Up Your Holiday Baking Game        

Five must-have items you need to take your holiday baking recipes to the next level

From the LifeMinute.TV Team

November 18, 2021

‘Tis the season to bake, and we quite literally have the “scoop” on the essentials to make it happen. There’s a difference between good baking and great baking, and it all starts with what’s in your pantry.  Here are the five must-have items you need to take your holiday baking recipes to the next level.

1. Baker’s Joy: It’s the original nonstick baking spray with flour. That's the secret here. Every home baker knows one of the trickiest steps of any recipe is the final one – releasing your creation from the pan without damaging it. Using a flour-based baking spray gives you an easy release from the pan. And faster, more successful baking overall.

2. Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening: While many view shortening and butter as interchangeable, they’re not. Reach for shortening any time you want your recipe to rise high and retain its shape. Or to attain that perfect flaky pastry or crust. It’s also great as a plant-based swap because it’s an all-vegetable shortening.

3. Baking Powder: This is the workhorse of so many recipes. One cannot overstate the importance of a dependable, double-acting baking powder. To that end, stick with tried-and-true brands like Clabber Girl. They've been around for more than 100 years. And, did you know baking powder is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods? Double-acting baking powder reacts both in the liquid bowl and again when the heat hits it during baking.

4. Spices: Any serious baker worth their salt will have a “go big or go home” mentality when it comes to spices. So give dishes extra depth by culling your collection to include only high-quality spices that pack a punch like Spice Islands. It’s a great brand. PS. Keeping spices dry prolongs their flavor, so place them in a cool dry rack and away from oven heat.

5. Sugar Substitutes: Last but not least, vanilla extract. Whether you’re cutting back on added sugars or simply running low on the sweet stuff, vanilla extract is a flavorful, better-for-you sugar substitute. This is also true of molasses. It offers a jolt of sweetness and acidity.

Head to bakingathome.com for tons of baking tips, recipes ideas, and tutorials.