Tips For Baking At Home

• Reduce the amount of sugar used in your recipes. Unfortunately, that's sometimes easier said than done. Some recipes depend on sugar for more than just taste in a recipe. You may have to experiment with different sugar substitutes when baking until you get it right. In general, of all the sugar substitutes on the market, Splenda granulated, which is made for baking, is most easily substituted in a one to one measure for sugar in a recipe.
  
• Reduce the amount of fat used in recipes, but keep in mind that some recipes need a minimum amount of fat in order to succeed at all. The biggest trick to learn in reducing the fat content is to substitute another moist ingredient for part of the butter, oil or shortening called for in the recipe. Popular choices include fat-free sour cream, light cream cheese, orange juice or applesauce.
  
• Make smaller servings more satisfying by adding fiber to recipes. Instead of chocolate, add fruit, or use whole wheat flour for part of the flour. When you increase the nutritional value of the dessert, it's far easier to be satisfied with smaller portions - and fewer calories.

• Use flavor enhancers like lemon zest in fruity dishes. The tang brings out the fruit flavor and heightens the flavors of whatever ingredients you use.
  
• Vanilla, butter and nut flavorings can add the taste of butter and nuts without adding the extra fats.
  
• Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger and nutmeg intensify flavors and enhance sweetness in a dish.
  
• Experiment with spice combinations to create a fresh, new flavor.
  
• Substitute strong, cold coffee for part of the liquid in chocolate recipes to bring out the chocolate flavor.
  
• Top cakes and cupcakes with fruit or fruit spread, or substitute pureed fruit for frosting between layers in a cake.
  
• When baking cookies using a sugar substitute, flatten each cookie slightly before baking. This will help the cookies to spread enough while baking.
  
• Add a little extra vanilla when you reduce sugar in a recipe. It accentuates the sweetness.
  
• If using fruit juice as a sweetener, reduce the juice to a third of its original volume by boiling over high heat. It will concentrate the flavors and the sweetness.
  
• Use dried fruits in muffin and cake recipes to add a burst of sweetness in every bite. Chop the fruits into very small pieces to distribute the flavor more evenly through the batter.
  
• Mashed, overripe bananas are a great shortening substitute, as is applesauce. When buying fruits, buy them individually instead of in plastic bags. The flavors are more intense when the fruit hasn't been packaged in plastic.
  
• When baking pies, try this tip: sprinkle a small amount of sugar on the pie crust before filling it with unsweetened fruit. Spray the top crust with cooking spray, then sprinkle with a little sugar. No one will ever miss the extra sugar in the filling.
  
• When reducing fat and sugar in baked goods, try baby food bananas, pears, prunes, sweet potatoes or carrots. The typical addition is applesauce, but you'll get richer, sweeter flavor from other fruits.

• A small amount of molasses provides color, as well as moisture and deep sweetness.
  
• Sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top of a cake or cupcakes before baking.
  
• Use a small amount of dark brown sugar with fruits to add intense color.
  
• When baking with sugar substitutes and sweeteners, reduce the baking time. Get your cookies and brownies out of the oven before the look done. They'll continue cooking while they cool.

• Add dried fruit puree in soft chewy cookies to replace some of the sugar and some of the fat.
  
• You can reduce the sugar by up to a third in most drop cookie recipes without appreciably affecting the recipe.
  
• Use chopped dried fruits instead of candied fruit peels in holiday recipes.