To keep your homemade waffles nice and crisp, cook on high heat and don’t stack. Too much steam makes waffles soggy. Place cooked waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet. Set oven to 250° and pop the baking sheet in while you cook or just before serving to keep them nice and toasty. When reheating, skip the microwave. They’ll lose their crispness. Instead, place them in a 350° oven for a couple minutes, or reheat them on the stove top or in a toaster (if they fit), or place them right back into the waffle iron set to a lower heat.
If you don’t have pastry flour or whole wheat pastry flour on hand, simply put the measured amount of all-purpose flour (or 50/50 all-purpose and whole wheat for whole wheat pastry) in the food processor and let wiz for a minute to create a fine, powder, grain that can be used as pastry flour.
When you need only a small amount of whipped cream, but don’t want to pull out the mixer and make a big batch (and mess)…use your immersion blender! Pour your whipping cream (1 cup or less) into a 4 cup measuring cup, and use immersion blender to whip cream until thickened. Add sugar and vanilla extract if needed. Half the time, half the clean up and no wasted whipping cream!
For all the holiday tips you could ever dream of, check out the latest FoodieCrush Magazine. I teamed up with Heidi to guest edit and design the Holiday Tips article, showcasing helpful holiday advice from your favorite food bloggers.
I have a quick fix if you’re out of brown sugar. Mix a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular sugar. Stir well with a fork & voila! You’re ready to bake!
For extra flavor, brine your turkey this year. I use this recipe. Instead of searching stores high and low for a brining bag, use an oven roasting bag leftover from last Thanksgiving in your pantry. Allow the turkey to soak in the brine overnight to 24 hours ahead of time. Discard the brine and cook as you normally would.
My big jar of organic, unsweetened applesauce always seems to have a bit of mold by the next time I go to use it. The solution—individually packed applesauce. Just enough for a recipe. Especially Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal.
If you’ve over-whipped your whipped cream like I do nearly every time, don’t fear. Add about 1 teaspoon more of heavy cream at a time and carefully whip or fold into your over-whipped cream until it’s back to a normal consistency
