Experts offer help with holiday baking
by ARA
Nov 12, 2012 | 36236 views | 0 0 comments | 365 365 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Experts offer help with holiday baking

(BPT) - The holiday cookie season – and baking season – has arrived, and home bakers are in a flurry finding favorite recipes, purchasing necessary ingredients and planning for the big baking day. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner in the kitchen, everyone can achieve baking bliss with a little help from the experts. Through Dec. 31, baking experts will be available every day (weekdays 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. EST and weekends 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST) at HersheyKitchens.com to help make homemade the easiest choice for holiday gifts and entertaining.

Hershey’s Cookie Headquarters offers step-by-step recipes, professional tips and exclusive access to a team of experts ready to answer your toughest baking questions. Bakers can submit questions to receive real-time answers and feedback and join in on the latest conversations with fellow baking enthusiasts. New this year, a team of 12 of the best bloggers in baking and entertaining will also be on-hand to ease your baking worries with how-to videos and gift ideas for “The Sweetest Thing to Bring” everyone on your gift list.

Many holiday bakers need help achieving the perfect cookie consistency. Visit Hershey’s Cookie Headquarters for expert baking tips like:

* To prevent cookies from becoming hard and tough, avoid adding more flour than necessary to the cookie dough or batter. Taking cookies out of the oven 1 to 2 minutes early may also help keep them soft after they cool.

* To avoid cookies that are too flat, try refrigerating the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before you scoop them on the tray.  This will keep the dough from spreading too much when placed in a hot oven.

For a fool-proof holiday cookie, try this easy recipe for Hershey’s Peanut Butter Blossoms:

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Yields 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

48 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Granulated sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.  Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Share This Free article |
report abuse...

Express yourself:

We're glad to give readers a forum to express their points of view on issues important to this community. That forum is the “Letters to the Editor.” Letters to the editor may be submitted directly to The Times-Independent through this link and will be published in the print edition of the newspaper. All letters must be the original work of the letter writer – form letters will not be accepted. All letters must include the actual first and last name of the letter writer, the writer’s address, city and state and telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be accepted.

Letters may not exceed 400 words in length, must be regarding issues of general interest to the community, and may not include personal attacks, offensive language, ethnic or racial slurs, or attacks on personal or religious beliefs. Letters should focus on a single issue. Letters that proselytize or focus on theological debates will not be published. During political campaigns, The Times-Independent will not publish letters supporting or opposing any local candidate. Thank you letters are generally not accepted for publication unless the letter has a public purpose. Thank you letters dealing with private matters that compliment or complain about a business or individual will not be published. Nor will letters listing the names of individuals and/or businesses that supported a cause or event. Thank you letters about good Samaritan acts will be considered at the discretion of the newspaper.