Cooking Methods

Don’t have a cake scraper? Use this unexpected kitchen item to help get those sides super smooth.

The secret to perfectly even graham cracker crusts? Check your kitchen cabinets.

The result? Rich and chocolatey brownies made just for you.

You can toast coconut on the stovetop, in the oven, and even in the microwave!

This is how you can fix it and prevent it in the future!

Turns out a rind has so much more potential than flavoring soups and sauces.

It's simple to make and you can add it to so many different things!

This is absolutely the best method for the crispiest, crunchiest, and most tender sprouts!

We're going to make this super easy for you!

The flour you choose affects your ultimate outcome. Learn how bleached versus unbleached flour makes a difference in baked goods like cookies, cakes, breads, and more.

Whether you're deep-frying or pan-frying, these are the best oils to use for crispy, golden perfection.

Learn how to tell when homemade breads are fully cooked with these tips.

This method simply yielded the best of everything: a perfectly crispy exterior with a fluffy interior.

You'll wish you thought of this one sooner!

This is a game-changing tip!

Butter brings the flavor, but here's how it can bring crunch, chew, and more.

Not to be dramatic, but the results were kind of mind-blowing.

The perfect snack for your holiday road trip!

Just like the professionals!

Espresso powder and instant espresso provide nuanced flavors in rich, chocolatey baked goods. Learn the best swaps here.

This is a foolproof method for melting chocolate in the microwave

Here's what you need to know as we head into cookie season.

Avoid these mistakes and you'll have holiday cookies to reach for all season long.

The secret for successful holiday baking? Always be prepared.

I love this for me.

Ready to get baking with apples this fall? Pick one of these five varieties for the best results.

No awkwardly cut foil strips required.

Forgot to plan ahead? No problem.

These are the best ways to keep your brown sugar soft so it's always ready.

They're not always interchangeable.

Take things to the next level.

This is the one baking rule you should break!

Simple and effective!

The secret to picture-perfect pie crust is all about patience and a little bit of technique.

Here's why it's such a smart tip.

Accept no imitations: Caramelizing onions at home is easy to do. You just need a few onions, a pat of butter, a pan, and some time.

Who doesn't love a new hack!

"Whether it’s cookies, cakes, or brownies, the type of pan you use has a big impact on how your desserts bake," content creator Benjamin the Baker revealed.

I can't believe I wasn't doing this sooner!

A winning chicken dinner for adults and kids alike.

No more guesswork.

Plus, the best way to use each of them.

We tested an easy way to remove the husks and silk from corn on the cob in the microwave, and the results were startling. Learn about this technique and whether it works here.

No special tools required!

Are you baking with coconut oil yet?

Knowing when you can stop kneading the dough is among the more mysterious aspects of baking bread. Sure, it’s no longer a wobbly mess of bubble-gummy dough, but is it really done? To find out, there are ways to tell whether the dough is ready after kneading it for 10-12 minutes by hand or 8-10 minutes in a mixer. Here are a few clues to look for. The point of kneading dough is to strengthen the gluten, which are the stringy bands of proteins that give bread its structure and texture.

This tiny step will make your wings so much better.

Prettier loaves ahead!

A member of the kelp family, kombu is a seaweed that makes for a versatile pantry ingredient, providing dishes with umami flavor, nutrients, and minerals. While most kombu comes from Hokkaidō, Japan, it is also cultivated in Korea, where it is known as dashima, and China, where it is known as haidai. (Maine kelp is similar and can be substituted for kombu.) Dried kombu can be used to make Japanese dashi (a savory broth), added to beans to make them more digestible, and eaten in salads.

A versatile ingredient, its unique flavors and consistency is great in soups, salads, and more.

A reader recently asked about substituting gelatin leaf (called for in one of the recipes) with powdered gelatin, and the thing is, none of us really knew for sure! Hear our thoughts below – care to weigh in?First off, all three of these products are derived from the same source – animal collagen. When heated slowly, collagen in the skin, bones, and connective tissue of an animal breaks down into gelatin, which can then be used to set liquids into jellies.

Oils, applesauce, and yogurt will all work in a pinch.

When it’s time for fall and winter baking, dark, sticky molasses gets pulled out from the back of my cabinet. There’s no replacement for the sweet, almost smoky flavors it adds to cookies and cakes, like chewy molasses cookies and dark molasses gingerbread cake, plus it plays oh-so-nicely with winter spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Molasses comes in different forms and each has its taste, use, and way of making it.

Avoid these missteps and you'll be on the path to puff pastry perfection.

I don’t bake with yeast all that often, but I always reach for the packets of dry yeast when I do. But what about those little cakes of fresh yeast, the ones professional bakers are always talking about? It was time to find out more about fresh (or cake) yeast, and see what the fuss was all about. How is it different from dried yeast, is it easy to use, and would breads made from fresh yeast taste better?

More and more of us are discovering what a fantastic ingredient concentrated miso paste can be in our daily cooking – and not just for soup! Happily, many major stores have caught on and are starting to carry a variety of traditional misos to choose from. There are different types of misos and each is made from soybeans that have been fermented with either rice, barley or other grains. The real question is: how to choose?

It's super-easy and the fish doesn't stick to the grill.

Take your baked goods to the next level.

And why it matters.

Star anise just may be the most unique and fun-looking spice in the pantry. But it's more than just good looks.