Basic Techniques

To prepare pans:
To prepare a pan for baking so that your baked item does not stick, you can butter, flour, and/or line the pan with parchment paper.

> To butter a pan, place a small amount of soft butter on a piece of waxed paper and spread the butter over the bottom and sides of the pan.

> To flour a pan, add two tablespoons flour to the buttered pan and tilt and shake the pan so the flour adheres to the butter. Turn the pan over, tap it on a work surface, and discard the extra flour.

> To line a pan with parchment paper, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit. This means greasing the pan with butter, then pressing the parchment paper around the pan, which will give you guidelines for cutting the paper.

*Check out our videos page for more info on preparing pans.

To cream butter and sugar:
Creaming together butter and sugar creates a light, airy mixture that helps leaven the baked item and creates a more tender texture. The butter should be at cool room temperature: too cold and it is difficult to cream and aerate; to warm and the mixture will be dense and greasy. An electric mixture is easiest, but a wooden spoon can be used as well.

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, or using firm strokes with the spoon, cream the butter and sugar. The mixture should be pale yellow and fluffy, and the sugar should be dissolved. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl a few times when mixing.

*Check out our videos page for more info on creaming butter and sugar.

To beat eggs until foamy:
In a sturdy bowl, using a balloon whisk, beat the whole eggs until they appear foamy and aerated.

To cream yolks and sugar:
Creaming together egg yolks and sugar, like creaming butter and sugar, is a way to add air to your baked item. Sugar can "burn" your egg yolks, forming granular lumps, so never add sugar to egg yolks until just before you are ready to use the creamed mixture.

1. In a sturdy bowl, using a regular or balloon whisk, a handheld mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip together the egg yolks and sugar vigorously by hand or on medium-high speed.

2. Continue whipping until the mixture is lighter in color. It is ready when you lift a bit of the mixture with the whisk and it falls back into the bowl, forming a ribbon that slowly dissolves on the surface.

To fold ingredients:
Folding a light, aerated mixture, such as whipped egg whites, into a heavier batter is easy with some practice. Use a gentle hand and as few strokes as possible, so as not to deflate the air bubbles you have worked to acheive.

1. Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in 1/4 of the lighter mixture. This lightens the mixture.

2. Add the rest of the lighter mixture, piling it on top of the batter.

3. Using the spatula, slice down through the center of the mixture to the bottom of the bowl. Then pull the spatula towards the edge of the bowl and, keeping the flat side against the bottom and side of the bottom, pull it up the side and over the top of the lighter mixture, bringing some of the heavier batter with it. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Continue folding in this manner just until the lighter mixture is incorporated into the batter. Do not overfold or will deflate it.