Whether it's running out of ingredients, equipment failure or anything else that could go wrong - these baking hacks will save your dishes and your sanity.
Following these simple tried and tested baking tricks from Rhodes Quality and baker, Sebastian Newman will make you look like a total pro in the kitchen.
Green Bananas
If you need ripe bananas fast to make a delicious cake or bread, place bananas on a baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees.
You will end up with perfectly ripe bananas for your baked goods.
Perfect flaked pastry
To make perfectly flaky pastries you need cold butter, but incorporating the butter into your batter is sometimes a problem.
The easiest fix to ensure the butter stays cold is to grate the butter.
That way it is easier to work with and remains at the perfect temperature for your baking.
Ran out of Icing Sugar?
No problem, you can make your own using plain white sugar.
All you need to do is place the quantity of sugar required in a blender or food processor, and blitz.
You can make your own using plain white sugar.
Picture: Pexels
Measuring Syrups
Measuring honey, maple or golden syrup can sometimes be a ‘sticky’ job, pardon the pun.
If you want to prevent your syrup from sticking to your measuring spoon or cup, simply spray it with cooking spray before measuring and it will slide right off the utensil.
Ran out of Buttermilk?
You can easily make your own at home.
Just add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or Lemon Juice to 1 cup of milk, it works the exact same way.
Filling a piping bag
This can be a messy job if you’re doing it yourself.
Simply stick the piping bag into a jug or glass, fold the bag over the jug or glass and fill.
Want to get the most out of citrus when juicing?
Pierce the fruit once or twice and pop into the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. This will allow you to get the maximum juice out of the fruit.
If you don't have rolling pin, a wine bottle works just as well.
Photo: Pexels
Need to whip cream fast?
Can’t find the whisk or hand mixer? Place cold cream into a mason jar and shake it up, you will have whipped cream in a matter of minutes.
To prevent baking disasters and flat cakes
- test your baking powder before using it, by adding a teaspoon into 1/2 a cup of hot water. If it doesn’t bubble your baking powder needs to be thrown away.
Need a rolling pin?
Use a wine bottle - and why not reward yourself with a glass after putting in that hard work.