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This is my favorite icing for cut-out cookies. If you do not care for almond extract, you may substitute another flavoring such as vanilla or lemon extract. Ingredients: 4 C. powdered sugar, sifted 4 Tbls. unsalted butter, softened to room temp. 1/2 tsp. almond extract 6 Tbls. milk Directions: 1. Beat powdered sugar, butter and flavoring together in a large bowl. 2. Gradually add in milk until desired consistency. 3. Add food coloring, if desired. Emily asks: I am making pumpkin pie using a store-bought pie shell. Do I need to pre-bake the pie crust before I fill it? BakingSOS says: The pie crust will bake along with the filling when making pumpkin pie, so it is not necessary to pre-bake the pie shell. The only time you need to pre-bake a pie shell is when you are using a pre-cooked or pre-made filling, such as a cream pie (like chocolate, coconut, banana, etc.). Ingredients: 6 Tbls. vegetable shortening 6 Tbls. unsalted butter, softened to room temp. 1 C. sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt Directions: 1. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 2. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well blended. 3. Add vanilla and mix well. 4. In a separate mixing bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt together. Then add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix just until a dough forms. 5. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. 6. When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. 7. Roll dough 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. (I like to place the dough between 2 pieces of waxed paper and dust it with flour.) 8. Cut dough with desired cookie cutters and place on parchment-lined cookie trays. 9. Bake 6-8 minutes or until cookies are very light golden brown around the edges. 10. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. 11. Frost cooled cookies as desired. Yield: approx. 3 dozen Judy asks: My pie crust is too crumbly to form into a ball of dough. What should I do? BakingSOS says: Your pie crust is too dry. It may also be too warm. The fat (usually vegetable shortening) needs to be cold. Take some ice water and sprinkle in a few drops of water at a time until your dough is moist enough to form into a ball. After forming the dough, it is also a good idea to chill it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. (To do so, flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap.) Chilling the dough gives it time to “rest,” which will, in turn, make it easier to roll out. Joan asks: Why does my pumpkin pie always crack in the middle? BakingSOS says: Pumpkin pie is similar to cheesecake in that it is set with eggs (like a custard). Cheesecake will also crack down the middle if baked in an oven that is too hot and dry. To prevent this, cheesecake is typically baked in a water bath. That is, the cheesecake pan is set inside a shallow pan filled will a small amount of water. This creates steam in the oven, keeping the cheesecake moist, which prevents cracking and burning. I would suggest a similar technique for baking pumpkin pie. But rather than setting the pie pan directly in a water bath, I would try placing a shallow pan of water on the rack below the pie pan. It should have the same effect: to create a more moist baking environment. Another solution might be to lower your oven temperature by 25 degrees and bake the pie a little slower and longer. |