FAQ & Baking Tips
Some of you ask movita questions. Here are the answers movita likes to give:
What is 2.0′s real name?
That is his real name, doofus.
Do you actually breed cats at the Cat Farm?
No. (And: gross.)
I found a typo on your blog.
Okay, that’s not a question. But I’ll fix thatt tipo if yu tell me wear it is. I’m no genius, people. And I appreciate you pointing it out.
I have a recipe you might like to try.
Again, not a question, but send it along! I love trying new recipes. Even yours. I particularly love old-school, family recipes. And, if it’s a hit here at the Cat Farm, I’ll pay homage to you on this here blog. No lie. (But don’t forget to give me the source, especially if it’s a family recipe/belongs to a person who might sue me.)
Can I share one of your recipes?
Of course! A lot of the recipes on this site have been inspired by others – though I’ve been developing some of my own recipes as well. I do my best to give credit to the geniuses who have inspired me – it’s only right. In many ways, original recipes are a thing of the past – there is very little prepared in a kitchen nowadays that is totally unique – so I believe in giving credit when credit is due. Maybe you could do the same. Imitation is, after all, the weirdest form of flattery. It sure would be nice if you identified movitabeaucoup.com as the place you found the recipe (or track back to the original source, if other than me). Also, if you could use your own photos, that would be the bomb.
Can I post one of your pictures?
Um… one of my photos? Gawd, why? Uh, so yes, I guess you can use one of my crappy photos, but please ask me for permission first, and then give me a kick-ass photo credit and link back to movitabeaucoup.com. However, if you’ve been inspired by one of my recipes (or a recipe I’ve been inspired by), I’d suggest you take your own photos. Your readers will appreciate it – and so will I.
And just so you know, re-blogging isn’t cool with me.
I tried one of your recipes and it blew/didn’t work.
Totally possible. Just because I like something doesn’t mean you will. Also, there are a lot of variables. Here are some tips…
First, if your treats don’t look exactly like mine, don’t fret. Embrace your own style. Also, if it tastes good, you’ve done your job. Ultimately, it’s all gunna look the same in your belly.
Trying a new recipe out for a big/important event is risky. I recommend sticking to something you’ve had success with before.
When seasoning “to taste,” go easy. Just a little at a time. Give the seasonings time to get in there. Then taste. Then adjust. Then taste.
Baking is a chemical reaction. That’s science, people! Any experimentation with a recipe can cause a recipe to fail or turn out differently than intended. If you change an ingredient, a quantity, a method, or an amount, it will also change the results. That being said – experimentation is the bomb! But you’ve got to be okay with failure…
Switching out ingredients can affect the outcome of a recipe. For example self‐raising flour is different than plain flour. Know your key ingredients! Subbing low-fat ingredients will also affect your final product, and sometimes will not work at all.
Good‐quality ingredients are preferred. That doesn’t always mean expensive – though sometimes a splurge will pay off. Use ingredients you trust. Don’t be trying a whole new set of brands and ingredients on that birthday cake that means so much to you…
Make sure that your ingredients have not passed their best-before date.
Don’t rush when measuring out ingredients. Be organized. Measure accurately.
If a recipe calls for ingredients such as butter and eggs to be at room temperature, don’t ignore it. There is a big difference in the way cold and warm ingredients get incorporated into your baked goods.
When creaming butter and sugar together, take your time – when a recipe asks you to cream something until the mixture is light and fluffy, it can take up to 5 minutes. When adding flour to a mixture, the opposite rule often applies – don’t overbeat your mixture as this will overwork the flour and can make the final product dense.
Don’t worry if a batter looks runnier or thicker than you’re used to. You live once, people. Give it a try.
Ovens vary greatly, so suggested cooking times in any recipe are just that – a suggestion. Use cooking times as a rough guide. If you want to check your oven for accuracy, you can get an oven thermometer. When baking, I always refer to the shorter cooking time, and then check every few minutes until finished.
Cakes, cupcakes and muffins are ready when a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. They are not automatically ready when the suggested baking time is up.
Use the recommended sized baking tins. That sentence was way awkward. Anyhoo, if you jam the batter into a tin that is too small, you could have an overflow situation. Generally, filling a tin no more than 2/3 full is a good rule of thumb.
Cakes and cupcakes will flop in the middle if you take them out of the oven too early.
Don’t be opening your oven door over and over again to check on your baked goods. All that cold air getting in there can make your baked goods sad. Wait until you’re getting close to the minimum recommended baking time before taking a peek.
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Do you have a question for movita? Ask away: movita {at} live.ca.
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