The little building blocks which go into cakes, breads, cookies, cream
puffs and flaky pies, the staples from a baker's pantry. I must confess, I bake
purely for the fun of it, the science behind it is something I try
(hard) to learn just enough to get by. There isn't much of science here, just some bits and pieces from a
no-geek, self taught, still-learning home-baker. Here is some info for the new baker about what is what,
compiled from various baking books
and sites. Also included is info about local sources and brands. As the list is way too big for one post, I have made
this into two. Lets go in alphabetical order. Most images are from the internet.
Almond meal : Very finely ground almonds (image below), not commonly available in India, these are used in macaroons,
cakes and cookies. You could make your own almond meal but as the nuts
release oil when ground, its a great deal of effort to get even a small quantity of
not-so-finely ground almonds.
For recipes where you need to use blanched
ground almonds, you need to blanch, peel, dry, grind almonds, sift it.
You are better off asking someone to get this for you. However, if I
am using ground almonds in a dark colored bake like
Queen Of Sheba or
Almond Brownies, I
do not bother blanching and peeling them. Just put the almonds in a plastic bag, bash to pieces with a rolling
pin and grind in very short spurts with part of the sugar in the recipe. Use the smallest jar of your blender.
Baking powder : The common chemical leavening agent, i.e, the
thing which causes your bakes to rise, get lightness and volume. It is
made of baking soda, acids like cream of tartar and sodium aluminum
sulphate and edible starch. The baking powder we get here is mostly double acting (mentioned on
the box), that is, it reacts twice. Once when it comes in contact with
the liquids (like milk, buttermilk, eggs, yogurt) when the batter is
mixed and then again when the batter is placed in the heat of the oven.
When baking powder comes in contact with liquids and again when its
subjected to the oven heat, carbon-di-oxide is produced, which further
expands in the heat, causing the batter to rise. Always remember to sift
the baking powder with the flour (unless otherwise specified in the
recipe) for even mixing.
Add just the specified amount of baking powder, adding too much will
make your bake bitter, your cake to rise too much and then fall.
Make sure your box comes with a
recent manufacturing date and is well closed after use. Its important to
protect the baking powder from humidity, so store in a cool, dry place.
Also buy a small box unless you are a professional baker. Replace your
box 6 months after you open it. To test the effectiveness of baking
powder, mix 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water .
The mixture should bubble immediately. If it does not, discard and get a
fresh pack. I use Weikfield most of the times.
If you come across aluminum free baking powder (like Rumford), grab it! Its
supposed to help avoid the metallic taste you sometimes experience in
some quick breads and also enhance the flavor of your bakes.
Baking soda
: This is bi carbonate of soda or sodium bi carbonate also called as cooking soda here. It gets leavening power with
the help of acids in the recipe, adds tenderness and color to baked
goods. Its used in recipes containing acidic ingredients like yogurt,
natural cocoa (not Dutch process), citrus juices, buttermilk, chocolate,
honey etc. It reacts immediately after its moistened when you mix the
batter, releasing carbon di oxide. So you must use the batter
immediately once mixed.
Baking soda has an indefinite shelf life if stored in a sealed
container and stored in a cool place. To test the effectiveness of
baking soda, mix 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons vinegar, the
mixture should bubble immediately. If it does not, discard and get a
fresh pack.
I use the small sachets we get as cooking soda in the supermarket.
Butter : When recipes call for butter, its usually the unsalted kind. Use
freshly packed butter, make sure its not smelly. I normally buy 200 gram
packs of Nandini unsalted butter available at super markets and milk
booths. I store it in the refrigerator and keep the needed quantity of
butter at room temperature (after cutting it into cubes) for about 1/2 hour to one hour to soften it
when a recipe calls for butter at room temperature. Butter should be
slightly cool to the touch and just pliable and not gooey or oily when
it reaches room temperature. You could soften butter in the
microwave, but a few seconds too much and you have melted butter!
Buttermilk: This is thick buttermilk which can be made by
mixing 2 parts of yogurt/ curd with one part water and whisked till
homogenous. Or add 2 teaspoons vinegar (white/distilled) to 120 ml/
half cup milk at room temperature and let stand undisturbed for 10
minutes. It will curdle, will remain thick. Whisk with and fork and use the needed
quantity.
Brown sugar (picture above) : This sugar adds a slight butterscotch flavor
and moisture to baked goods. Brown sugar could be light or dark brown
sugar, depending on the amount of molasses added to the sugar, changing
the taste slightly. Not to be confused with demerara sugar (which is also a kind of brown sugar
but coarse and large grained) good quality brown sugar dissolves quickly, is
fine grained and moist. Which is why recipes specify this ingredient in
packed measures as in 1 packed cup. Premium quality brown sugar (like Waitrose) is
quite expensive (and nice too!) .You could also make your own if you can lay your hands on
molasses (very expensive stuff again, at Godrej Nature's Basket). You could
mostly swap brown sugar for granulated white sugar, but there would be a
slight variation in the color, texture and taste of the end product.
Granulated sugar : This is the regular sugar we use. I mostly use
powdered sugar of the same weight as the sugar we get here doesn't
dissolve quickly.
Confectioner's sugar :Used in making meringues and icings.
This is finely ground sugar to which some amount of cornstarch has been
added to prevent clumping. You could substitute this with finely ground
sugar made at home. Sift before measuring as it clumps.
Caster Sugar : Super fine granulated white sugar which
dissolves quickly, relatively expensive. You could use powdered sugar in its place, but IMHO
creaming is better when you use caster sugar
. I use super fine sugar I get at Spar, its very reasonably priced and works well for me.
Demerara sugar :
Coarse, large grained golden colored granulated sugar above. If you ask for brown sugar at
your local super market, you will mostly be handed a pack of this. I
like to use this only as a crunchy topping and never in a cake or cookie
batter. It takes you forever to dissolve it, the results are not great.
Clarified butter: This is
ghee we normally stock in most Indian homes.
Chocolate: The path to chocolate heaven is paved with this! Chocolate can be dark, white or milk. The better the quality of chocolate, the better the taste of the end product. I have baked with only compound chocolate so far, I like the brand Morde. So far and I have had no real complaints with the taste. Couverture is chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter (32-39%)
and has more sheen and flavor when tempered. You can order this online
from
Delicious Now. Thanks to a dear friend, I must gloat that I now have some couverture chocolate with me (picture me rubbing my hands in glee!) and I just can't wait to use it!
Chocolatier and author Alice Medrich says, when chocolate is melted and used in cookies and brownies the cacao
percentage is really important for the right texture and moistness. But
when you are using them as chips or chunks in the batter, you can use
chocolate with any percentage of cacao. Cacao percentage is the
total of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor in the chocolate.
Meaning chocolate with higher cacao percentage, will be darker and have a
more assertive, more intense chocolate flavor, less sugar and less milk
solids, hence less sweet. She says success rates are higher when the
chocolate with the specified cacao percentage mentioned in the recipe is
used.
If a recipe calls for unsweetened chocolate and you use dark chocolate
with same amount of sugar, your cake will be sweeter. If you must substitute dark for bitter, try adding some
instant coffee to temper the sweetness instead of reducing the sugar. You may still find it on the sweeter side.
Cocoa
: This unsweetened powder made from cacao beans is not be
confused with drinking chocolate. What we mostly get here in India is
natural cocoa (on the right) as opposed to Dutch processed cocoa (on the left). Natural cocoa is
acidic. Dutch process cocoa is Dutched or alkalized to reduce its
acidity, looks reddish brown in color, is less bitter. As it is not
acidic, it must be used in recipes which have baking powder. It can
however be used in recipes if they have other acidic ingredients to help
the cocoa react and help leavening.
You can't use these
interchangeably unless a) you know what you are doing b) the recipes
specifies either kind is OK. I use Nilgiris brand of cocoa available at Nilgiris outlets here. Remember to sift
cocoa before measuring as it tends to be lumpy.
Cornflour : Also called as cornstarch. This is used in baking
for making cake flour and also becomes a substitute for eggs (when used
for binding purposes only) when mixed with warm water.
Cream of tartar
: Since Potassium hydrogen tartrate and Potassium bitartrate sound not
very friendly to me, I shall stick to the name cream of tartar. Don't be fooled,
this doesn't look or taste even very remotely like cream, this is
actually white powder like substance. Its a by-product of wine-making
and also a component of baking powder. This can be found in the aisles
of your supermarket with the rest of boring sounding ingredients like
MSG, CMC, gelatine etc. This is a wonderful ingredient to have on hand for whipping
egg whites. When added in the right quantity to egg whites, its
virtually impossible to over beat them.
Cheese - Mascarpone, ricotta, mozzarella, cream cheese,
cottage cheese, quark - just a few varieties of cheese which can up the
taste factor exponentially. Some as toppings and some as fillings and
some in the batter itself. With the exception of cottage cheese and
mozzarella, the rest of the clan sold in supermarkets is very
expensive. Cottage cheese is our very
desi paneer which
we are all familiar with. I made my own
mascarpone and was happy with the
results. It can
be used in ice creams or folded into some whipped cream and used as a
filling to make amazing cakes. Ricotta is the creamy dreamy cousin of cottage cheese, I made
this too and loved it! This is used in cakes, in calzones, puddings,
desserts etc. I like to use Amul mozzarella for my pizza.Though freshly made, churned
paneer / churned
paneer and yogurt is used as a substitute for cream cheese, I am still on the look-out
for a satisfactory substitute. Quark again is on the list to try.
Cream : When recipes
call for heavy cream or cream, I like to use Amul fresh cream which has
25% butterfat. Good heavy cream is not commonly available in India.
Heavy cream has 33-36% butterfat and when used in baking, it gives more
tenderness in your bakes, makes your mascarpone more luxurious, your
ice creams more creamy.
Having said that, though some local brands
available in the supermarket claim to have more butterfat, I would
prefer the quality and consistency of Amul. I normally do not use cream
from top of the milk for my baking or desserts. I stock 200 ml
tetra-packs of Amul. You could whip this but its a challenge specially when its hot.
Whipping cream:
This is meant for use as a topping for cakes and desserts, is mostly
sweetened. Its liquid and is stored frozen.
When whipped, it easily becomes airy and light. I get mine from IBCA
(Merry whip or Gold Top, Rich's is good too but difficult to get a kg pack nearby), a kilo lasts a long time!
I normally open the
pack, divide the contents among 2-3 freezer safe containers and return
to the freezer immediately, store it for about 3 months (hoping and
praying there aren't any historical, long power-cuts). I simply thaw the
needed quantity in the fridge overnight and use. Since its sweetened,
this may not be ideal when you mix more sweet stuff into the cream. Maybe Amul for that?
Half and half : Is half milk and half
cream. We do not get anything labelled as half and half here, so I just
use half whole milk and half Amul cream for recipes which call for half
and half.
Sour cream: Unless using it for making pastry
like quick puff pastry and the kind (the fat really matters here) You
could easily substitute this
with yogurt.
Creme Fraiche : Made by mixing cream and buttermilk and letting it stand at room temperature for 24 hours, this ingredient is quite expensive (at Godrej Nature's Basket). Make your own, its delicious as a topping on fresh fruit and you could use it in baking too. Unlike sour cream, this can be whipped and doesn't curdle when heated. Recipe
here
Coconut - dessicated / shredded / flaked : A common staple in
most South Indian homes. Make super easy
macaroons or
tuiles or
use them in cookies and cakes. Dessicated coconut is also called as
coconut powder here. Some supermarkets and baking stores stock these.
When a recipe calls for shredded coconut, I use grated
copra. Check for
these again at our baking stores or peel your own
copra (ouch!!) and
grate it. Store it in the fridge or freezer as it turn smelly pretty
fast.
Eggs : I have a couple of hens at home which supply me
with eggs on a daily basis...you got to believe me ;) Though, hubby keeps
telling me it may not be a bad idea considering I buy eggs too often. I
weigh eggs and use as there is no packing based on size or weight. One
large egg is 48 grams without shell, one large yolk is 18 grams and one
egg white is 30 grams.
Egg Replacer: Good news for those who do not want to use eggs in baking! A natural egg replacer made with potato starch
and other ingredients, its supposed to work well in place of eggs...but
may not be a great idea for bakes such as chiffon cakes or flourless
cakes. Available here at MK Retail and Godrej Nature's Basket as Orgran
No Egg. At Rs. 310 to replace 66 eggs, a reasonable product to buy. Soon
to be tried!
Essence/extract: Essence is mostly synthetic. Extracts and oils are natural. I
used to use synthetic vanilla essence (still do in an emergency) but
have now switched to
real vanilla extract.
Extracts and oils give better flavor and aroma to your bakes and
desserts, so once you spoil yourself with these, you will look down upon
the synthetic ones. Be wary of cheap imitations specially ones like
pistachio, coconut and fruity ones likes mango and strawberry. Nilgiris,
Brigade Road has some good brands (Black White, La Belle Vie) of essences like pista,
coffee, strawberry.
Food color: A drop or a streak of this in your
cake batter or piping gel or creamy desserts to play with colors. Or to
dress up and paint your Christmas cookies. I like to use gel color from
Wilton, a small pack goes a long way. You could get some liquid colors of Black White brand at
Nilgiris, Brigade Road and IBCA too. But Wilton is the best for all the colors and shades. Use a fresh toothpick to take out a tiny bit of color, dip the toothpick in your batter and swirl. Use a fresh toothpick for more color. Stay away from the powder colors locally available.
Can see you stifling a yawn, promise we reach the end of the boring but necessary post soon!
Flour : The very basic ingredient in almost all bakes. Flour normally refers to All Purpose Flour or
maida. Use freshly packed flour, sieve it with other dry ingredients like salt, baking powder and soda for even mixing.
Cake flour : To make cake flour, measure out a cup of plain flour (scoop in the flour into the cup and
level method) or 130 grams, taken out 2 tablespoons of flour, added 2 tablespoons
cornflour. This makes one cup of cake flour. Sift 3-4 times. If you can find good quality cake flour where you live, do use it.
Bread flour
: This is also called as strong flour and is used in yeasted breads.
Adding this to whole wheat breads makes the bread lighter in texture. To
make bread flour at home, I add one tablespoon vital wheat gluten to
every cup of All Purpose flour or whole wheat flour as
Champa does.
Self rising flour: Used in cakes mostly, this can be made by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to each cup / 130 grams of All purpose flour. I normally do not add additional baking powder and soda to the recipe again (worked fine for me in the
Cappuccino Muffins and
Jaffa Drizzle Loaf Cake). Packaged self rising flour is available at some stores including Nilgiris, but have never used it so far.
Please note: The above information can at best be described as brief and just enough for a beginner to get acquainted. There is enough and more on all the above ingredients if you seek..please do if you wish,
the sky is the limit!
For Part 2 - Please check this post