With so many of us heeding orders to stay at home in these times, a lot of us are rediscovering — or perhaps just learning about — kitchen basics. We’re cooking and baking in greater numbers now than we have in decades. And not without reason.
We all have to eat.
So I’ve decided to start sharing daily cooking and baking posts, along with handy kitchen tips. Whether you’re new to the kitchen, or feel a bit rusty when it comes to a particular skill or technique, I hope to help with these posts. And if you’re looking for any particular information or recipe, contact me and I’ll do my best to help you out, or point you to the right resource. You can reach me at: noelle@noellecarterfood.com.
Baking powder and soda. Along with yeast and manual aeration, they’re the components — the leaveners — in recipes that help your cookies, breads, cakes and other delicious baked goods rise. In short, they’re kind of magical in the kitchen.
Well, so long as they’re fresh.
Ever have a cake turn up flat, or made doughnuts that failed to rise? Like many ingredients, baking powder and soda lose their effectiveness as they age. And there’s nothing worse than having a special dessert fail because the leaveners weren’t any good.
Because of this, it’s good to buy both baking powder and soda in small quantities, and label when you first open them so you know how long they’ve been in service (baking powder is especially fickle, and can start to lose its freshness just a few months after opening).
Additionally, there are simple ways to test both of these ingredients for freshness:
To test baking powder, place a teaspoon or so of powder in a small bowl or measuring cup of hot water. If it’s active, it will begin to bubble and fizz; if there’s no reaction, it’s time to buy some more.
To test baking soda, place a teaspoon or so of soda in a small bowl or measuring cup with a few tablespoons of vinegar. Like the powder, if the soda is active, it will immediately start to fizz; if there’s little to no reaction, it’s time to buy some more. (Even if it’s inactive, don’t throw the soda out; keep the container in the fridge, and it will help to neutralize odors for a few weeks.)
Once you’re satisfied with your leaveners, go forth and bake! You can start with this recipe for Salted caramel shortbread bars; your baking powder will give the rich and buttery shortbread just enough lift to make it flaky and delicate.
