This time of year, we’re up to our elbows in cookie dough. While decorating the finished product has always been the most fun part of baking, the Food and Drug Administration has warned that some products we use to decorate our holiday cookies aren’t actually edible. It turns out that the dust and glitters you find at the store — yes, even in the food aisles — aren’t always edible. So if you’re shopping for sparkles for your Christmas cupcakes or shimmer powder for your NYE disco ball cookies, you’ll want to take a closer look at the packaging. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to figure out what’s edible and what’s purely aesthetic once you know what to look for. Companies that make edible decorations including glitter and twinkle dust are regulated by the FDA and, just like any other food, are required by law to list the ingredients on the…
Avoid these 10 common baking mistakes for better baked goods
Sometimes that fun afternoon in the kitchen turns into a stressful battle with baked goods. There are some mistakes that even seasoned bakers continue to make. Here are a few easily avoidable mistakes that can help you correct your process, and return baking to a productive, enjoyable activity. 1. You check your oven too often. Naturally, you want to see the reward of your hard work, so you open the oven to take a peek. But know that opening the oven, even a tiny crack, released enough hot air to change the temperature in the oven. This can mean an undercooked or unevenly baked cake. If you must check, use the little light switch on your oven — that’s what it’s there for. 2. You don’t really read the recipe. If you’re guilty of jumping right into a recipe, you’re setting yourself up for some major mistakes later. Read through…
Chocolate Pumpkin muffins
These dense and chocolatey muffins hit the just right spot for fall. The pumpkin keeps them super moist and adds just a hint of a fall flavor. Devour them as dessert, breakfast, or as a snack along with your tea or coffee. Note that this recipe makes two dozen muffins because 12 disappear way too fast! Chocolate Pumpkin muffins Makes 24 muffins (2 pans of 12) Ingredients 3-3/4 cups all purpose flour 3 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup baking cocoa powder 1-1/2 tsp baking powder 1-1/4 tsp baking soda 1-1/2 tsp salt 1-1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg 3 large eggs 2 cans (15 ounce) pumpkin puree 1-1/4 cups canola oil 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup pepitas Directions Preheat over to 350ºF. Spray 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the dry ingredients — flour,…
Slow cooker cinnamon roll oatmeal
This month has been crazy. I’d probably be eating cold cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I didn’t have some help once in a while. I’ve been putting some serious milage on my slow cooker! This cinnamon roll oatmeal is the fourth batch of slow cooker oats I’ve made this month, and it’s definitely one of my favorites. If you’re a fan of cinnamon rolls — and I mean, who isn’t?! — you’re going to love this healthier take on everyone’s favorite decadent dessert. Of course, the cream cheese drizzle makes this not-so-diet-friendly, but you can either skip it, or use it lightly, just for a bit of flavor and fun. Even without the drizzle, you’ll still enjoy the cinnamon roll taste. Oh! And bonus! Your whole house will be filled with the delicious smell of cinnamon. And if you’ve never added eggs to your slow cooker oatmeal before,…
Apple cinnamon streusel bread
Christmas cookies take all the glory, but I say there is nothing better than fall baking. The smell of this apple cinnamon bread is mouth-watering. It will float out of your door and into the street, mixing with the cool, crisp fall air — De-lightful! As far as quick breads go, this recipe is a bit more involved. It’s still very easy to make, it just has a longer ingredients list thanks to the streusel topping — but trust me. The crunch you get from those toasted oats and brown sugar is worth the extra step. I like to use Granny Smiths in almost every apple recipe I make, but just about any apple should do the trick here. I’ve used Granny, Rome, Gala, and even Honeycrisp before — all amazing. Apple cinnamon streusel bread Makes 1 loaf Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1/2…
Ginger Pear Bread Recipe
This time of year pears are seemingly available everywhere, but it wasn’t always that way. Pears are native to Asia and Europe, so the first pear tree wasn’t planted in North America until 1620 in the Massachusetts Bay colony. Today, there are more than 3,000 varieties of pears grown around the world. The U.S. is the third largest producer, with most of the commercial crop coming from Washington and Oregon. California, Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan are also top growers. While pears are in season, try this bread with fresh fruit. You can used the canned stuff in the off season. Just like banana bread, this recipe is a great way to use up slightly over-ripe pears. The flavor is not overly sweet, so you’ll find it delicious for a lighter breakfast. The pear ginger combination is an interesting alternative to other more common breads like apple or zucchini. This…
10 pumpkin recipes you need to try this fall
Did you know it’s pumpkin season? The flavor is everywhere, including the Everybody Craves kitchen. Our Meghan Rodgers has been putting together recipes for more than a year now, and pumpkin is one of her favorite ingredients. From breads to smoothies, and of course desserts, check out some of her favorite recipes: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Get the recipe here. Layered Pumpkin Delight DESSERT Get the recipe here. Creamy Pumpkin Smoothie Get the recipe here. Easy Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Brownies Get the recipe here. Pumpkin Pie Milkshake Get the recipe here. Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Chip Cookies Get the recipe here. Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Pancakes Get the recipe here. Hearty Pumpkin Oatmeal Get the recipe here. Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting Get the recipe here. Pumpkin Pound Cake Get the recipe here. More from Everybody Craves See also, 9 Smoothie Recipes To Get You Started On A Healthier Lifestyle. Follow…
Pumpkin whoopie pies make a perfect fall treat
I’m not sure if fall weather is here to stay, but my fall baking kick sure is! As soon as September hits I can’t stop searching for new ways to use apples, pumpkins and pears. And pretty much everything has a hefty dose of ground cloves and nutmeg. I just love fall desserts! Growing up in Pittsburgh, I wouldn’t have thought to call these sandwich cookies anything but “gobs.” If you’re unfamiliar, gobs are classically a chocolate cookie dessert with white icing at the center. You may also know them as whoopie pies if you live outside of Western Pennsylvania. No matter what you call them, they’re delicious. There are tons of inspired flavor variations now days. I’ve seen s’mores, red velvet, and chai snickerdoodle. There is even a whoopie pie festival in Hershey, Pa. every year. But of course, pumpkin baked goods are king of the season, so here…
What side of aluminum foil should you cook on?
You’ve probably notice by now that foil has two distinct sides: one that’s shiny and one that’s dull. You may even have a preference for which side you cook on. But what’s the truth behind this two-faced tin foil conundrum? It would be natural to think that the shiny side would reflect more heat and maybe create a more effective surface for cooking. So if you use the shiny side, you’re right. But if you use the dull side, you’re also right — you’re both right! According to Reynold’s Kitchen, the different textures on the two sides have nothing to do with cooking efficiencies, but rather, the manufacturing process. Reynold’s explains in the FAQS on the company website: The foil is ‘milled’ in layers during production. Milling is a process whereby heat and tension is applied to stretch the foil to the desired thickness. We mill two layers in contact with each…
This is why a baker’s dozen is 13
Ask for a dozen roses from a florist or a dozen eggs from a farmer, and you’ll expect to receive an even 12 items. But if you ask a baker for a dozen doughnuts, you could go home with 13, or a baker’s dozen. Not that we’re complaining, but why do bakers have their own unit of measurement? The next time you’re snacking on that 13th bonus treat, you can thank crooked bakers back in medieval England. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, there were laws that regulated that a loaf of bread was worth the price of the wheat used to make it. Bakers caught overpricing undersized loaves — apparently a practice common enough to necessitate regulation — saw harsh penalties including fines, beatings, and jail time. Anyone who has ever made baked goods knows that getting them to come out the same size isn’t easy. In the Middle Ages, most…