How Does It Measure Up?

Kitchen abbreviations! They’re everywhere, but does anyone really know what they all mean? Tsp? Tbsp? Oz? There’s just so many… who’s to get them all straight!

Well, I used to feel just the same way; that is until I realized that the confusion of kitchen abbreviations didn’t have to baffle me any longer. How’d I solve my problem? I made a cheat sheet, of course. It helps he so much and now I’ve found that I can help out other people with my fancy list.

It’s not so much that abbreviations are hard to decipher, as much as it’s that if it’s unfamiliar, you want to be 100% sure. In baking, a teaspoon and a tablespoon are very different!

In addition, measurements and equivalencies can be confusing! On a scale, how much is ½ a pound exactly? It’s hard to know. That’s why there a chart for equivalencies as well!

Here, have a look at my charts. Hopefully, it can help you out as much as it helped me!

Abbreviations

Approx- approximate

Bu- bushel

C- cup

Doz- dozen

Fl- fluid

Gr- granulated

Hr- hour

Lb- pound

Liq- liquid

Min- minute

Mod- moderate

Oz- ounce or ounces

Pd- powder

Pk- peck

Pt- pint

Qt- quart

Sq- square

Sub- substitute

Tbs or T- tablespoon

Tsp- teaspoon

Equivalents:

1 oz- 1/8 cup

8 oz- 1 cup

dash or pinch (as much as can be held between fingertips)- less than 1/8 teaspoon

4 Tbs- 1/4 cup

5 Tbs+1 tsp- 1/3 cup

8 Tbs- 1/2 cup

4 cups- 1 quart (32 fl oz)

4 quarts- 1 gallon (128 fl oz)

4 pecks- 1 bushel

16 ounces (liquid or dry)- 1 pound

2 cups (liquid)- 1 pound

Metric Equivalents:

5 grams- 1 teaspoon

30 grams- 2 Tbs.

227 grams- 1/2 pound

1 kilogram- 2 1/5 pounds

Well, that’s all folks! Enjoy these abbreviations and conversions! ( I know I sure do…)

Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Shortbread cookies are one of the first developed types of cookies, dating back to as early as the 12th century. It is said to have evolved from the medieval biscuit bread, in fact!

A traditional shortbread cookie recipe is made of one part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour. As you can see, this recipe follows that formula nearly exactly, which makes it great for people who have never baked shortbread cookies before. Read more

Devil’s Food Cake: Cupcake Recipe

It’s hard to get that picky eater to suck down a couple carrots, but offer up a devil’s food cake cupcake and the full stomach suddenly has “just enough room”.

I know that trick. No… I’ve done that trick.

With this devil food cake recipe, you won’t have to worry about being unhealthy. While, there is still sugar and such, you may find that this chocolate cake isn’t too much of a diet-buster.

Using unsweetened cocoa powder, low-fat yogurt and wheat flour, are all great ways to make this devil’s food cake a little less of a guilty pleasure so go ahead… have two cupcakes instead of just one.

Yield: Two 9-inch or three 8-inch rounds, 16 servings each,
2 dozen cupcakes or one 9 x 13-inch sheet cake, 24 servings

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (7-1/2 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (5-1/4 ounces) superfine or granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups (5 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup (4-1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (3 ounces) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (8 ounces) plain low-fat or whole-milk yogurt
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) water

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the pan or pans of your choice or line with parchment paper. For cupcakes, lightly grease two muffin tins or line with papers and coat the papers with non-stick spray.

2) Cream together the butter, sugars and salt in a large mixing bowl till fluffy and light, at least five minutes. Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once during that time. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa and baking soda. If lumps remain, sift or strain the mixture.

3) Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well (at least a full minute) after each addition, and stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the next egg. Mix in the vanilla. Add half the flour mixture and mix until evenly combined. Add the yogurt and water, and mix again. Add the remaining flour, mix, and stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once more, to make sure the batter is evenly moistened. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).

4) Bake the cakes; 30-35 for layered cakes and 35-40 for a sheet cake… even less for cupcakes! The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the side of the pan, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Place on a rack to cool completely before frosting.

These tasty devil’s food cupcakes are great for parties, or any other occasion really. For a frosting, I love to top these delicious cupcakes with a smooth cream cheese frosting. For an added twist, try torting your cupcakes. (That means to put a dollop of cream cheese frosting in the middle of your cupcake!) No matter how you ice it, this devil’s food cake recipe is devilishly delicious!

Silpat Baking Mat

The Silpat baking mat has been around for a couple years now. Have you heard of it? Well let me tell you a little bit about it!

Basically, the Silpat baking mat is a new way to bake without the hassle of foods sticking. You know what I mean.

It’s your favorite cookie recipe. You can already smell them in the oven and then the timer goes off. You take the cookies from the oven and get ready to try one, still steaming from the heat.

Suddenly, your worst nightmare is true! Your cookies have stuck to the pan because you forgot to put on your non-stick cooking spray, aluminum foil or parchment paper. Common mistakes, but either way your cookies are ruined.

With the Silpat baking mat, you will never have to spray another pan as long as you bake! The mat is 11 ¾ x 8 ¼ inches so it fits most standard baking sheets. In addition, this mat has a naturally non-stick texture which can withstand temperatures from -40 up to over 480 degrees! That means that not only can bake with this mat, but you can also chill foods like chocolate molds or ice cream sandwiches.

These convenient little sheets were developed from a cooking company in France called Demarle. They were invented in 1982 and it’s very possible that the first of all the Silpats to be used are still in kitchens today. These heavy-duty mats can be used over 2,000 times! You better get to baking… your Silpat is waiting!

Royal Icing Recipe

Royal icing is extremely popular in the baking world. With royal icing, you can smoothly frost a cake, you can make stiff peaks or corners, or you can make small edible cake decorations or pieces.

Royal icing is typically made of beaten egg whites and sugar. The water binds the sugar and egg whites. Oh, I almost forgot. Meringue powder? It’s just egg whites, a little sugar, and some gum base—no worries.

Royal icing has the tendency to “air crust” if left out, uncovered, for more than a couple minutes. When on a cake, this came make it really easy to smooth your cake.

Wait… we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s just take a look at this royal icing recipe for starters!

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 level tablespoons meringue powder
• 4 cups sifted powered sugar
• 6 tablespoons water

Directions:

1) Beat all ingredients for 10 to 12 minutes on high speed until icing forms stiff peaks. Add small amount of flavoring if desired (almond, vanilla, lemon, etc.) but only AFTER you beat it.

2) Use paste colors or powder food color to color the icing. (Liquid drops can thin out your icing and make it runny.)

See… this royal icing recipe is easy enough. Royal icing typically stores for about 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. Be sure to stir all of the ingredients back together if you don’t use the using immediately because they have the tendency to separate a bit.

If you choose to make roses, flowers, pearls, or any other hardened decoration, it will store for up to four months! The funny thing is that even after all of that… they will still taste delicious with this yummy royal icing recipe!

Classic Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe

Good morning, sunshine! Oh, fine. So we all know that coffee cake is no longer just a morning picker-upper. Would you believe that coffee cake has been around for centuries?! It’s true.

The coffee cake that we all love today evolved from ancient honey cakes. As time went on, the cake shifted towards a simple French galettes, to medieval fruitcakes, to sweet yeast rolls, to Danish cakes made with coffee, and finally ending its journey in an air tight plastic wrapped package on the shelves of grocery stores nation-wide.

This classic cinnamon coffee cake is an easy coffee cake recipe which tastes delicious! I love this recipe and my friends to too. One day I brought these cakes to an early morning meeting at school. People were half-asleep, but as soon as they smelled my hot cakes they were wide awake and piling it onto their plates!

Ingredients:

Crumb Topping:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
• 1 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed, divided use
• 1 1/2 cup butter, softened, divided use
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cake:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup milk

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour 9×13 inch pan.

Crumb Topping:

2) Combine 1 cup flour with 1 cup brown sugar, a 1/2 softened butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3) Mixture should have the consistency of moist sand. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Set aside.

Cake:

4) In a large bowl, cream together the remaining 1 cup butter, remaining 3/4 cup light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

5) In a separate bowl combine the remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to the moist ingredients a little bit at a time. Add milk and mix well. Spoon the batter into prepared 13×9-inch baking pan.

6) Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter. Be sure the topping completely covers the batter.

7) Bake cake for 50 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn light brown.

Although, the bake time on these tasty hot cakes is kind of long… they’re definitely worth the wait! I love is classic coffee cake recipe. Cutting them warm (and eating one or two) is such a great benefit of baking this tasty coffee cake; not to mention it makes my whole kitchen smell amazing!

Moist Banana Bread Recipe

Those bananas are on their last leg. You’ve watched them sit on your kitchen counter… changing colors from a sunny yellow to a dingy brown. There’s even that little squishy part on the bottom. We’ve all lived this nightmare.

Would you believe me if I said you could do something with those mushy brown bananas? No… not garden fertilizer. Some of the best (and moist) banana bread I’ve ever made was from the brownest banana in the bundle! It may sound strange… gross… or even unsafe to eat those rotting bananas, but they are safe (and tasty in bread).

My mom and I have been baking banana bread using this recipe for as long as I can remember. It makes a great holiday gift because you can buy those disposable foil loaf pans. They’re inexpensive and you can easily wrap up your loaves in some festive cellophane wrap (tied with a ribbon) for an extra touch.

It’s a cheap way to say happy holidays… or if it’s not a holiday season, it’s just a good way to remind someone that you’re thinking of them. My neighbors, especially, love these loaves!

Yield: 16 servings (note: the mini foil loaves will only have 8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
• ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees .Combine flour, baking soda and salt and blend with a whisk. Set aside.

2) Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about one minute).

3) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt and vanilla and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until moist.

4) Spoon batter into an 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch loaf pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean.

5) Cool 10 minutes in pan or on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy!

I especially love this bread right out of the oven and a glass of milk! For fun variations to this delicious recipe try adding a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or a cup of your favorite nut (I like pecans in this recipe.)

You can make the bread plain as well. To distinguish the loaves, sprinkle a little bit of your “special ingredient” on top of the loaves, like the chocolate chips or the pecans. Yum! I think you too will find that this moist banana bread recipe is completely worth the wait for the brown bananas!

Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

Chocolate cheesecake. Two thumbs up. Caramel cheesecake. Two thumbs up. Caramel chocolate cheesecake. Four thumbs up?! It’s very possible with this caramel chocolate cheesecake recipe!

I have a great friend who just absolutely loves chocolate! He can have chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles and not even bat an eye! I’ve never been that much of a choc-o-holic myself, but he absolutely loves this recipe! The funny part is so do I.

This recipe is great to make because not only does he love it (with all the chocolate), but so do I (with the chocolate caramel combo).

This caramel chocolate cheesecake recipe is perfect for birthdays, nights in, or special occasion parties. You too will find that this easy chocolate cheesecake is a huge crowd pleaser! Try one out for yourself.

Ingredients:

• 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
• 1 chocolate wafer premade crust (or your favorite recipe!)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1) Cook sugar in a dry heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden.

2) Remove from heat and carefully add heavy cream (mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until smooth. Stir in sour cream.

3) Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy, then beat in chocolate mixture on low speed. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

4) Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 55 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.

5) Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on a rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.) Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate.

Yum-o! Such a great partnership between caramel and chocolate… you’re sure to wonder why you didn’t stumble across this tasty recipe sooner! Enjoy all you can and wash it down with a big glass of milk…you just might need it.

No Bake Cereal Bar Recipe

No bake recipes are perfect for any occasion. The best part about them is that they don’t need an over so they’re great for hot summers.

In addition, kids love helping with this fun recipe… and it’s safe too! No bake recipes are even known for their ability to cut down on energy costs!

This no bake cereal bar recipe is the perfect snack for any occasion. I remember that one day when I made this recipe for a day at the park with some friends.

This snack didn’t melt, didn’t turn sticky, and when all was said and done… there were NO leftovers! These no-bake cereal bars were a huge hit!

Yield: 15 bars

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Cheerios
• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 2 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 2 cups M&M’s
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients; set aside. In a large saucepan, bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Cook and stir just until sugar is dissolved.

2) Remove from the heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat evenly. Spread into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Cool. Cut into 3-in. squares.

Yum! This recipe is perfect and it’s a great blend of many kids’ favorite snacks! I really love it… with any luck, you may love it too! It’s a great no-bake cereal bar recipe– one in a million!

Sesame Street Cupcakes (starring Big Bird)

He’s an oversized bird that talks and sports a fashionable bright yellow coat. He really is one of a kind!

He’s got buggy eyes and striped legs, yet despite all of this, we all love him. Big bird was the initial star of the popular children’s show, Sesame Street, and now he’s just had his second big break…on cupcakes!

These Sesame Street cupcakes, or Big Bird cupcakes, look so cute; they’re practically a self-portrait of our giant feathered friend.

In addition to the uncanny similarities, these cupcakes are incredibly easy to make! Here let me show you how to create your own Sesame Street Cupcakes with Big Bird!

Ingredients:

• Premade Cupcakes
• Yellow Royal Icing
• White Royal Icing
• Chocolate Chips
• Blue Sprinkles

Directions:

1) Fill a pastry bag, with the Grass Tip on the end, with yellow icing. Make short choppy motions to create short fur for Big Bird.

2) For the eves, pipe small circles towards the center of the cupcake and put them close together.

3) Add the pupils by pressing chocolate chips upside down into the eyes, until level with the frosting. Add a couple sprinkles for eye lashes and you’re good to go!

4) Lastly, for the classic Big Bird nose, pipe out some yellow icing with a regular round tip. You can do this by starting with a triangle in the middle of the cupcake. Fill in the initial triangle with a lighter layer of icing along the interior of the triangle. Finally… tada, you’re done!

Of course everyone loves Sesame Street; the whole gang, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Burt, Ernie, Oscar. Despite all this communal love, the love for Big Bird is always the most for he is the face of Sesame Street. With these Sesame Street cupcakes you can express that Big Bird love in a big, big way!

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