4-H MOTTO

Learn to do by doing.

4-H PLEDGE
I pledge

My HEAD to clearer thinking,

My HEART to greater loyalty,

My HANDS to larger service,

My HEALTH to better living,

For my club, my community and my country.

4-H GRACE
(Tune of Auld Lang Syne)

We thank thee, Lord, for blessings great

On this, our own fair land.

Teach us to serve thee joyfully,

With head, heart, health and hand.

This project was developed through funds provided by the Canadian Agricultural
Adaptation Program (CAAP). No portion of this manual may be reproduced without
written permission from the Saskatchewan 4-H Council, phone 306-933-7727, email:
[email protected]. Developed November 2012.

Writer: Diane Tinnish

Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1
Goal ....................................................................................................................................... 1
Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 1
Materials/Equipment Required ............................................................................................. 1
How to Get the Most from the 4-H Experience .................................................................... 1
Achievement Requirements .................................................................................................. 2
Note to Project Facilitators ................................................................................................... 2
Before Baking ............................................................................................................................. 3
25 Vintage Baking Tips .......................................................................................................... 3
Activity 1: Bread Beginnings ...................................................................................................... 5
Baking Background: History ...................................................................................................... 6
Some Good Resources ........................................................................................................... 7
Activity 2: Cinnamon Buns ......................................................................................................... 8
Recipe Tweak: Pizza Dough ................................................................................................... 10
Baking Background: Flour .......................................................................................................... 11
Types of Flour ........................................................................................................................ 11
How to Buy Flour ................................................................................................................... 13
How to Store Flour ................................................................................................................ 13
Activity 3: Muffins ...................................................................................................................... 14
Recipe Tweak: Coffee Cake .................................................................................................. 16
Baking Background: Yeast and Other Leavening Agents .......................................................... 17
Leavening History .................................................................................................................. 17
Unleavened Bread ................................................................................................................. 18
Activity 4: Pie ............................................................................................................................. 19
Recipe Tweaks: Tarts ............................................................................................................. 22
Baking Background: Pastry ........................................................................................................ 23
Types of Pastry ...................................................................................................................... 23
History of Pastry .................................................................................................................... 24
Activity 5: Cheesecake ............................................................................................................... 25
Recipe Tweak: Mini Cheesecakes .......................................................................................... 28
Baking Background: Measuring ................................................................................................. 29
Basic Guide to Measuring Common Ingredients ................................................................... 29
Activity 6: Cookies ...................................................................................................................... 32
Recipe Tweak: Dessert Pizza ................................................................................................. 34
Baking Background: Handy Ingredient Substitute Recipes ...................................................... 36
Cake Flour .............................................................................................................................. 36
Self-rising Flour ...................................................................................................................... 36
Half and Half Cream .............................................................................................................. 36
Buttermilk .............................................................................................................................. 36
Sour Cream ............................................................................................................................ 36
Graham Cracker Crumb Crust ............................................................................................... 36
Chocolate Squares ................................................................................................................. 37
Soy Sauce ............................................................................................................................... 37
Balsamic Vinegar ................................................................................................................... 37
Molasses ................................................................................................................................ 37
Lemon Juice ........................................................................................................................... 37
Baking Powder ....................................................................................................................... 37
Sweetened Condensed Milk .................................................................................................. 38
Brown Sugar .......................................................................................................................... 38
Whipped Cream .................................................................................................................... 38
Eggs ....................................................................................................................................... 39
Activity 7: Cupcakes .................................................................................................................. 40
Icing and Toppings ................................................................................................................. 41
Recipe Tweak: Layer Cake ..................................................................................................... 43
Baking Background: Cake Decorating ....................................................................................... 44
Activity 8: Coffee/Tea Party ...................................................................................................... 46
Baking Background: Tea Parties ................................................................................................ 48
Tea Time Tables ..................................................................................................................... 48
Planning Your Tea Party ........................................................................................................ 48
How to Brew and Serve a Proper Cup of Tea ........................................................................ 49
Tips ........................................................................................................................................ 49
Activity 9: Bake Sale ................................................................................................................... 50
Baking Background: Bake Sales ................................................................................................. 52
Bestselling Baked Goods ....................................................................................................... 53
Activity 10: Recipe Exchange Tea Party .................................................................................... 54
Baking Background: Recipe Collections .................................................................................... 55
How to Organize Your Recipes .............................................................................................. 55
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y |1

Introduction

Goal
The overall goal is the production of specific good quality baked goods by group members.

Objectives
Upon successful completion of this project, members will be able to:
• Follow a baked goods recipe.
• Measure ingredients accurately.
• Demonstrate an understanding of baking procedures.
• Work cooperatively with other members on activities.

Materials/Equipment Required
• Resource and activity guide (provided)
• An adequately equipped kitchen large enough to accommodate group
• Recipe ingredients
• Packaging material
• Containers for transporting baking
• Coffee, tea, etc. for coffee party
• Tables, table cloths for bake sale
• Bristol board for signs
• Binder for collecting printed copies of recipes

How to Get the Most from the 4-H Experience

• Attend club meetings
• Complete activities
• Listen and ask questions
• Participate in discussions
• Be a team player
2|B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Achievement Requirements
• A completed record book
• Participation in group activities
• Contributing to and assisting with coffee party and bake sale

Note to Project Facilitators

A well-equipped kitchen is essential for this project. Your average residential kitchen will
probably be adequate for four to six members. A larger group will require use of a large kitchen
in the local high school, hall or other public building. A good oven is crucial, as is a leader with
some baking experience. The leader will be responsible for assembling the required ingredients
and equipment.

Activities 8 and 9 focus on the community involvement/giving back to the community aspect of
the 4-H program.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y |3

Before Baking

• Every group will develop their own method for purchasing ingredients, gathering
equipment and sharing the preparation of the recipe. Individual members may also want
to try the recipe on their own at home after they have made it with the group.
• All the recipe methods use basic conventional equipment but members are encouraged
to try using bread makers, food processors, etc. if their homes are so equipped when
they try a recipe on their own.
• The same goes for ingredients; members are encouraged to try recipe modifications, e.g.
raisins instead of chocolate chips, lemon instead of vanilla extract, etc.
• Every group meeting could begin with reports of members’ baking experiments since the
last gathering.
• Your group may want to try silicone baking pans as well as the traditional metal pans.
Silicone cupcake/muffin cups save on paper and make clean up easier too.

25 Vintage Baking Tips

1. Butter and sugar can be creamed easily when butter is hard by warming the sugar slightly.
2. Light-coloured molasses can be darkened to make dark gingerbread by adding a
teaspoonful of melted chocolate to each cup of molasses.
3. Cream which is hard to whip will whip quickly by adding a few drops of lemon juice.
4. Molasses can be prevented from sticking to the measuring cup if the cup is first greased
with butter or lard.
5. Shortening can be measured exactly. If the recipe calls for 1/3 cup, fill measuring cup
2/3 full of water, add enough shortening to bring water to top of cup, pour off water
and you have exactly 1/3 cup of shortening.
6. Sour milk can be made by adding two tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of sweet milk
and then letting it stand for a few minutes. Your baking will be just as light as if real sour
milk were used.
7. Whipped cream substitute, delicious in flavour, can be made by adding a slice of banana
to the white of an egg and beating until stiff. The banana will dissolve completely.
8. Cornstarch is sometimes used in place of eggs when a recipe calls for more than you
have on hand. A tablespoonful is used for each missing egg. In making custard, omit one
or two eggs and use cornstarch instead (1/2 tablespoon for each egg).
9. Custards will not curdle so readily if a tablespoon of flour mixed with sugar is added.
4|B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

10. Boiled frosting will not be brittle or break when cut, if a teaspoon of vinegar is beaten
into the frosting when the flavouring is added.
11. Add one tablespoonful of jam or jelly to cookie dough. It will add flavour and make the
cookies stay moist longer.
12. Doughnuts will not absorb grease if a teaspoonful of vinegar is added to cold fat.
13. Fruit Cake: When baking, place a cup of water in the oven to keep enough moisture in
the air and prevent cake from drying out while baking.
14. Muffins: Drop a teaspoonful of peanut butter in each muffin pan, over which you pour
batter. This gives muffins a delightful nutty flavour.
15. When a recipe calls for a quantity of melted butter, take care to measure the butter
after melting, not before.
16. To soften butter, fill a small china bowl, one just sufficiently large to cover the butter,
with boiling water; let stand a minute or two or until thoroughly heated, then empty the
water and immediately turn the hot bowl upside down over the butter. In a few
minutes, the butter will be softened so it is just right.
17. When separating the yolk from the white of an egg, if you drop a portion of egg yolk into the
whites, moisten a cloth with cold water, touch to the yolk and it will adhere to the cloth.
18. Never beat egg whites in an aluminum pan, as it is sure to darken them.
19. When baking a milk pudding, place the dish in a tin of water in the oven. This prevents
the pudding from burning or boiling over.
20. When cream will not whip, add the white of an egg to your cream, chill it and it will whip.
21. To avoid lumps in batter, add a pinch of salt to the flour before it is wet.
22. How to sugar doughnuts? Shake the sugar and doughnuts together in a paper bag. The
same method may be used with flour and chicken or salt and french fried potatoes.
23. Raisins for cakes and breads will be plump and juicy if soaked in warm water before
being added to the batter or dough.
24. Zip up your gingerbread and molasses cookies by adding a bit of grated orange peel to
the batter.
25. If chilled ice-box cookie dough shatters when cut with a long sharp knife, let stand at
room temperature for 1/2 hour to soften very slightly before slicing!
From TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y |5

Activity 1: Bread Beginnings

What you will learn
• Where, when and how baking began

What you will need

• A computer with an Internet connection and a printer
• Local public library

Time
• 60 minutes for research
• 30 minutes group sharing and discussion

Instructions
1. Choose what YOU think are three very important developments in the history of
baking between its beginnings to present day and share them with the group, e.g.
the discovery, by the Ancient Egyptians, that yeast could be used to make lighter
and fluffier bread.
2. Choose what YOU think are three interesting bits of baking trivia, e.g. The word
“cookie” appears to come from the Dutch word “koekje” or “koekie” and refers to a
small cake. Be prepared to share your trivia with the group.
3. Bread and baked goods vary a great deal from country to country and culture to
culture. Find an example of bread or baked goods from an ethnic group different
than your own that you have never tasted.

Let’s Talk
Why do you think home baked goods aren’t as common as they used to be?
6|B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Baking Background: History

The first baking was probably when early humans mashed up wild grain with water and cooked
the resulting paste on a hot rock. The Ancient Egyptians were the first to make bread using yeast
leftover from brewing beer. Ovens and worktables have been discovered in archaeological digs
from the Middle East dating from about 5600 BC. Bread baking began in Ancient Greece around
600 BC and they were also the first to use indoor ovens.

Baking flourished in the Roman Empire. In about 300 BC, they also started making sweet dough
and pastry which were often prepared especially for large banquets and any pastry cook who
could invent new types of tasty treats was highly prized. Around 1 AD, there were more than
three hundred pastry chefs in Rome. The Romans baked bread in an oven with its own chimney
and had mills to grind grain into flour. A bakers’ guild was established in 168 BC in Rome.
Eventually, the Roman art of baking became known throughout Europe, and eventually spread
to the eastern parts of Asia.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that alternative leavening agents became more common, such
as baking soda which is what is used to make cakes and cookies. Bakers often baked goods at
home and then sold them in the streets. This scene was so common that Rembrandt, among
others, painted a pastry chef selling pancakes in the streets of Germany, with children
clamouring for a sample. In London, pastry chefs sold their goods from handcarts. This
developed into a system of delivery of baked goods to households, and demand increased
greatly as a result. In Paris, the first open-air café of baked goods was developed and baking
became an established art throughout the entire world.

Baking developed into an industry using machinery that enabled more goods to be produced
and which then could be distributed more widely. The aroma and texture of baked goods as
they come out of the oven is strongly appealing but it is a quality that is quickly lost. Since the
flavour and appeal largely depend on this freshness, commercial producers have had to
compensate by using food additives as well as imaginative labelling. As baked goods are more
and more purchased from commercial suppliers, producers try to capture that original appeal by
adding the label “home-baked”.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y |7

Some Good Resources

Baking History
• http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodbreads.html
• http://www.bakersfederation.org.uk/the-bread-industry/history-of-bread.html
• http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Bread/
• http://www.joyofbaking.com/History.html

International Baked Goodies

• http://www.mrbreakfast.com/subcategory.asp?subcategoryid=9&categoryid=3
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breads
• http://www.whats4eats.com/breads
8|B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Activity 2: Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon buns are one of the most popular bakery items available today. They make a
wonderful, affordable and welcome gift.

What you will learn

• How to make basic cinnamon buns

What you will need

• Recipe
• Shopping list
• Milk
• Margarine or butter
• All-purpose flour
• Instant yeast
• White sugar
• Brown sugar
• Salt
• Eggs
• Cinnamon
• Raisins or pecans (optional)
• Equipment
• Oven
• Small sauce pan
• Large and small mixing bowls
• Measuring cup
• Wire whisk
• Tea towel
• Muffin tin or cookie sheet

Time
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Ready In: 1 Hour 30 minutes
• Tasting, discussion and clean up: 20 minutes

Instructions
• Purchase or gather ingredients.
• Gather equipment.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y |9

• Meet as a group to make the buns.

• Eat and enjoy!

Ingredients
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup raisins or pecans (optional)

Directions
1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix
in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well.
Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2
cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled
together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth,
about 5 minutes.
3. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a
small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and softened margarine.
4. Roll out dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with margarine/sugar
mixture. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal.
Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in 12 lightly greased muffin
cups or on a cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C).
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from
muffin cups or cookie sheet to cool. Serve warm.

Yield: 1 dozen buns

10 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Let’s Talk
• How do they taste?

• Are they better or not quite as good as commercial cinnamon buns? Why?

• What would you do different next time?

• Are you going to try making them on your own or with a friend at home?

Recipe tweak: Pizza Dough

Pizza is a favourite of almost everyone! Use the same
recipe (up until step 3) but, instead of rolling or
shaping dough into a rectangle, make it into a circle
and top with a thin layer of prepared pasta sauce, your
favourite pizza toppings and grated mozzarella cheese
and bake in a 450° F preheated oven for 10 minutes or
until cheese begins to brown.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 11

Baking Background: Flour

Most of the flour we use in North America comes from wheat, although flour can be milled from
corn, rice, nuts, legumes and even some fruits and vegetables. The type of flour used has a huge
effect on the final product. Different types of flour are best suited to different items. It is
important to know which flour is the best for your recipe.

Types of Flours
All-Purpose Flour is a blend of hard and soft wheat. It may be bleached or unbleached. All-
Purpose Flour has 8 per cent to 11 per cent protein (gluten). All-purpose flour is one of the most
commonly used and most readily available flours in Canada.

Flour that is bleached naturally as it ages is labelled “unbleached”, while chemically treated flour
is labeled “bleached”. Bleached flour has less protein than unbleached.

While many people make excellent bread and buns with ordinary all-purpose flour, Bread Flour
is white flour made from hard, high-protein wheat. It has more gluten strength and protein
content than all-purpose flour. It is unbleached and sometimes conditioned with ascorbic acid,
which increases volume and creates finer texture. Bread flour has 12 per cent to 14 per cent
protein (gluten). This is the best choice for yeast products.

Buckwheat Flour is gluten-free which makes it a good choice for anybody with gluten
sensitivities or celiac disease. Despite its name, buckwheat is not a grain. It is packed with
nutrients, readily available, easy to work with and has a nice nutty flavour.

Cake Flour is a fine-textured, soft-wheat flour with a high starch content. It has the lowest
protein content of any wheat flour, 8 per cent to 10 per cent protein (gluten). It is chlorinated (a
bleaching process) which leaves the flour slightly acidic, sets a cake faster and distributes fat
more evenly through the batter to improve texture. When you’re making baked goods with a
high ratio of sugar to flour, this flour will be better able to hold its rise and will be less liable to
collapse. This flour is excellent for baking fine-textured cakes with greater volume and is used in
some quick breads, muffins and cookies. If you cannot find cake flour, substitute bleached all-
purpose flour, but subtract two tablespoons of flour for each cup used in the recipe.

Instant Flour is granular and formulated to dissolve quickly in hot or cold liquids. It will not work
as a substitute for all-purpose flour. It is used primarily in sauces and gravies.
12 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Organic Flour is used in the same way as regular flour. It must comply with the standards set by
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to be labelled “organic”. Using this flour is a matter of
personal preference.

Pastry Flour also is made with soft wheat and falls somewhere between all-purpose and cake
flour in terms of protein content and baking properties. Pastry flour has a protein (gluten) of 9
per cent to 10 per cent. Use pastry flour for making biscuits, pie crusts, brownies, cookies and
quick breads. Pastry flour makes a tender but crumbly pastry. Do not use it for yeast breads.

Rice Flour is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It can be made from either white or
brown rice.

Self-Rising Flour is a low-protein flour with salt and leavening (baking powder) already added.
It’s most often recommended for biscuits and some quick breads, but never for yeast breads.
Exact formulas, including the type of baking powder used, vary by manufacturer. Recipes that
call for self-rising flour do not call for the addition of salt or leavening agents. To make your own
self-rising flour:
Using a dry measure, measure the desired amount of all-purpose flour into a container. For
each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of
salt. Mix to combine.

Whole-Wheat Flour is made from the whole kernel of wheat and is higher in dietary fibre and
overall nutrient content than white flours. It does not have as high a gluten level, so often it’s
mixed with all-purpose or bread flour when making yeast breads.

Semolina Flour is used in making pasta. It is made from durum wheat, the hardest type of wheat
grown. The flour is highest in gluten.

Spelt Flour is one of the most popular and widely available of alternative baking flours. An
ancient grain, it is in the wheat family, but the fats are more soluble and the nutritional content
higher than traditional wheat flour. People who have issues with wheat digestion but who are
not gluten intolerant often do well with spelt. Spelt flour has a nutty and slightly sweet flavour
similar to that of whole wheat flour. It does contain gluten and is a popular substitute for wheat
in baked goods.

Teff Flour Teff is also an ancient grain, tiny in size, simple to prepare and similar to millet or
quinoa in cooking. It is higher in protein than wheat and has a high concentration of a wide
variety of nutrients, including calcium, thiamin and iron. Since the grains are so small, the bulk of
the grain is germ and bran so is very high in fibre. Teff contains no gluten which makes it a
suitable grain for people with celiac disease or wheat sensitivities.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 13

How to Buy Flour

Look for tightly sealed bags or boxes. Flours in torn packages or in open bins are exposed to air
and insect contamination.

How to Store Flour

• Flour must be kept cool and dry. All flours, even white flour, have a limited shelf life.
Millers recommend that flours be stored for no more than 6 months. The main change
that occurs is the oxidation of oils when flour is exposed to air which results in a rancid
taste. During hot weather, store flour in the refrigerator.
• Flour should be stored, covered, in a cool and dry area. This prevents the flour from
absorbing moisture and odours and from attracting insects and rodents. Freezing flour
for 48 hours before it is stored will kill any weevil or insect eggs already in the flour. It is
better not to mix new flour with old if you are not using the flour regularly.
• Do not store flour near soap powder, onions or other foods and products with strong
odours.
• If freezer space is available, flour can be packaged in airtight, moisture-proof containers,
labelled and placed in the freezer at 0 degrees F. If flour is stored like this, it will keep
well for several years.
• Keep whole wheat flour in the refrigerator year around. Natural oils cause this flour to
turn rancid quickly at room temperature.
• Throw away flour if it smells bad, changes colour, or if there is any evidence of insect
contamination.
• Flour is always readily available so it should only be bought in quantities that will last a
maximum of two to three months.
• Put a bay leaf in the flour canister to help protect against insect infections. Bay leaves are
natural insect repellents.
14 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Activity 3: Muffins
Muffins are a popular breakfast, brunch or mid-morning treat and homemade muffins are
always the best!

What you will learn

• How to make basic muffins

What you will need

• Recipe
• Shopping list
• Milk
• Margarine or butter
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• White sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Salt The possible additions to a basic muffin
• Eggs recipe are almost endless:
• Blueberries, chocolate chips, • Blueberries
nuts, etc. (optional) • Cranberries
• Equipment • Raisins
• Oven • Walnuts
• Large mixing bowl • Pecans
• Measuring cup • Coconut
• Electric mixer • Chocolate chips
• Mixing spoon • Diced apples & cinnamon
• Spatula • Grated carrots
• Muffin tin or cups, liners • Mashed banana (replace milk)
• Applesauce (replace milk)
Time • Crushed pineapple (replace milk)
• Prep Time: 15 minutes • Finely diced rhubarb
• Cook Time: 30 minutes • Diced apricots, fresh or dried
• Tasting, discussion and clean up: • Grated cheddar cheese
20 minutes

Instructions
• Purchase or gather ingredients
• Gather equipment
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 15

• Meet as a group to make the muffins

• Eat and enjoy!

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 350° F (175° C). Grease 12 muffin cups. Stir the flour, baking
powder and salt together in a bowl; set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add
1 egg and allow it to blend into the butter mixture; beat the vanilla and milk into
the mixture with the second egg. Mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients
until just incorporated. Divide the dough into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly
pressed, about 30 minutes.

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Let’s Talk
• How do they taste?

• Are they better or not quite as good as commercial muffins? Why?

16 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

• What would you do different next time?

Check It Out
Muffin Mania! 80+ Recipes Plus Quick Tips
http://tipnut.com/muffin-recipes/

• Are you going to try making them on your own or with a friend at home?

Recipe tweak: Coffee Cake!

The same recipe can be used to make a small coffee cake. Coffee cakes are typically
flavoured with cinnamon, nuts, and fruits. These cakes sometimes have a crumbly or crumb
topping called streusel and/or a light glaze drizzle. They do not typically include coffee as an
ingredient, but are so-called because they are often served as an accompaniment to coffee.
Instead of putting the batter into muffin cups, pour into an 8x8 inch cake pan. Sprinkle top
of cake with a crumb topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the
center of the cake comes out clean.

Coffee cake is seldom beautiful but it sure is yummy!

 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 17

Baking Background:
Yeast and Other Leavening Agents

A leavening agent is any one of a number of substances used in dough and batter which causes a
foaming action that lightens and softens the finished product.

The leavening agent makes carbon dioxide bubbles in the dough produced by chemical or
mechanical agents reacting with moisture, heat, acidity or other triggers. When a dough or
batter is mixed, the starch in the flour mixes with the water in the dough (often supported
further by proteins like gluten) which then “rises”. The holes left by the gas bubbles remain
producing a fluffier product.

Leavening agents include:

• Yeast
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Sour dough starter
• Egg whites

Leavening History
The Egyptians were known to have used yeast as a leavening agent some 5,000 years ago. The
Mexican culture refers to yeast dough as “almas”, which translates to “souls”, because they
seem so spirited in rising.

Baking powder became popular in the 1850’s, along with self-rising flour (baking powder mixed
with flour). James A. Church began marketing sodium bicarbonate as baking soda under the Arm
& Hammer label in 1867. Baking soda was previously known as saleratus, a combination of the
Latin “sal” (salt) and “aerates” (aerated). In 1889, William M. Wright developed the double-
acting baking powder we know today, marketed under the label Calumet.

Yeast starters have been traditionally handed down over the ages from family to family, each
keeping it alive over the years. A portion was used from each batch, with the remainder being
fed by adding equal parts of flour and water and permitted to grow for another week or so.
These starters are also known as friendship starters. Note: Starters that take on an orange or
pink colour and develop an unpleasant acrid odour should be discarded, due to the indication of
undesirable bacteria present.

From http://homecooking.about.com
18 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

For a fun read find this picture book at your local

public library. Request an interlibrary loan if they
don’t have it: Aubrey Davis. 2001. Sody Salleratus.
Kids Can Press. (“Sody salleratus” is an old-
fashioned term for baking soda.)

Unleavened Bread
The opposite of leavened bread is, of course,
unleavened bread. It is simply bread made with flour,
water and salt, usually rolled into flattened dough.
Some popular unleavened or “flatbreads” include
tortillas, roti and matzo. Pita is a popular type of flat
bread but it is NOT unleavened. How can you tell?
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 19

Activity 4: Pie
For some reason you don’t need a sweet tooth to really love pie which may be why it is so
popular with many people who don’t otherwise care for dessert.

What you will learn

• How to make a basic pie

What you will need

• Recipe
• Shopping list
• Shortening
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Egg
• Vinegar
• Equipment
• Oven
• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring cup
• Pastry blender
• Mixing spoon
• Spatula
• Pie plates

Time
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Ready In: 1 Hour 30 minutes
• Tasting, discussion and clean up: 20 minutes

Instructions
• Purchase or gather ingredients
• Gather equipment
• Meet as a group to make the pies
• Eat and enjoy!
20 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Crust Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until it resembles
coarse crumbs.
2. Mix egg, water and vinegar together. Pour into flour all at once and blend with a
fork until dough forms a ball.
3. Wrap with plastic and chill in refrigerator.

Yield: 3 two crust pies

Pie filling
You can use premade pie fillings but, like all other baking homemade is usually better and
so easy!

Fruit Filling
• Combine and pour into bottom pie shell
• 4-6 cups of sliced or diced fruit (apples, peaches, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2/3 cup white sugar

Single Crust Pies

These include lemon, pumpkin, banana crème, coconut crème and other popular flavours.
Check your favourite online sites for recipes.

Baking Directions
Bake 15 minutes in 425° F (220° C) preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350° F (175°
C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until filling bubbles. Bake on bottom oven rack.

Seal the edges of your pie crust by moistening with water,

milk or beaten egg before pinching the edges together.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 21

Let’s Talk
• How do they taste?

• Are they better or not quite as good as commercial pie? Why?

• What would you do different next time?

• Are you going to try making them on your own or with a friend at home?
22 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Recipe tweak: Tarts

Tarts are very much just mini pies made in a tart or muffin
tin or cups. Tarts can be made with any of the same fillings
as pies, especially the single crust pies but, butter tarts are
one of the most popular Canadian treats!

Butter Tarts
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
2 cups raisins or currants and/or pecans or walnuts
2 tablespoons heavy cream
30 (2 inch) unbaked tart shells

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325° F (170° C).
2. Cream the butter, sugar and eggs well. Add remaining ingredients and mix
thoroughly.
3. Pour batter into tart shells, no more than half full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Note: You could also make a batch of pie crust, cut into rounds and press them into muffin
tins instead of buying tart shells.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 23

Baking Background: Pastry

Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour,
sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs.

Pastry dough is rolled out thinly and used as a base for baked products. Pastry is differentiated
from bread by having a higher fat content, which contributes to a flaky or crumbly texture. A
good pastry is light, airy and fatty, but firm enough to support the weight of the filling.

Care must be taken to blend the fat and flour thoroughly before adding any liquid. This ensures
that the flour granules are adequately coated with fat and remain tender. Overmixing results in
long gluten strands that toughen the pastry. In other types of pastry, such as Danish pastry and
croissants, the characteristic flaky texture is achieved by repeatedly rolling out dough similar to
that for yeast bread, spreading it with butter and folding it to produce many thin layers.

Types of Pastry
Short Crust pastry is the simplest and most common pastry. It is made with flour, fat, butter, salt
and water. This is used mainly in tarts and quiche. The process of making pastry includes mixing
the fat and flour, adding water and rolling out the paste. The fat is mixed with the flour first,
generally by rubbing with fingers or a pastry blender, which inhibits gluten formation and results
in a soft, tender pastry.

Flaky pastry is a simple pastry that expands when cooked due to the number of layers. It bakes
into a crisp, buttery pastry. The “puff” is obtained by beginning the baking process with a high
temperature and lowering the temperature to finish.

Puff pastry has many layers that cause it to expand or “puff” when baked. Pastries are made
using flour, butter, salt and water. Pastry rises up due to the combination and reaction of the
four ingredients and also from the air that gets between the layers. Puff pastries come out of
the oven light, flaky and tender.

Choux pastry is a very light pastry that is often filled with cream and is often topped with
chocolate. Choux pastries can also be filled with ingredients such as cheese, tuna or chicken to
be used as appetizers. Cream puffs are a popular example of a choux pastry.

Phyllo is paper-thin pastry dough, used in many layers. The phyllo is generally wrapped around a
filling and brushed with butter before baking. These pastries are very delicate and flaky.
24 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

History of Pastry
European traditions of pastry making are often traced back to the flaky doughs that were in use
throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times.

In the ancient Mediterranean, the Romans, Greeks and Phoenicians made phyllo-style pastries
and there is evidence that the Egyptians produced pastry-like confections. They had professional
bakers that surely had the skills to do so and they also had needed materials like flour, oil and
honey. In the plays of Aristophanes, in 5th century BC, there are mentions of sweetmeats
including small pastries filled with fruit.

The Roman cuisine used flour, oil and water to make pastries that were used to cover meats and
fowls. The pastry was used during baking to keep in the juices and was not meant to be eaten.
They also made rich small pastries that contained eggs or small birds and were often served at
banquets. Greeks and Roman were challenged to make good pastry because they both used oil
in their cooking and baking whereas solid fat results in superior pastry.

The medieval cuisine of North Europe produced good pastries because they cooked with
shortening and butter. There are some incomplete lists of ingredients found in medieval
cookbooks, but no full, detailed versions. Medieval pastries included small rich tarts eaten as
snacks.

It was not until about the mid-16th century that actual pastry recipes appeared. These recipes
were adopted and adapted over time in various European countries, resulting in the myriad
pastry traditions, from Portuguese “pastéis de nata” in the west to Russian “piroshky” in the
east. The use of chocolate in pastry-making in the West, so commonplace today, arose only
after Spanish and Portuguese traders brought chocolate to Europe from the New World starting
in the 16th century. Many culinary historians consider French pastry chef Antonin Carême
(1784-1833) to have been the first great master of pastry making in modern times.

Pastry making also has a strong tradition in many parts of Asia. Chinese pastry is made from rice
and other types of flour, with fruit, sweet bean paste or sesame-based fillings. Beginning in the
19th century, the British and French brought western-style pastry to the Far East. Pastry-
confections that originate in Asia tend to be much less sweet than those produced in the West.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/pastry
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 25

Activity 5: Cheesecake
Ah, that classy rich dessert that everybody loves but few try to bake. Basic cheesecake is
also called New York cheesecake. The variety comes from the huge variety of toppings that
can be used.

What you will learn

• How to make a cheesecake

What you will need

• Recipe
• Shopping list
• Graham wafers or crumbs
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• White sugar
• Milk
• Eggs
• Sour cream
• Vanilla extract
• Flour
• Equipment Flavours!
• Oven Potential cheesecake flavour combinations
• Large mixing bowl are almost limitless. You can vary the
• Measuring cup toppings: strawberry, lime, blueberry, peach,
chocolate, caramel, coconut, pecan, etc. You
• Electric mixer
can vary the flavouring in the base: lemon,
• Mixing spoon
chocolate, orange, pumpkin, mint, etc. Mix
• Spatula
and/or match
• Springform pan

Time
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Ready In: 7 Hours 30 minutes*
• Tasting, discussion and clean up: 20 minutes

Instructions
• Purchase or gather ingredients
• Gather equipment
26 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

• Meet as a group to make the cheesecake

• Eat and enjoy at your next meeting. This is one baked item that must be chilled before
eating.*

Ingredients
15 graham wafers, crushed or 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F (175 ° C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto
bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese with sugar until
smooth. Blend in milk and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just
enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour
filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let cake cool in oven
with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator
until serving.

Yield: One cheesecake

Toppings
The most popular cheesecake toppings are usually fruit, fresh or cooked. Often pre-
prepared commercial or homemade pie filling – cherry, blueberry, lemon, etc. – are used.
Whatever topping you choose, make sure both it and the cake are cool before applying the
topping to the cake.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 27

Let’s Talk
• How do they taste?

• Are they better or not quite as good as commercial cheesecake? Why?

• What would you do different next time?

• Are you going to try making it on your own or with a friend at home?
28 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Recipe tweak: Mini cheesecakes!

Not the classic cheesecake but they are still yummy, fun and easy to make and share.

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package graham wafer crumbs
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line miniature muffin tins
(“tassie” pans) with miniature paper liners.
2. Crush the vanilla wafers, and place 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed vanilla wafers
into each paper cup.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and
fluffy. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top with a teaspoonful of cherry pie filling.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 29

Baking Background: Measuring

Measuring accurately is probably the most

important cooking skill in the kitchen. Even
though published recipes are quite
‘tolerant’, the cook still has to follow basic
rules of measuring. To begin with, make
sure that you use actual commercial
measuring utensils. Nested (graduated)
measuring cups are best for dry ingredients.
Measuring spoons are needed – an ordinary
spoon just won’t do! For liquid ingredients,
you need a clear glass or plastic cup with a pouring spout.

Graduated measuring cups are made in 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup and 2 cup sizes. Liquid
measuring cups are usually 1 cup, 2 cup or 4 cup. Measuring spoons usually include 1/8
teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon.

Basic Guide to Measuring Common Ingredients

Flour
Stir flour in the storage container or bag. Using a large spoon, lightly spoon flour from the
container into the measuring cup. Do not shake the cup and do not pack the flour. Using the back
of a knife or flat blade spatula, level off the flour so that it is even with the top edge of the
measuring cup. Don’t use the measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the container. You can end
up with 150 per cent of the correct measurement if you do this! One cup of correctly measured
flour should weigh about 120 to 125 grams. (A kitchen scale is another useful kitchen tool.)

Baking Powder and Baking Soda

Stir in the container. Using the measuring spoon, lightly scoop out of the container. Use a knife
to level off the spoon even with the top edge of the measuring spoon.

Sugar
Sugar is measured by scooping the cup or measuring spoon into the container or bag until it is
overflowing, then levelling off with the back of a knife.

Brown Sugar
This needs to be packed into the measuring cup. The sugar should retain the shape of the cup
when it is dropped into the other ingredients.
30 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Icing Sugar
Icing sugar usually needs to be sifted to remove small lumps. It is measured by spooning the
sugar into the measuring cup from the container, then levelling off with the back of a knife.

Liquid Ingredients
Liquids need to be measured at eye level. Using the liquid measuring cup, pour the liquid into
the cup. Then bend over so you are on the same level with the measuring marks. The liquid
should be right at the mark, not above or below.

Semi-Liquid Ingredients
Ingredients like sour cream, peanut butter and yogurt are measured using dry measuring cups
because they are too thick to be accurately measured in the liquid cups. Level off sour cream
and peanut butter with the back of a knife.

Shortening and Solid Fats

Butter and margarine have measuring amounts marked on the sides of the paper wrapping.
One-quarter pound stick of butter or margarine equals 1/2 cup. Solid shortening is measured by
packing it into a cup so there are no air spaces, then levelling off with the knife. To easily
remove fats from baking cups, spray them with a non-stick cooking spray before measuring. You
can also use the liquid displacement method for measuring solid fats. For instance, if you want
1/2 cup of shortening, fill a liquid measuring cup with 1/2 cup of cold water. Then add
shortening until the water level reaches 1 cup when you look at it at eye level. Pour out the
water and use the shortening. Oil is measured as a liquid.

Liquid Ingredients in Spoons

Make sure that you don’t measure small amounts of liquid ingredients over the mixing bowl. It’s
just too easy to spill, and you don’t want two teaspoons of vanilla extract when the recipe only
calls for one.

Dry Ingredients in Spoons

Ingredients measured in these small amounts still have to be measured carefully. Overfill the
measuring spoons and level off using the back of a knife for the most accurate amounts.
Accurate amounts of ingredients like baking soda and powder are critical to the success of any
baked product.

Chopped Ingredients
Pay close attention to whether or not an ingredient is to be chopped, diced or minced, and
whether they are measured before chopping or after. The foods are placed in the measuring cup
so the top is level with the surface.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 31

When you bake cookies, cakes, breads, pie crusts and candies, measuring accurately is really
critical to the success of the recipe. When you are cooking casseroles, soups, stir fries and
meats, you can vary amounts more and the end result will still be good.

Dry Ingredient Equivalents

1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons 15 ml

1/8 cup 2 tablespoons 30 ml

1/4 cup 4 tablespoons 50 ml

1/3 cup 5 1/3 tablespoons 75 ml

1/2 cup 8 tablespoons 125 ml

2/3 cup 10 2/3 tablespoons 150 ml

3/4 cup 12 tablespoons 175 ml

1 cup 16 tablespoons 250 ml

Wet Ingredient Equivalents

1 cup 8 fluid ounces 1/2 pint

2 cups 16 fluid ounces 1 pint

4 cups 32 fluid ounces 2 pints

8 cups 64 fluid ounces 4 pints

32 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Activity 6: Cookies
Cookies are a favourite of young and old. They are the ultimate in portable dessert and are
as much fun to share as they are to bake.

What you will learn

• How to make cookies

What you will need

• Recipe
• Shopping list
• Butter
• White sugar
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Flour
• Baking soda
Variations
• Salt
There’s a huge number of ways this
• Chocolate chips
recipe can be modified. Instead of
• Equipment
chocolate chips try:
• Oven
• Raisins
• Large mixing bowl
• Nuts only
• Measuring cup
• “Smarties” or “M&Ms”
• Electric mixer
• Small gumdrops or jujubes
• Mixing spoon
• Butterscotch chips
• Spatula
• White chocolate chips
• Cookie sheets
• Coconut
• Other dried fruit, cut small
Instructions
• Purchase or gather ingredients
You can also vary the extract for
• Gather equipment
different flavours. Instead of vanilla try:
• Meet as a group to make the cookies
• Lemon
• Eat and enjoy
• Rum (good with raisins)
• Almond
Time
• Prep Time: 20 minutes • Peppermint
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Ready In: 1 hour
• Tasting, discussion and clean up: 20 minutes
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 33

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F (175 ° C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in
the eggs one at a time and then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot
water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop
a large spoonful at a time onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Let’s Talk
• How do they taste?

• Are they better or not quite as good as commercial cookies? Why?

34 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

• What would you do different next time?

• Are you going to try making them on your own or with a friend at home?

Recipe tweak: Dessert Pizza

Spread cream cheese on a sugar cookie
base, top with fresh fruit and voila! Dessert
pizza! This is popular with kids of all ages
and a great summer dessert.

Base: Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cups flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then, stir in
the lemon extract. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with
salt. Stir in flour. Spread dough evenly over an ungreased pizza pan.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 35

Topping
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
¼ cup icing sugar
½ teaspoon grated orange peel
2 to 3 cups assorted cut-up fresh fruit

Directions
1. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, milk, icing sugar and orange peel with electric
mixer on medium speed until smooth.
2. Place cooled, baked crust on serving plate; spread with cream cheese mixture to
within 1/2 inch of edge.
3. Arrange fruit on cream cheese mixture.
4. Store in refrigerator.
36 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Baking Background:
Handy Ingredient Substitute Recipes
From http://tipnut.com

Ingredient substitutions are mainly used when baking or cooking dishes and you realize at the
last minute you’re out of stock of the necessary food item. There may be a slight taste or texture
change when using them but the results are generally acceptable and many won’t notice the
difference at all.

Cake Flour
If you’re running short on cake flour and need it now, here’s a tip for making your own: Add two
level tablespoons of corn starch to a one cup measuring cup, then fill with bread flour. Sift three
times then use as needed.

Self-Rising Flour
In a one cup measure, place 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then fill to
top with flour. Mix well and store in an airtight container if not used right away.

Half and Half Cream

In a one cup measure, place 3 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons of melted butter. Top up the cup
with whole milk. You can also use an equal measure of evaporated milk.

Buttermilk
For 1 cup, in a one cup measuring cup, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, then top up
the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Set aside for 5 minutes, stir and then use.

Sour Cream
1/3 cup milk + 2 teaspoons lemon juice + 1 cup cottage cheese. Process in a blender until smooth.

Graham Cracker Crumb Crust

In a pinch you can use crushed corn flakes in place of graham cracker crumbs. To make crust: 2
cups crushed corn flakes*, 1/3 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoon sugar. Gradually add the melted
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 37

butter to the crushed corn flakes and sugar. Mix well and press into pie plate (8″ or 9″). Bake at
350° for 10 minutes. *Use the non-frosted corn flakes.

Chocolate Squares
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/4 cup melted Crisco (for 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
squares).

Soy Sauce
Mix 3 tablespoons molasses, pinch ground ginger, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, and a
little flour.

Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar = 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; or 1
tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar = 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; or equal
amount of sherry or cider vinegar.

Molasses
Honey; dark corn syrup or maple syrup

Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice = 1 tablespoon vinegar

Baking Powder
• Try 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (for 1 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda per 1 cup of buttermilk (for 2 teaspoons); use buttermilk
already called for
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda per 1 cup of sour milk (for 2 teaspoons); or use 1 cup milk soured
with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice; use milk already called for
• 1 cup of milk with 1 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (for 2
teaspoons); use milk already required
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda per 1 cup of molasses (for 2 teaspoons); use molasses already
called for
38 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup boiling water and 1 cup skim milk powder.
Combine items in a blender and mix until all lumps are gone and milk is smooth. Store in
refrigerator and chill before using.
• 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water and 1/4 cup margarine. Bring to a boil until margarine melts
and sugar is dissolved. Add 1 cup dry powdered milk and beat until smooth.
• 1/4 cup hot water and 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Mix in blender for 1 minute or until
sugar is partially dissolved. Continue to blend slowly adding 1 1/4 cups skim milk powder.
Cover and refrigerate 24 hours before using. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
• 1/4 cup margarine and 1 cup boiling water. Melt the margarine in the water then add 2
cups white sugar. Beat with mixer until smooth. Gradually add 4 cups skim milk powder;
beat until smooth and thick. Makes 3 cups. Keep refrigerated.
• 1/2 cup hot water (scant), 3/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cups powdered milk. Add water to
blender; start blending while gradually adding powdered milk. Gradually add sugar.
Blend until sugar is dissolved. Cool and refrigerate before using.
• Dissolve 1/4 cup margarine in 1 cup boiling water. Add 2 cups sugar; beat with mixer until
dissolved. Gradually add 4 cups skim milk powder. Beat. Makes 1 quart. Keep refrigerated.

Brown Sugar
Here are some tips for making your own brown sugar, perfect to use when you’re in a pinch or
you may find you want to use it all the time rather than store bought (since you can adjust the
flavour strength to suit your needs). Directions: Mix together well with a fork or with your hands
then store in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag.

#1 (1 cup)
• 1 cup sugar (white)
• 1 tablespoon molasses (for light brown) or 2 tablespoons molasses (for dark brown)

#2 (3 cups)
• 3 cups sugar (white)
• 1/4 cup molasses

Whipped Cream
• 2 large ripe bananas, sliced
• 3 teaspoon sugar
• 2 egg whites

Directions: Whip together just like you would regular cream. Add some flavouring if you like.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 39

Flavouring Ideas
• Almond extract
• Vanilla extract
• Flavoured liqueur
• Brandy or rum
• Lemon or orange zest
• Instant coffee
• Sifted cocoa
• Cinnamon

Eggs
These can be used in a pinch since chances are you have at least a few of the items below on
hand in the pantry. Many are also suitable if you’re baking a cake for someone who is vegan or
has allergies. Keep in mind: They may affect the taste or texture of the final product. Each of the
below is equivalent to one egg. For best results it’s recommended not to replace more than two
per recipe.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1 1/2 tablespoon water + 1 1/2 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1 tablespoon water + 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 tablespoon water or milk + 2 tablespoon flour + 1/2 tablespoon shortening + 1/2
teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vinegar + 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 3 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon arrowroot flour
• 2 tablespoon potato starch
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch + 1/4 cup warm water (mix well and allow to gel a bit before using)
• 1 teaspoon yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 banana, mashed (medium size) + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon applesauce
• 3 tablespoon mayonnaise (*not suitable for allergy or vegan accommodation)
• Unflavoured Gelatin: Dissolve 1 tablespoon gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water. Beat in 2
tablespoon boiling water until frothy.

Print the excellent substitution chart: http://tipnut.com/files/2012/3573578.pdf

40 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Activity 7: Cupcakes
Cupcakes are very NOW and are a lot of fun to make, decorate and share. Any cake recipe can
be used because cupcakes are just small cakes and it is their small size and decoration that make
them special. You can use any cake recipe you like to make cupcakes. The only thing that
changes is the baking time.

What you will learn

• How to make cupcakes

What you will need

• Recipe
• Shopping list
• Flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Butter
• White sugar
• Eggs
• Milk
• Lemon juice
• Vanilla extract
• Equipment
• Oven
• Large mixing bowl Cupcakes, like cakes, are the
• Measuring cup baked good that lends itself most
• Electric mixer to artistic expression. While we
• Mixing spoon all might not be as creative with
• Spatula icing as the person who
• Muffin or cupcake tin and liners decorated the cupcakes above,
we can all make attractive tasty
Time mini cakes.
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Tasting, discussion and clean up: 20 minutes

Instructions
• Purchase or gather ingredients.
• Gather equipment.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 41

• Meet as a group to make the cookies.

• Eat and enjoy.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting, store bought or homemade
Mini chips for decorating

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325° F (165° C). Line or grease cupcake tins. Sift together
the flour, baking powder and salt. On medium speed, beat the butter and sugar
in large bowl until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Stir together the milk, lemon juice and vanilla. On low speed, add half
the milk mixture. Mix until well incorporated. Add the remaining milk mixture
and the dry ingredients in the same manner. Fill each cavity to the top.
2. Bake on the middle oven rack for about 20-22 minutes or until a tester inserted
in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in their pans for
10 minutes. Then unmold and cool on a wire rack.
3. Frost the top of each cupcake and top with sprinkles, nuts, coconut or whatever
strikes your fancy. Check online for inspiration. Try a “Google” images search for
hundreds of ideas!

Yield: 1 dozen large cupcakes

Icing and Toppings

There are dozens of icing recipes and hundreds of ways to decorate cupcakes. Here is a basic
buttercream icing recipe to get you started:

Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
42 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

4 cups icing sugar

2 tablespoons milk
Food colouring (optional)

Directions
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one
cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk and continue mixing until
light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.

Let’s Talk
• How do they taste?

• Are they better or not quite as good as commercial cupcakes? Why?

• What would you do different next time?

• Are you going to try making them on your own or with a friend at home?
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 43

Recipe tweak: Layer Cake

Instead of putting batter in baking cups pour into two or more round layer pans. Line the
bottom of the pans with baking parchment (just trace around the pan with a pencil and cut out
the circles) and grease the sides. Follow the cupcake directions for baking and icing.
44 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Baking Background: Cake Decorating

Cake decorating is an art that is

performed all over the world and
competitions are very popular,
especially in the Western World.
Cake decorating uses icing or
frosting and other edible decorative
elements to make plain cakes more
visually interesting. Alternatively,
cakes can be moulded and sculpted
to resemble three-dimensional
persons, places and things.

In many areas of the world, decorated cakes are often a focal point of a special celebration such
as a birthday, graduation, bridal shower, wedding or anniversary. They can also mark national or
religious holidays or be used to promote commercial enterprises.

During the mid-nineteenth century, the invention of temperature-controlled ovens and the
production of baking soda and baking powder made baking cakes much easier.

Even though baking from scratch decreased during the latter part of the 20th century in North
America, decorated cakes have remained an important part of celebrations. Recently, cakes
decorated with fondant have become extremely popular and resulted in several reality based TV
shows like Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss.

Decorating a cake usually involves covering a cake with some form of icing and then using
decorative sugars, candies, chocolate or icing decorations to embellish the cake. But it can also
be as simple as sprinkling a fine coat of icing sugar or drizzling a glossy blanket of glaze over the
top of a cake. Icing decorations can be made by either piping icing flowers and decorative
borders or by moulding gum paste, fondant or marzipan flowers and figures.

Fondant is sugar and water cooked to the soft-ball stage, cooled slightly and stirred or beaten
until it is an opaque mass of creamy consistency. Sometimes lemon or vanilla is added to the
mixture, mainly for taste. Other flavourings are used as well, as are various colourings. Cake
decorators can prepare fondant themselves or purchase it ready made. It is primarily used to
cover cakes but is also used to create individual decorative elements as well.

Gum paste has gum ingredients in it such as gum tragacanth, xanthan gum or tylose powder. It
dries much harder than fondant does. Both gum paste and fondant can be molded, rolled and
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 45

sculpted but fondant tastes much better than gum paste does and is usually used to cover a
cake. Because the gum paste can be rolled very thin it is widely used to create sugar flowers.

Royal icing is a sweet white icing made by whipping fresh or powdered egg whites with icing
sugar. Royal icing produces well-defined icing edges and is ideal for piping intricate writing,
borders, scrollwork and lacework on cakes. It dries very hard and lasts almost indefinitely if
stored in a cool, dry place, but is susceptible to soften in high humidity.

Marzipan or “almond paste” is often used for modelling cake decorations and as a base covering
underneath fondant. It is a confection consisting primarily of sugar or honey and almond meal,
sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into candy fruits and
vegetables. It is rolled into thin sheets and glazed for icing wedding and fruit cakes.
46 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Activity 8: Coffee/Tea Party

Preparation for Activities 8 and 9 can be done as “baking bees” in the kitchen where the group
usually meets, as individual activities in their own homes or they could work in pairs in one of
their homes.

What you will learn

• How to plan, organize and prepare for a coffee/tea party

What you will need

• A cooperating seniors’ residence
• A theme, e.g. Garden Party, Thanksgiving, etc.
• A venue, equipment and ingredients for the baking
• Party supplies (see below)

Time
• 60 minutes for planning
• 3 hours for baking
• 1 hour for set up
• 1 hour for party
• 1 hour for clean up

Instructions
• The group members will choose at least two of the preceding bakery products to make
for a coffee/tea party they will host for the residents of a local seniors’ facility or care
home. The group leader/facilitator will act as liaison with the home and arrange for
transportation, etc.
• Select a seniors’ centre or residence with a manageable number of potential party
guests. (Three to four guests per group member would be most manageable.)
• Contact the residence of your choice and arrange a date and time. Coffee parties are
usually held mid-morning and tea parties mid-afternoon.
• Choose a theme for your party.
• Decide on what you will use for decorations to complement your theme.
• Choose two appropriate items from the previous activities, e.g. mini cupcakes and
cookies for an afternoon tea or cinnamon buns and muffins for a morning coffee party.
• Decide if you are going to serve buffet style or wait on guests. (Seniors often prefer the latter.)
• Make a list of all the items you will need, e.g. cups, napkins, tea, coffee, sugar, cream,
etc. and arrange for use/purchase.
• Plan where and when the baking will take place. Freshness is very important!
• Acquire and assemble ingredients and equipment.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 47

• Bake, set up, serve and share!

Let’s Talk

Was your party a success? Why or why not? What would you do differently next time?

Why Bake?
• Homemade baked goods taste so much better than commercial ones do.
• Baked goods are one of the best things to share with tea or coffee.
• It’s much simpler and more affordable to invite guests for tea or coffee than prepare
a whole meal.
• Baked goods make wonderful personal gifts for almost any occasion.
• It’s a relatively affordable hobby especially when you can subtract the results from
your food bill.
• Old family recipes are one of the ways of preserving our heritage.
• It’s creative! It’s fun! It’s edible art!
48 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Baking Background: Tea Parties

From http://entertaining.about.com

When thinking about tea parties, do you find yourself overwhelmed with thoughts of the British
gentry, scenes from Alice in Wonderland, Victorian decor, blue haired ladies and pinky fingers
stuck up in the air? If so, you’re both right and wrong. You’re right because as the tradition of
“Afternoon” Tea has developed over time, it has become an elegant affair. You’re wrong
because “High” Tea was often enjoyed by the British working class as their evening supper, with
heartier fare than the tea sandwiches and scones that are now associated with tea parties.

As the custom has evolved, tea time is usually scheduled from mid to late afternoon. It’s a
between meal snack that is a lot more elegant than a bag of chips from the vending machine. It
needn’t be extremely fussy, although the meal often includes savoury, bite size sandwiches,
scones or biscuits and sweets (along with a good pot of tea, of course!) Both men and women
enjoy afternoon tea in England, and it’s often used as a function for entertaining business clients.

An afternoon tea party is suitable for many celebrations. When you’d like to host a party that
isn’t as involved as a dinner party, a tea party can be the answer. It’s an ideal format for a bridal
or baby shower, a retirement party, a birthday celebration or time to catch up with good
friends. The food is prepared before your guests arrive and is either presented buffet style or by
passing plates of goodies at the table. The only thing you need to serve is the tea itself, leaving
you plenty of time to relax and enjoy your guests. Your guest list can include dozens of people or
only one good friend with whom you’d like to share an intimate conversation. It can be a very
formal affair as you’ll find at some of the more elegant hotels, or it can be as casual as a pot of
tea and some cookies.

Tea Time Tables

In many parts of the world, tea time is an honoured tradition of refinement and elegance. When
you’re planning a tea party – whether for a shower, graduation, birthday or just for fun – adorn
your table with your best china, silver and linens. These add polish and grace to the occasion
and in our “paper cup” world they remind us fondly of earlier times.

Planning Your Tea Party

• Select a date and send out your invitations. Depending on the reason for you party your
invitation can range from a very casual evite to a formal invitation. Include a tea bag in a
more casual invite for fun and to set the tone for your party.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 49

• Purchase your tea and related accessories. You’ll want to have several tea pots in order
to brew a variety of teas for your guests.
• Review recipes for tea time sandwiches and treats. At most tea parties there will be a
selection of both savory and sweet bites to satisfy both kinds of appetites. If your tea
party is an in-between meal, you will only need a small selection of bites. If your tea
party takes the place of a full meal, you’ll want to offer a greater selection.
• Brew and serve a proper pot of tea. (See below.) Accompany the
tea selections with cream, sugar and lemon
slices to accommodate the varied tastes of
your guests.
• Relax and enjoy your guests while musing on the
merits of tea. Try reading the leaves for amusement.

How to Brew and Serve a Proper Cup of Tea

Whether you’re planning a special afternoon tea party and want to impress your friends, or you
simply love a good cup of tea yourself, here’s the proper way to brew and serve a pot of tea.
• Fill teapot with hot tap water to warm it up prior to adding tea and boiling water.
• Fill tea kettle with fresh, cold, non-distilled water.
• Bring kettle to boil.
• Just before kettle begins to boil, pour water from tea pot and add one teaspoon tea
leaves per cup to pot, plus an additional teaspoon ‘for the pot’ or one tea bag for every
two cups.
• Remove kettle from heat right after it comes to a boil and pour 6 ounces per cup into teapot.
• Let tea steep 3-7 minutes depending on desired strength.
• Add cold, whole milk or lemon to tea cups depending on preference of guests.
• Pour tea into cups using a strainer to catch loose leaves.
• Enjoy!

Tips
• Use a ceramic tea pot rather than metal. Metal can affect the taste of the tea and will
cool the water more quickly.
• Keep boiling water available for second cups or to dilute tea that becomes strong while
sitting in teapot.
50 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Activity 9: Bake Sale

Preparation for Activities 8 and 9 can be done as “baking bees” in the kitchen where the group
usually meets, as individual activities in their own homes or they could work in pairs in one of
their homes.

What you will learn

• How to plan, organize and prepare for a Bake Sale

What you will need

• A community fundraising project
• A venue for the sale
• A venue, equipment and ingredients for the baking
• Posters, etc. for advertising

Time
• 60 minutes for planning
• 3 hours for baking
• 1 hour for set up
• 2 hours for sale
• 30 minutes for clean up

Instructions
• The members will choose a variety of the preceding bakery products to make for a
bake sale that they will undertake in an appropriate public location in the community.
The members and leader will select an appropriate charity or organization for which
the money will be raised. In addition to baking and attractively packaging the products,
they will prepare signage explaining the purpose of the sale. The project leader will act
as liaison with the venue and arrange for transportation, etc.
• Select a local charity or fundraising project that your group would like to support, e.g.
new playground equipment.
• Choose a place, date and time for your sale.
• Make attractive posters for your sale.
• Brainstorm other ways to advertise the sale in your community, e.g. weekly newspaper.
• Decide who is going to bring what and how you are going to package and price baking.
• Make a list of all the items you will need, e.g. price tags, tablecloths, cash box, change
and arrange for use/purchase.
• Plan where and when the baking will take place. Freshness is very important!
• Acquire and assemble ingredients and equipment.
• Bake, set up and sell!
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 51

Let’s Talk
Was your bake sale a success? Why or why not? What would you do differently next time?
52 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Baking Background: Bake Sales

Bake sales have long been one of the most popular ways of raising funds for schools, religious
organizations and social clubs. They can be great money-makers because there is little or no
actual capital required. All of the baked goods are usually donated. Bake sales are also known
community social events. People enjoy getting together over a common goal. Whether it’s the
people behind or in front of the table, they just love to mix and mingle at a bake sale. Here are
several points to hosting a successful bake sale for your organization.

Select a leader. It should be someone who has excellent organizational skills. The person should
also be able to delegate responsibilities, which is extremely essential to a well run sale.

Volunteers are imperative. The bake sale leader will need several people dedicated to
organizing donations, handling publicity, setting-up tables and/or the booth, selling goods,
collecting money and clean up.

Donations are the key. Be sure to be specific in what baked goods will be needed for the sale
straight from the start. As to not end up with all “chocolate cakes”, make sure you know what is
being donated. Pass out individual sign-up sheets with a list of the needed items. Ask for a first
and second choice of what is being donated. Get names and phone numbers so that the person
can be contacted to remind them of their donation and to specify which baked good is needed.
Be specific on how you want the goods packaged. Some provinces have health codes stating
that everything must be individually wrapped. Also, each baked good donated should have an
index card prominently attached that has the name of the dish and a list of non-obvious and/or
outstanding ingredients (such as coconut, nuts, candied or dried fruits or strawberries).

Timing and location are important. Try to place your table and/or booth in a high traffic area.
To guarantee a heavy traffic flow, plan the sale around other coordinating events. For school
affiliated bake sales, sporting events and theatre productions would be the perfect time to host
a bake sale. Local craft shows may allow free booth space for a worthy cause.

Presentation is everything. Set out nicely decorated and organized tables. Use tablecloths, but
not in overpowering patterns. The baked goods should be your best decorations. Divide the
baked goods according to type (cookies, cakes) and/or serving size (whole cakes, individual
cookies). If you have several tables, separate them into just pies, cakes or even one just for
chocolate goods.

Know your customers. Are you selling to big families? Sell entire cakes or pies and cookies or
cupcakes by the dozen. Sales to children or singles will be higher with individual packages of
baked goods such as one brownie or one cupcake.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 53

Think beyond baked goods. Serve coffee at bake sales in the evenings or on cold days. Selling
cold bottled water or lemonade along with the baked goods at a football game would increase
profits. If sales are slow have hourly specials. Group certain goods together for special pricing.
Get recipes for all of the baked goods prior to the sale. Anyone with word processing knowledge
could prepare a small, inexpensive cookbook for sale. Prior to the winter holidays, don’t be
limited to the typical bake sale. Try to coordinate donations of specially packaged baked goods
that the buyer could in turn give away as gifts. Offering cookie ingredients or homemade
granola in decorated jars would be the perfect sale for that time of year.

From: http://baking.about.com

Bestselling Baked Goods

• Brownies
• Cookies
• Bar cookies
• Quick breads
• Muffins
• Fudge and other candy
• Cakes, especially pound and Bundt cakes
• Pies
54 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

Activity 10: Recipe Exchange Tea Party

Members will each bring a recipe (a copy for each member and the leader) and the baked item
they have made at home to share with the group. The leader will provide a beverage.

What you will learn

• The joy of sharing your baking with your friends

What you will need

• A recipe
• The ingredients and equipment to prepare the recipe
• A copy of the recipe for everyone in your group
• Tea, water, kettle, cups, spoons, coffee, milk, napkins

Time
• 15 minutes for planning
• 1 hour for baking
• 15 minutes for clean up
• 1 hour for sharing

Instructions
• Find a recipe that you would like to
share with your fellow bakers and
prepare it, as well as, copies of the
recipe to share.

Let’s Talk
Brainstorm a list of some of the little things you have learned that contribute to good
quality baked goods.
 B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 55

Baking Background: Recipe Collections

How to Organize Your Recipes

Paper:
• Separate recipes into two groups: “keepers” (recipes that you’ve tried and would make
again) and “never tried”.
• Then sort the recipes by type or category, e.g. cookies, muffins, salads, main dishes, etc.
• Store the “keepers” in a 3-ring binder with tabbed page dividers and clear plastic sheet
protectors to hold the recipes. This organizing system can accommodate everything
from letter-sized sheets to 3x5 recipe cards, which can fit into plastic photo protectors.
In the future you can easily expand your recipe collection into additional binders.
• Sort through the “never tried” recipes, discard the ones you doubt you’ll ever try, and
place those that still interest you in an expandable tabbed accordion file available from
office supply stores.

On your computer, laptop or tablet

• Type or copy and paste recipes you want to keep from other sources like an ordinary
document in your word processing program. Then create file folders for each category
as above. MS Word and other word processing programs have the ability to search by
keywords as well as titles.

Free Online Recipe Organizers

There many free ways to store and organize your recipes online. Here are a few options:
• Recipe Thing is a free recipe sharing and organizing website where you can upload any
recipes, your own or from the web. The site also features an interactive weekly meal
planner which will generate a shopping list based on your recipes. Recipes are easy to
upload and with just a click you can email a recipe or print out a copy in printer-
friendly format. And if you want to transfer your recipes from Recipe Thing to your
computer, it’s easy to export your recipes as a plain text file. This is a very useful
function, one that other recipe sharing sites don’t offer. This site has one feature that
might bother some people: while your identity on Recipe Thing remains private – users
only see your screen name – all your recipes can be viewed by others. If you’re looking
to safeguard your top secret recipes, this might not work for you.
• All Recipes, the recipe sharing and online cooking community, offers a free online
recipe box service. While it’s a bit more complicated to use than Recipe Thing, it too
allows you to organize recipes from any source. All Recipes also offers a shopping list
generator and you can print out recipes in various formats, including recipe cards. You
can also order a custom cookbook printed from your recipes and illustrated with your
56 | B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y

photos. For people who want to keep their recipes private, All Recipes lets you decide
whether or not your recipes can be viewed by others. Unlike Recipe Thing, however,
All Recipes doesn’t offer any way to download your online recipes to your computer.
Once you’ve uploaded your recipes to All Recipes, you can’t easily move them.
• Epicurious, the mega recipe site, allows you to create a free recipe box with recipes
from the Epicurious site along with your own recipes. Here you can choose to make
your recipes private or public, email recipes, print out recipes in various formats and
order custom printed cookbooks. Similar to All Recipes, there is no obvious way to
move your recipes from your Epicurious recipe box to your computer.
• Google offers lots of free organizational tools. For instance, you can sign up for a free
Gmail (email) account and use it as a simple online recipe storage system. Another
option is Google Docs, Google’s free document storage and sharing service. Google Docs
allows you to create and store files online, organize them into folders and share them
with others. This can be used to store your recipe files. Once you’ve uploaded your files,
you can use Google’s “Search Docs” feature, which functions like a mini search engine
for your files, to locate specific recipes stored on Google Docs. While these Google
methods don’t offer the bells and whistles that the above websites provide, they are
free, simple solutions for storing, viewing and downloading your recipes.
• del.icio.us is one of many social bookmarking sites people use to organize and share
weblinks about any topic, not just cooking.
• Evernote is software designed for note taking and archiving. A “note” can be a piece of
formatted text, a full webpage or webpage excerpt, a photograph, a voice memo or a
handwritten “ink” note. Notes can also have file attachments. Notes can be sorted into
folders, then tagged, annotated, edited, given comments, searched and exported as
part of a notebook. Evernote has become a very pooular tool for organizing e-recipes.

Many of our mothers and grandmothers

kept their recipes in a recipe box on
handwritten 3x5 inch cards.
Many cooks and bakers
still prefer this method.
B e s t o f t h e B a k e r y | 57
 3830 Thatcher Avenue
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7R 1A5
306-933-7727 • 306-933-7730 (fax)
www.4-h.sk.ca • [email protected]