Holiday Baking Tips | Ayre & Oxford Inc. | Professional Real Estate Management

The holidays are around the corner and many of us are getting ready to bake. If you’re hoping to find some tips, you’re in luck. We’ve got eight tips to help your holiday baking go smoothly.

Soften hard butter easily by cutting into smaller pieces and letting it sit. For extra smooth and soft butter, create a sauna with a little boiling water and a glass. Boil water and place in a glass cup. Dump water after 5 minutes, then place the glass over the butter stick until softened.
Cookie dough can be refrigerated for a couple of days or frozen for a couple of weeks. Whether you’re chilling or freezing, roll your dough into a log and wrap with plastic wrap or pre-portion the dough and seal in an airtight container.
Use the freshest ingredients. Test your baking powder and soda before using. Fresh baking powder will bubble in water and fresh baking soda will bubble in vinegar.
Forgot to take out the eggs before baking? When a recipe calls for room temperature eggs, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to take the chill out.
Run out of room to cool your treats? Use an ironing board to cool cake pans, cookie sheets, and more. You’ll save your counter space and keep those hot dishes away from the oven.
When baking a one-crust pie, the crust always cooks faster than the filling. Use a tinfoil shield to protect the crust from burning. Wrap foil around the rim of the pie and lightly crimp it over the pan. Remove tinfoil 20 minutes before the pie is done.
Roll out cookie dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Flour the parchment, then place the dough mound on it. Flour the top of the dough, then place parchment over it. Roll the dough out until it starts to stick to the paper. Flour again, then flip over and roll the opposite side until you’re happy with the thickness.
Flip your cookie cutters for unique designs. A gingerbread man cookie cutter turned upside down makes a great reindeer face. A snowman upside down can be an elf girl or boy, and star cutters can be Santas.