store.
Lining or greasing your cake pans means less sticking. You can use parchment (baking) paper or waxed paper.
Preheating your oven helps your cake to rise properly.
After filling your cake pans with batter, gently tap them on the counter to release air bubbles. This eliminates those spongy holes in your cakes.
Don't try to ice or frost a warm cake. Do not even remove that cake from the pan while hot; let it cool on a rack.
Once your batter is all mixed, put it straight away into your cake pans. If it sits in the mixing bowl for awhile, it may not rise enough.
Beat the sugar and softened butter together well, if called for in a recipe. Thoroughly mixing these helps create a smoother cake texture.
If your cake sinks in the middle, then your oven temperature was not consistent or high enough. Do not open that oven door too much.
Do a crumb-coating, putting a think layer of icing on the cake first. Cool it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, then finish icing it. Crumbs will stick to the first coating and will not appear in the final product.

Don't Pour Out the Pasta Water!

6/3/2019

You know that starchy, cloudy water you pour from the cooked pasta? Don't pour it out - it is SO useful. Drain some of your pasta water into a saucepan. Reserve and add a little at a time to your sauce to make it smoother!

Mashed, Not Mushy Potatoes!

6/1/2019

First , start with cold water and add salt. If you add your potatoes to hot water, they will not cook evenly. Drain them VERY well - water will make them mushy! Dump them back into the cooking pot to mash them - it keeps them warm!
Do you like to add cream, milk, or butter? Warm the additions BEFORE adding so the potatoes absorb the flavorings and don't cool off too soon.

For goodness sakes, don't mash them with a blender, food processor, or mixer. Just use a plain ole' potato masher by hand. The more you work with the potatoes, the more mushy and starchy they become.
Make mashed potatoes at the last minute. Potatoes don't like to wait for anyone - they give up their tastiness! If you must make them ahead of time, stick them in a crock pot on warm and fluff them before serving.

Lemons - The Secret Spice!

5/30/2019

Lemons are my secret weapon in cooking. A bit of lemon zest or juice will perk up anything from a cold pasta salad to a glass of sparkling water and all things in between. I add lemon zest and juice to chicken soup, mashed potatoes, baked chicken, sauces, etc. Just try it in your favorite recipes to give them some "sass!"
And here's another tip: A few drops of lemon juice added to a pot of simmering rice keeps the grains from sticking together.

Never Burn Butter Again!

5/26/2019

Have you ever placed that butter in the pan, turned away for just a few seconds? Wham! It's burned, tastes nasty, and smells worse. I love cooking with butter, but avoided it for years because I always seemed to burn it. Here's the trick: just replace about 1/3 of your required butter with olive oil. The mixture of the oil with the butter keeps it from burning so quickly. Hooray!

The Best Iced Tea or "Ice Tea"

5/12/2019

You say "iced tea" - I say "ice tea"... I'm from the deep South and we say ice tea!
Here's the best way to make said tea:

Put 4 or 5 tea bags or tablespoons of loose tea in a quart jar (I prefer glass.) of room temperature water.
Place in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove tea bags or leaves and it's ready!

Substitute Regular Flour for Cake Flour

4/14/2019

Take 1 cups of regular or all purpose flour.
Remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Sift 2 or 3 times and use in place of cake flour.

Perfect Boiled Eggs

4/1/2019

Put eggs in a single layer in a pot of cold water, just covering the eggs.
Turn burner to high and bring water to a rapid boil.
Boil for 1 minute, then immediately turn off burner and remove pot from heat.
Leave eggs in hot water for about 12 to 14 minutes. No more!
Pour off the hot water in the pot and replace it with cool or cold water. Let the eggs cool completely before peeling.

Additional tips:

If you're one of those cooks who puts the eggs straight into the boiling water, you can prevent cracking by wetting the shells before you put the eggs in the water.
Test for hard boiled eggs: if they spin on the counter, they are done. If they fall over, they're still a little raw.
Psst...I really don't like boiled eggs, unless they are in potato salad!

Kitchen and Cooking Tips