Baking tips for newbies

Are you new to bake cakes and cookies? Not sure how to read and follow recipes? Here are some tips to start baking.
All ingredients must be in a cool room temperature.
Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, use unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, reducing the amount of salt in the recipe with 1 / 4 teaspoon per stick of butter. Use regular butter, not beaten, and not substitute margarine, unless the recipe gives it as an alternative.
Unless otherwise specified, eggs used in baking recipes, the large size.
Use dry measures for dry ingredients and wet ingredients for liquid measures. Measuring cup for dry ingredients in individual sizes (1 / 4 cup, 1 / 3 cup, 1 / 2 cup, a cup). You fill the cup of flour or other dry and level. Liquid measures are marked with lines of different amounts (1 / 3 cup, 4 ounces, etc.), with some space on top so the liquid does not spill. You pour the mixture to the desired line.
To measure flour, stir in flour, then fold the flour into the measuring cup and level of the flower, even with top of cup with a knife or side of your hand. For measurement of sugar or cocoa, spoon in the cup. For brown sugar. Spoon into measuring cup and pack down the back of the spoon When measuring sticky ingredients like molasses or honey, lightly oil the inside of the cup first.
You must Sift the flour for cakes and icing that you use in glaze. For the pastry, then sieve the flour, measure, sift the dry ingredients.You do not have to sift flour for cakes and most cookies.
Chocolate should be melted over low heat or it will burn. You can melt the top of a double boiler (a pan with two sections: the top is the bottom pan of boiling water). You can also microwave container and heat at 80 percent power for 1 minute. It is still lumpy, if you remove stirring until smooth. If it is lumpy, back in the microwave and heat in intervals of 10 seconds at 80 percent power until smooth.
For butter (with or without sugar), it struck at high speed on electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until fluffy.
If a recipe says that you fold in egg or cream, it means the protein or spoon whipped cream on the dough, then a rubber spatula in a circular motion from the bottom of the bowl to the top of the dough, "fold" in white or cream. You can also use a wire whisk gently Whisk eggs and cream.
Using the size of the tiles specified in the recipe.
Set the oven at least 15 minutes before use, so it's time to get the right temperature.
Baking (cookie) sheets supplied with or without sides. Some recipes refer to a baking sheet with sides like a jelly-roll pan.Baking cookies is the most evenly on a baking sheet with no sides, but it is OK to use with a silk.
Space drop cookies at least 1 1 / 2 inch apart on baking sheet so they have room to spread.
Most cookies to cool on baking sheets for a minute or two to "set" before they are removed on a wire rack to cool completely. Cakes to cool completely in pan before turning on a platter or cardboard round. Run a knife between cake and sides of pan to loosen it first.