The Clueless Baker. Evelyn Raab

oz. (28 g) semisweet chocolate

      3 tbsp. (45 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tbsp. (15 ml) vegetable oil or melted butter + 1 tbsp. (15 ml) sugar

      1 oz. (28 g) unsweetened chocolate + 1 tbsp. (15 ml) sugar

      2 tbsp. (30 ml) semisweet chocolate chips

      1 cup (250 ml) semisweet chocolate chips

      6 oz. (170 g) semisweet chocolate chunks or bar

      1 whole egg

      2 egg whites + 1 tsp. (5 ml) vegetable oil

      2 egg yolks + 1 tbsp. (15 ml) water

      ¼ cup (60 ml) egg mixture (real egg or substitute)

      1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil

      1 cup (250 ml) butter or margarine

      1 cup (250 ml) solid vegetable shortening

      1 cup (250 ml) lard

      1 tsp. (5 ml) baking powder

      ½ tsp. (2 ml) cream of tartar + ¼ tsp. (1 ml) baking soda

      1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk

      1 cup (250 ml) plain yogurt

      1 tbsp. (15 ml) lemon juice or vinegar + milk to equal 1 cup (250 ml)

      1 cup (250 ml) sour cream

      3 tbsp. (45 ml) butter + buttermilk or yogurt to equal 1 cup (250 ml)

      1 cup (250 ml) Greek-style yogurt

      1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar

      1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar + 2 tbsp. (30 ml) molasses

      1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar (with no molasses, flavor will be different)

      1 cup (250 ml) corn syrup

      1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar + ¼ cup (60 ml) water

      1 cup (250 ml) honey

      1 cup (250 ml) maple syrup

      1 cup (250 ml) molasses

      1 cup (250 ml) honey or corn syrup (flavor will be different)

      1 cup (250 ml) cake and pastry flour

      1 cup (250 ml) minus 2 tbsp. (30 ml) all-purpose flour

      1 tsp. (5 ml) allspice

      Equal parts cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to total 1 tsp. (5 ml)

      The Basics About Some Basics

      What kind of sugar, exactly? How big an egg? How much salt? Here are a few additional details you may need to know before you begin baking.

      Eggs

      Whenever eggs appear in a recipe, we mean standard large eggs. White or brown or blue — shell color doesn’t affect the taste, so just choose whatever best matches your décor. Freshness counts — a fresh egg will separate more easily, and beat up fluffier.

      If small or medium eggs are on sale, you can use them instead of large eggs: one large egg measures about ¼ cup (60 ml). Crack your small or medium eggs into a measuring cup so you can tell how many eggs you’ll need to use in your recipe. For a recipe that calls for 2 eggs, you’ll need to use a total of ½ cup (125 ml) liquid egg.

      Butter

      We love butter. Because it tastes wonderful. Because it bakes beautifully. And because it’s a natural product. Unsalted butter is preferred for baking since it allows you to control the amount of salt in the finished product. If, for any reason, you wish to avoid butter, you can substitute margarine for butter in most recipes. The results will be similar, but the flavor may be slightly different.

      Margarine

      Look for margarine that is trans-fat free and buy the best quality that you can afford. If you prefer to avoid dairy ingredients, be sure to read the label carefully: milk ingredients in food products may be hidden in the ingredient list — look for lactase, casein, whey and milk solids, which are all secret code words for milk. If you see the word pareve on the label, you can be sure the product contains no milk or other animal ingredients.

      Sugar

      When a recipe calls for granulated sugar, that means ordinary white sugar. Comes in bags or cartons. The usual stuff. If a recipe requires brown sugar, you can use either light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown contains more molasses and has a stronger flavor; light brown (or golden brown) is milder but still flavorful — use whichever one you like. You may occasionally come across a recipe that calls for caster sugar. This is a finely granulated sugar often used in British recipes. You can substitute “instant dissolving” or “fruit sugar” for caster sugar, or just use regular granulated sugar — it’ll work out fine either way.

      Salt

      Oddly enough, a pinch of salt can bring out the sweetness in a sweet recipe. Other than that, it has no scientific purpose when you’re baking cookies or cakes, so add it if you want or leave it out. In savory (nonsweet) recipes — bread or focaccia, for example — salt really does enhance the flavor, and I recommend that you use it when called for in the ingredient list, although you can adjust the amount of salt to suit your taste.

      Whipping cream or heavy cream

      We’re talking cream with a butterfat content of about 35 percent. The luscious stuff that whips into fluffy clouds of deliciousness. If you’re not planning to whip the cream, however, you can usually substitute a lower fat cream (10, 15 or 18 percent), if you prefer.

      Flour

      Is nothing ever simple? You’ll definitely need flour. But what kind of flour? Or didn’t you know you had a choice?

      For general baking purposes, we mean wheat flour. It’s made from (surprise!) wheat and is available in many different types. Each type is best suited for a specific purpose.

      Here is a list of the most commonly used types of wheat flour:

      All-purpose white flour is the most widely available kind of flour. It comes in small bags or in bulk and is sold under many different brand names. If the bag says nothing else (such as unbleached or whole wheat), you can assume you’ve got all-purpose white flour. This product has been milled; the bran has been sifted out; and the flour has been bleached by chemical means to make it dazzlingly white. Vitamins and whatnot are added to replace some of the nutrients that were lost in the refining process. As the name suggests, all-purpose white flour is suitable for most baking purposes unless the recipe specifies another type of flour.

      All-purpose unbleached white flour is white flour that hasn’t been subjected to a bleaching process and therefore remains creamy white in color. All-purpose unbleached white flour can be used in any recipe that calls for all-purpose flour. Some people prefer to use it because it has undergone less processing than bleached flour.

      Cake and pastry flour is made from soft wheat — a variety of wheat that has a lower gluten (see below) and protein content. It’s often recommended for baking cakes and pastry, where you’re more interested in lightness and fluffiness than in sturdiness. With only one exception, regular all-purpose flour is perfectly adequate for every recipe in this book. The one exception is Angel Food Cake, which is just delicate enough to require cake and pastry flour.

      Whole wheat flour is milled kernels of hulled whole wheat. Period. Nothing has been taken out. The outside layer of bran and the wheat germ are both left in the flour. Whole wheat flour is darker in color than white flour, and has a hearty wheat flavor and a coarser texture. It contains all the nutrients found in wheat and provides a hefty dose of fiber. Use whole wheat flour by itself or mixed with white flour when baking breads or cookies — you may want to experiment with different combinations until you find a mixture that you like. Whole wheat flour should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer