Cooking
fromwww.businessinsider.com
3 hours agoAs a former pastry cook, here are 8 of my favorite ways to upgrade a box of cake mix
Boxed cake mixes can be enhanced with simple ingredients like milk, butter, and mayonnaise for a homemade taste.
Whole Foods' vegan vanilla cupcakes are praised for their fluffy and moist texture, making them a top choice for those seeking plant-based options. Customers enjoy the well-balanced frosting made with vegan cream cheese, which complements the cupcake perfectly.
The FDA announced that the products contained undeclared prescription drug ingredients used to treat erectile dysfunction, specifically sildenafil and tadalafil, which could cause a 'life-threatening' drop in blood pressure when mixed with nitrates.
Easter desserts are the crown jewel of the holiday meal. And no, we're not talking about chocolate bunnies, Peeps, or mini eggs from a kid's basket-though those are welcome too. We mean shortcakes gilded with cream and fresh berries, tart lemon meringue pie, a tower of chocolate and praline, and stunning layer cakes fit for a celebration.
For this taste test, I tried seven cake mixes offered by the brand (similar to my previous ranking of Pillsbury boxed cake mixes). Each cake mix boasted luxurious packaging that hinted to the contents' quality. Moreover, I was pleased to see that Williams Sonoma boasts a pretty unique selection of cake mixes. From olive oil cakes to "snacking cakes" and a couple classic mixes, I had a feeling I was in for a good time.
If you haven't yet bought candy for Valentine's Day, you might want to hold off. The Florida Department of Health has announced that certain candies tested as part of the state's new Healthy Florida First initiative were determined to have elevated levels of heavy metals. Forty-six types of candies from 10 different well-known brands were determined to have higher-than-safe levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, or lead.
One piece of evidence is that there are actually quite a few cake mixes out there sold in bulk and specifically marketed to bakeries. A 50-pound bag of red velvet cake mix doesn't have a lot of uses aside from a fairly large-scale operation. But beyond that, there are plenty of bakery employees on the internet spilling the beans.
Thanks to their vibrant appearance and soft, meltable texture, Peeps can easily transform homemade desserts, breakfasts, and snacks into colorful, festive treats. There are an array of flavors to play with. Each brings its own distinct flavor and hue and opens the door to all kinds of playful Easter-inspired creations.
Softened graham cracker layers mimic choux pastry, and vanilla pudding turns into a rich, creamy spread. Ganache crowns this beauty, turning this easy-to-make treat into something that looks far more complicated than what is actually required to put together.
They contain less cocoa butter and often added stabilizers, which are frequently wheat-based, and that's what prevents them from melting smoothly. As such, when you bake chocolate chips into your favorite cookie or brownie recipe, you're not going to have to worry about them losing their shape or absorbing into the batter.
We've become accustomed to fruit-flavored foods tasting nothing like their fruity counterparts, from artificial banana essence to cherry-flavored things tasting more like medicine than fruit, but what specifically makes artificial watermelon taste so off-base from its authentic fruity muse? Well, it's simply because we don't yet have the capabilities to synthesize watermelon's complex flavor, which includes compounds like (Z)-3-hexenol, citrulline, and amino acids.
Finely ground coffee can add depth and a subtle roasted bitterness that enhances caramelization. Freshly ground beans taste best in this situation since they have all of their aroma and flavor still intact. Once you expose those grounds to air or once all the good stuff is extracted during brewing, those spent grounds are a lot duller and lack the same depth.
But then there are the grocery stores that buck this trend. Whether they score a partnership with a beloved producer to make their private label finds - Deschutes Brewery makes Costco's popular helles lager, for example - or they take the time to develop their own methods that become associated with top quality, these chains sometimes sell items shoppers actually prefer over the name brands.
I love dessert as much as the next person. The existence of dessert is truly one of the best things to have happened to mankind, and I've always had immense respect for people who know how to make these sweet treats. Now, if you're curious like me, you've probably also tried whipping some stuff up in the kitchen (no one's going to ask if you failed. That's between you and your stand mixer).
The taste of a fresh, juicy strawberry is incomparable. When these delicious berries aren't in season, you might think you're out of luck, but thanks to the technology of freeze-drying, you can still enjoy your favorite tastes and glean much of the same nutrients in a crunchy and more compact format. You should always keep freeze-dried fruit in your pantry for snacking, cooking, baking, and more. And crushed freeze-dried strawberries are a perfect complement to elevate a number of different desserts.
Even though we will always defend the viewpoint that the best way to eat Nutella is with a spoon straight out of the jar, this beloved creamy hazelnut spread actually has many creative uses in the kitchen. It's super easy to bake with and handy to have in the pantry when you're craving a rich chocolatey dessert that tastes homemade without taking hours to prep. For example, the easy-peasy two-ingredient chocolate puff pastries.