Nestlé Chocolate Recipes

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Baking blind is a method of preparing a pastry case before adding the filling, in order to prevent the base from becoming soggy and undercooked. The key is to add weight to prevent the pastry rising and assists in forming an even shape.

What to use?
Any dried beans that you have available (haricot or borlotti beans are good), raw rice or you can buy ceramic or glass baking beans from specialty cookware shops.

Baking powder is a raising agent used in cakes, biscuits and breads. Commercial baking powder contains bicarbonate of soda and tartaric acid (with a dried starch or flour to absorb any moisture during storage). When these chemicals become moist and warm they produce a chemical reaction which in turn causes food to rise. It has a limited shelf life so check the use-by date when using it, otherwise your cakes might literally be a flop!

Bicarbonate of soda (sometimes called baking soda) is a powder made of sodium bicarbonate that is used as a leavening agent for baked goods. It is activated as soon as it is mixed with liquid, such as water or milk that causes baked goods to rise. Baking soda is used in recipes that contain acidic ingredients such as lemon juice or buttermilk. If properly stored in a cool dry area, baking soda can last for 2 years. If stored in a warm or damp area, the soda begins to clump as the particles go through a chemical reaction, thus adversely affecting the flavor of baked goods using the soda. To determine if baking soda is still active, add 1/2 teaspoon soda to 1 tablespoon lemon juice, if it fizzes its fine to use.

Converting plain flour to self raising flour is easy, combine 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 cup plain flour. Sift together twice to make sure the ingredients are well combined.

Bloom
Chocolate will sometimes develop a ‘bloom’ which is a white-grey haze on the surface of the chocolate. This occurs if the chocolate has been exposed to temperatures over 25C. It will not affect the flavour and will disappear when the chocolate is melted. It can also be a sign of old stale chocolate and the best way to determine this is to taste it, stale chocolate has a dry crumbly texture and is unpleasant to eat and should be thrown away.

Butter
When it comes to baking butter is best not replaced, as the flavour and texture will both be compromised. Unsalted butter is preferred by traditional bakers as it has a delicate flavour and also enables you to control the salt content (salted butter can contain up to 3% salt). It is best used for delicate pastries, butter icings or citrus curds (such as lemon) where the addition of salt can interfere with the flavour. Recipes that have stronger flavours such as chocolate, fruit or spiced cakes, biscuits and slices salted butter is perfectly fine to substitute. Click here for hints on how to soften butter.

Cooling Wires or Racks
A cooling or wire rack if you are a regular baker is good to have both round (for cakes and biscuits) and rectangular (for slices). The rack should have feet that allow it to stand at least 1cm-2cm off the bench. This allows enough air to circulate around the baked goods so it cools evenly.

Creaming
Creaming butter usually refers to beating softened or room temperature butter and sugar together using an electric hand or bench mixer until pale and creamy. This technique is used to incorporate air, which causes the mixture to become lighter in colour and creamier in texture. The proportion of butter to sugar will determine how creamy the mixture will become. It is important butter is not cold as the mixture will curdle when eggs are added resulting in a coarse, heavy uneven textured product.

Fold
Folding is a method to combine a light ingredient or mixture (like beaten egg whites) with a much heavier mixture (like batter or whipped cream) to retain as much air in the recipe as possible. Using a large bowl, place the lighter mixture on top of the heavier one. Starting at the back of the bowl, use a rubber spatula or large metal spoon to cut down and through the middle of both mixtures, across the bottom of the bowl and up the near side. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. This process gently combines the two mixtures.

Knead
To mix and work dough until smooth. Minimal kneading is required when working with pastry, just until dough comes together and surface is smooth. Kneading yeast dough can be done either manually or by machine. By hand, kneading is done with a pressing-folding-turning action. Depending on the dough, the kneading time can range anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. During kneading, the gluten strands stretch and expand, enabling dough to hold in gas bubbles formed by the yeast, which allows it to rise.

Line
To cover the base or base and sides of a cake, slab or loaf pan or baking sheet with non-stick baking paper to prevent the baked goods from sticking. Best to lightly grease the pan or tray first, this helps to hold the paper in place.

Macerate
To soak fruit, in liquid so the fruit becomes moister, absorbs the liquid's flavor and intensifies the natural flavour of the fruit. The macerating liquid is usually alcohol, liqueur, wine, brandy or sugar syrup.

Rub
Rub usually refers to rubbing chilled butter into flour when baking scones, crumbles or slices. The process can be done by hand or in a food processor. By hand, keep the palms of your hands facing upwards and lift the flour as you use your fingertips to rub in the butter to form an even textured mixture that resembles fine breadcrumbs (when minimal butter to flour is used) or coarse breadcrumbs (when higher proportion of butter to flour is used). If using a food processor, use the pulse button to prevent overmixing.

Sifting
Sifting is an important process in baking and used for two reasons. 1- to remove any large or dry pieces that may have been trapped during packaging or occurred due to incorrect storage. 2- to incorporate air and distribute ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, baking powder evenly throughout the mixture.

Tempering chocolate
Tempering chocolate is the technique used to stabilize good quality chocolate through a melting and cooling process so the chocolate will set firm and shiny at room temperature.

Vanilla
Both the vanilla pod/bean and the vanilla seeds can be used. The inside of the bean or pod contains lots of thick, black sticky seeds. Split the bean in half lengthways using a sharp knife and scrape out the sticky black seeds. The seeds can be used in baking and are best added to butter and sugar after they have been creamed. The Vanilla pod/bean can be used to make custards or icecream bases. Once used they can be rinsed in cold water, allowed to dry overnight on a wire rack then re-used to make vanilla sugar whether they have been split or not (see below).

Vanilla sugar is fine sugar (usually caster) that has been flavoured using vanilla pod. Available in most supermarkets it is easy to make. After the seeds have been removed and used, place the pod/bean into a glass jar of caster sugar. Secure lid and allow to stand at least 1 month (the longer the better). You can keep adding beans and sugar.

Whip
To beat ingredients such as egg whites or cream until light and fluffy. Air is incorporated into the ingredients as they are whipped, increasing their volume and thickening their original texture.

Whisk
To use a balloon whisk to combine ingredients together until they are smooth. It is a more vigorous action than stirring and is sometimes used to incorporate air.

Zest
Is the outer rind of citrus fruit. When a recipe calls for grated zest, it means the coloured peel, not the white pith that lies just beneath its surface. For finely grated zest/rind use a fine box grater. For strips use a sharp potato peeler, then cut into thin strips (using a sharp knife to remove any white pith you may have caught during peeling).