Sidebar/Sidebar/Content

Making Sense: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

The Confident Kitchen Series

Today’s post will concentrate on, what exactly is the difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder? In my day-to-day life as a chef, I am presented a lot of interesting questions regarding all kinds of stuff, such as:

1. What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

2. What does it actually mean when the recipe calls for “creaming” ingredients?

3. What is the difference between a conventional oven and a convection oven?

But first, I need to start with a story or two. Growing up in a family of five girls, there were lots of learning “incidents” in the kitchen. For example, there was the time that one of my sisters decided to make a cake. Her cooking experience up to that point was limited to scrambling eggs. That was exactly what she did when the cake recipe called for eggs! The addition of a leavening agent in this cake would have been helpful. None-the-less, the end result would still have been the same – the cake did have an “interesting” texture with all the yellow particles.

Recently, I was presented with a few recipes that had been used for quite some time in a bakery with a loyal clientele. One of the recipes was a bran muffin. While it was not a particularly extra-ordinary muffin, it was a regular on the list of items offered. I set to organizing the ingredients for the batter. The verbal instructions were: “you will have to overfill the muffin cups because these muffins do not rise at all”. My inquisitive nature kicked in, so, I asked myself these questions, “Why is this muffin not rising to the occasion?” What is preventing it from becoming a star attraction?

One of my mentor culinary instructors, Chef Maxwell, always ingrained into our heads that we should first read any recipe for balance and accuracy. He was the first to say, “just because a recipe is printed in a book does not mean that it is correct, in balance, or makes sense. So true, Chef, so true!

Making Sense: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

My Chef Mentor gave us very good advice. Checking a recipe for balance and accuracy is now something I do with every recipe before I start. When analyzing this particular recipe, I noted a few things:

a. There was baking soda listed as the only leavening agent in the recipe which had a lot of “heavy” ingredients (wheat bran, etc.)

b. The recipe had a good balance of acid (molasses and buttermilk) to counter the bitter effect of the baking soda. This balance is necessary to prevent the batter from tasting “soapy”.

c. When using baking soda, keep in mind that as soon as a liquid is added to the batter, the reaction is immediate (this reaction is caused by the acid); meaning, you should get the muffin in the oven quickly or it loses its effectiveness.

d. Baking powder is often used in addition to baking soda in a muffin recipe to give the muffin batter “lift” and tenderness. Baking powder is actually a combination of three ingredients and they all play an important role in the result.

e. You need to be careful when adjusting leavening products because if you use too much, you have a batter that will likely taste bitter – not very pleasant.

Here is a leavening formula that I use when assessing recipes similar to this one. It depends on the ingredients used, but as a general rule of thumb:

For every two cups of flour in a recipe, use:

a. 2 1/2 teaspoons double acting baking powder, or

b. 1/2 teaspoon soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

Making Sense: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

There are a few things that could affect the overall result of your recipes:

1. Was an error made in the preparation of the recipe? In other words, even though you may be diligent about gathering all of your ingredients before you actually start the recipe, did all the ingredients listed actually end up in the prepared item? (i.e. were you distracted by phone calls, doorbells, children tugging at your jeans or chocolate in the pantry? They can affect the overall result.

2. Was there an error made in writing the recipe? Many recipes are not triple-tested or edited for accuracy of ingredients and method. I have a recipe from a professional reference book for a spectacular lemon mousse recipe that completely omitted the sugar in the list of ingredients!

3. Is it inexperience or over-exuberance that affected the overall result of your recipe? I remember when my daughters (youngsters at the time) and I made “The Best Ever Muffin Recipe” together, as we had done many times in the past. This particular time, the muffins were quite inedible. We discovered that the baking soda had been “helpfully” added twice and the baking powder had been inadvertently omitted.

4. Is your oven temperature accurate? A simple and inexpensive internal oven thermometer ($ 5 – $ 10 in a hardware store) can help determine if your oven temperature is accurate. If your oven is set to 350^oF and the internal oven temperature is 50^oF higher or lower, it can be detrimental to the result of your recipe. Adjust the oven temperature accordingly, and you will be pleased with the results. Money well spent for peace of mind.

Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda: Best Ever Banana Muffins | urbnspice.com

This is an example of a perfectly baked muffin

As for the problematic bran muffin recipe – it went through a transformation with the addition of baking powder which made a big difference to the end result. The muffin was no longer dense and flat, but tender and light with a nicely rounded top when baked, as it should be. (Go to Muffin tips and Techniques)

In summary, baking soda and baking powder are powerful leavening agents, and when used properly and accurately, will result in excellent baked goods. The “cooked egg” method of making a cake is not recommended! No amount of leavening agent could improve that particular cake. However, it is interesting how this one particular baking misadventure has developed into an over-blown/inflated tale even after all those years ago! Fun in the Kitchen – what are your baking stories?

You Might Also Like These Urb’n’Spice Posts:

The Best Ever Banana Muffins

Convection vs Conventional Ovens – What is the Difference?

Baking Dilemmas & the Fix – See this Post

Additional resources:

David Lebovitz wrote recently about how to tell if your baking powder still works in this post

If you enjoyed this article, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver – Creating Convenience Foods

By Denise Pare-Watson

There is a great deal of satisfaction as a blogger when there is an overwhelming response and interest on a subject from my blog. This happened recently with the post “Money Saver, Life Saver, Food Saver”. In response to Bethany, who is dusting off her food saver and trying some new ideas for filling her freezer, she asked me for ideas for building up her freezer reserve. So, this post will focus on ideas and tips for Creating Convenience Foods that are freezer friendly and quick to rewarm to feed your family.

Creating Convenience Foods

Here are just a few of the items that I have made for my freezer reserve for our family and for clients:

1. Individual or Family Size Chicken Pot Pies

: Creating Convenience Foods: Chicken Pot Pie

2. Individual or family size Beef Mushroom Pot Pies

: Creating Convenience Foods: Individual Pot Pies in reheatable containers

3. Seasoned meat (in meal size packets): I use this base mixture for tacos and taco salad, lasagnas, hamburger soup, chili, Aussie hand Pies, etc.

: Aussie Pies ready to bake or freeze

4. Marinara Sauce

5. Spaghetti sauce, with or without meat

6. Chili

7. Bean Salad

8. Cooked Pasta or rice

9. Individual Shepherd’s or Cottage Pie

: Creating Convenience Foods: Individual Shepherd’s Pies

10. Individual desserts (sticky toffee puddings)

11. Portioned sized packages of thinly sliced beef, pork, turkey or chicken, ready for stir-fry, etc.

: Creating Convenience Foods: Pre-cutting stir-fry meat packages | urbnspice.com

12. Breakfast Pockets or Breakfast Bars, packaged and ready to place into lunch bags.

Creating Convenience Foods: Breakfast Pockets ready for the freezer reserve

And, I am a bit of a geek when it comes to labelling my packages, so this sheet of labels below is what I typically create for the tops of the convenience food packages. The labels are clearly titled, with ingredients and dietary needs. (I had quite a few gluten-free clients). There is nothing worse than pulling a mystery package out of the freezer when everyone is starving.

Creating Convenience Foods: freezer labels

I have had great success in creating convenience foods for the freezer, and it certainly provides an easy option after a busy day at work when someone asks the question, “What’s for Dinner?”

If you would like the recipes for the items listed above, let me know and I will put in on my Blog Ideas list.

For further information, please see Part One of this post: Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver

If you have enjoyed this post about Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver: Creating Convenience Foods, please leave me a comment below.

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Contact me at urbnspice@gmail.com

Follow me on Social Media:

Urbnspice Facebook Page (If you like what you see here, please LIKE my page)

Urbnspice is on Twitter

You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest

I am also on Instagram

I Love Chocolate Facebook Page

Braising Brazenness

By Denise Pare-Watson

Ask any chef what their favourite cooking method is and they are bound to say braising. It is a method I use often in the UrbnSpice kitchen. In this post, I explain what braising is all about, together with ideas and a recipe for a Classic Braised Beef Stew. This article is all about Braising Brazenness.

“Braising is one of the most amazingly delicious and yet simple methods of cooking an otherwise tough cut of meat.”

: Classic Braised Beef Stew

Braising is definitely one of my favourite methods of cooking. It uses a combination cooking technique in that the meat (example: beef cubes) is first seared to brown, and then cooked in a liquid slowly for a long period of time at a lower temperature. Beef stew, Osso Buco, pot roasts, chicken thighs, pork belly, beef ribs, lamb shanks and pulled pork are just a few examples of braising.

Try cooking a tough piece of meat using the braising method and I can guarantee that you will find it becomes one of your favourite methods of cooking as well.

But don’t stop there – did you know that you can also use this method for vegetables? I make a classic vegetable dish called Vichy Carrots, and Honey Glazed Rutabaga which you can see in the photos below. They use the same concept – braising. Once the vegetables are cooked, the cooking liquid is reduced to a syrupy glaze.

: Braised Honey Glazed Rutabaga

Classic Braised Beef Stew

Classic Braised Beef Stew with Root Vegetables | urbnspice.com

CHEF TALK: I love a classic beef stew. My absolute favourite recipe is adapted from The Canadian Living Cookbook, which is no longer in publication. My copy has been well used by myself and my two daughters. I was able to find two more copies of the same book for them from collectors – they were thrilled as it was a cookbook that they used frequently with me in the kitchen. It is called Old Fashioned Beef Stew with Winter Vegetables. Winter vegetables are a perfect accompaniment. I like to cook the vegetables separately and then add it to the finished stew as a garnish.

Classic Braised Beef Stew

CLASSIC BRAISED BEEF STEW
INGREDIENTS
Imperial	Metric

For the Stew:

2 ½ lbs	1.125 kg	Lean boneless chuck stewing beef
1 Tablespoon	15 ml	Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons	45 ml	Butter
¾ cup	175 ml	Onion, finely chopped
2	2	Cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup	50 ml	All Purpose flour or Gluten Free Flour Blend
1 teaspoon	5 ml	salt
½ teaspoon	2.5 ml	black pepper
1	1	Bay leaf
1 teaspoon	5 ml	Dried Thyme
1 teaspoon	5 ml	Marjoram
1 cup	250 ml	Red Wine
3 cups	750 ml	Beef stock

For the Winter Vegetables:

2	2	Large Potatoes, cut into 1-inch dice (Waxy potatoes such as Red or New potatoes that hold their shape well after cooking)
8 – 10	8 – 10	Pearl Onions, peeled and left whole
4	4	Large Carrots, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3	3	Small white turnip, cut into wedges & trimmed
2	2	Medium parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2	2	Stalks Celery, sliced into 1-inch slices

For Garnish:

¼ cup	62.5 ml	Parsley, chopped fine

METHOD:

For the Stew:

Cut the Chuck beef into 1-inch cubes. Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel.
Season the beef with salt and pepper.
In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil and half of the butter.
Brown the cubes of beef in a single layer, ensuring that the beef is browned well. CHEF TIP: This part of the braising process is very important, so take the time the beef requires to caramelize nicely.
When all of the meat is browned, set it aside. Melt more butter in the saucepan and sauté the onion until tender and golden. Add the minced garlic.
Stir in the flour and continue cooking over medium heat until the flour is cooked out – about 3 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Return the meat to the pan and add the beef stock, bay leaf and herbs.
Simmer, either on top of the stove or in the oven until the beef is tender (about one and one-half hours.
Once the beef is tender, remove the bay leaf and the beef cubes and keep the meat warm. The remaining braising liquid can be reduced if necessary.
Combine the meat with the braising liquid, and distribute the cooked vegetables around and on top of the stew. Garnish with parsley and serve.

For the Vegetables:

Peel the vegetables and prepare as indicated above.
Steam the vegetables until tender. Steam the smaller dice vegetables separately. Distribute them around the stew and stir through, if desired.

CHEF TIP: The photograph shown was for a catering event. For added flavour and presentation, I tossed the steamed potatoes in paprika and lightly sautéed them just for colour. The turned turnip was kept very plain for presentation – it is a beautiful brilliant white vegetable when steamed. Tossed in a bit of melted butter is all that is required for these beautiful vegetables.

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Reductions
__________

Other Urb’n’Spice Recipes you might Enjoy!

Pulled Chicken

Vichy Carrots

Honey Glazed Rutabaga

Tweaking – A Study in Flavour Amendment

Roasted Strawberry Salsa on Grilled Chicken Breast

Braising is a technique that produces a sauce or glaze that is so rich and flavourful – it is hard to beat. I hope you are able to try Braising as a cooking technique in your kitchen with these ideas and recipes.

Happy Braising, Everyone!

Denise Pare-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Canadian Living – The only magazine I subscribe to since its inception. I trust the recipes from Canadian Living – they are triple-tested in their test kitchens.

Gluten for Punishment – The Challenges of Cooking for a Rock Star

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Challenges of Cooking for a Rock Star

I love my daughter to pieces – one might say that I am seriously addicted to her. When she first started to experience the challenges of having to adopt a completely gluten-free, grain-free diet, I welcomed her challenges of cooking as mine. We called it the summer of Gluten for Punishment.

We spent the better part of her summer holiday experimenting with recipes that she could easily reproduce at home and would be able to tolerate with her dietary restriction challenges. It was a challenging time for her, as well, trying to adapt to approaching food in an entirely different way so that her body would not punish her in the end with discomfort and reactions.

As a chef, I found this to be an exceptional challenge due to labelling inadequacies and a lack of viable recipes to build upon at the time. As her Mom, I felt empathy towards her as she experienced difficulties when invited to dinner or on restaurant outings. She wrote “Gluten Free Rock Star” which discusses, from her point of view, some of the anguish and perceived punishment that she and others like her, face on a daily basis. As a chef and her Mom, I was inspired and determined to pursue the task of making her life just a little bit easier by providing nutritious and delicious recipe options – she was growing weary of salads!

Gluten Free, Grain Free chicken & vegetable dinner

I am happy that we were able to create a few dishes that have worked for her. We have also experienced a few pleasant surprises in the process. For example, when creating a recipe for a gluten-free veggie burger, I rehydrated and pureed vegetable flakes to use as a binder for the burger mixture rather than using breadcrumbs. The complex flavour that this technique introduced into the mixture was wonderful and provided a much-improved texture when compared to the typically utilized bread crumbs. We have been using this technique ever since. Furthermore, we have adopted this technique with our meatloaves, regular hamburgers, and meatballs.

Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burger Mix

We sure have come a long way since that initial cooking spree that my daughter and I shared that summer. There are so many products available now that make the choices for gluten free and grain free dietary restrictive shoppers so much easier.

You will also find many recipes on my blog that address gluten free, grain free and dairy free dishes, and I have listed a few below. Try making my recipe for Rock Star Veggie Burgers whether or not you are restricted to a gluten-free diet. They are delicious, flavorful, wholesome and healthy. Make tiny bite-sized versions of this burger to use for small plate events. Gluten-free buns are now available for sliders and burger sized versions. Even grain free diets can be accommodated by serving the Rock Star Veggie Burgers in lettuce cups or grain-free buns.

Rock Star Veggie Burgers | urbnspice.com

Rock Star Veggie Burgers made for Kid of a Chef – Gluten Free Rock Star

The Challenges of Cooking for a Rock Star

There are many things to consider when cooking for someone with dietary restrictions or food intolerances.

Expect that some experiments will be successful and others that may prove to be disastrous!
Expect that some experiments may not be tolerated despite the fact that ingredients used were on the “okay” list.
Expect that some unique ingredients may be difficult to source in some areas.
One thing that will become readily apparent is label reading. There are many hidden sources of food intolerant ingredients and one must be ever vigilant in the “learn and determine” stages of sourcing, buying and preparing food for anyone with food restrictions (allergies) or intolerances.

Some links that I have found proved useful in my research for these particular food intolerances are:

Grain Free Living: http://www.grainfreeliving.com/home

Canadian Celiac Association: http://www.celiac.ca/

There are many books now available that focus entirely on eating gluten free and grain free. Many of these books are written by someone who has personally had to either cook for someone with dietary restrictions or they themselves have had to adopt this way of eating. They also understand the challenges faced by their patients, clients, family and friends. They are also passionate about providing clear and concise information and recipes to help those needing to adopt a similar dietary lifestyle.

The challenges of cooking or baking gluten-free does not have to be a punishment. With so many people adopting a gluten-free lifestyle, it is a dietary challenge that many of us will encounter in one way or another. Think of it as your life’s next learning adventure. You, too, will become a gluten-free rock star.

You might also Enjoy:

Gluten-Free Tips & Techniques

Gluten Free Rock Star

Gluten Free Rock Star Veggie Burgers

Potato Crusted Quiche

Smashed Potato Pizza

Gluten Free Chocolate Desserts by UrbnSpice

You can find me on social media (see links below) – be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Gluten Free Rock Star

By "Kid of a Chef"

KID OF A CHEF SERIES

Written by “Kid of a Chef”

The Gluten-Free Rock Star

Living your life Gluten-Free, whether by design or by requirement, forces you to become the most demanding person alive (aside from other Gluten-Free harridans) when eating a meal away from home.

Whenever I make dinner plans, I am immediately perceived as a mix between the infamous character Sally in the film “When Harry Met Sally” and a slightly deranged Rock Star who has a list of requirements to play at your stadium. Except that instead of a stadium, I am in your kitchen, and instead of a film, it is real life.

I dread going out for dinner or being invited to a friend’s house because I show up with a list of demands longer than the intended menu. First, I can’t have anything with ANY grains or gluten. Secondly, I can’t have anything that THINKS its a grain. Next, I want to check each-and-every ingredient you are cooking with to make sure it is not bound to any sort of gluten or grain-type product. Anything that quacks like a grain probably is one and will send me into fits of reaction for days on end. If you don’t have a completely gluten and grain-free kitchen, I will have nothing at all. Oh, and don’t forget, I want you to pick all of the BLUE M&M’s out of the candy jar (not red, just blue), put them on a silver platter and sing falsetto while balancing on your head juggling pickle jars.

Gluten Free Rock Star: Gluten Free, Grain Free Chicken & Veggie Dinner | urbnspice.com

Gluten Free, Grain Free chicken & vegetable dinner

Sometimes I think juggling is easier than cooking an entire meal to accommodate one measly little person. What right do I have, I think to myself, to make such impossible demands on people? I am often asked by a nervous dinner host how they could possibly know if they have made a truly gluten-free/grain-free dinner. I have gotten out of the habit of answering in a comedic tone as that does not seem to go over well and respond by simply saying: “A salad will be fine. In fact, I can even bring my own.”

…

Favourite Kitchen Tools – My Immersion Blender

By Denise Pare-Watson

Favourite Kitchen Tools Series

“The best twenty bucks I have ever spent” applies to this small kitchen tool. This time, I will review a somewhat smaller appliance – powerful in its versatility and convenience – the hand blender, otherwise known as the Immersion Blender in my series, Favourite Kitchen Tools.

I now prepare many more pureed soups and sauces since the purchase of my immersion blender. I utilize the blender in the production of a wide range of food items, for example, baby food, pureed soups, pan sauces, applesauce, and morning breakfast drinks. This is a sequel to the recent post regarding my favourite kitchen tools (see “Time Saver, Money Saver, Food Saver”)

: Immersion Blender – A favourite Kitchen Tool

…

Tomato Dill Soup

By Denise Pare-Watson

This recipe for Tomato Dill Soup is super easy and quick to make. It is a great make-ahead soup because it can be served hot or cold. It is light and refreshing. I use an immersion blender to puree the soup. An immersion blender is one of my favourite kitchen tools and I discuss ways of using this handy, dandy small appliance in this post, called My Immersion Blender from my series Favourite Kitchen Tools.

The finished Tomato Dill Soup

…

Food and love related quotes

By Denise Pare-Watson

Food and Love Related Quotes

“Cookbooks are like chocolates – a variety is nice! “

The Urbnspice Chef

Urb'n'Spice Chocolate Cookbook Series | urbnspice.com

Urb’n’Spice’s Chocolate Cookbook Series

Food and love related quotes

This is an ongoing theme in our household, with infinite possibilities. Food and love related quotes are a fun part of the creativity happening in the UrbnSpice kitchen. It all started with a pickle……

“You’re the dressing in my salad….”

The Class Cobb Salad Ingredients | urbnspice.com

Summer Salads: The Class Cobb Salad

: The Class Cobb Salad Ingredients

See: Classic Cobb Salad

*****

“You’re the pickle in my sandwich…”

Food and Love Related Quotes | urbnspice.com

The Almost Famous Wats-on Sandwich

See this post for the Famous Wats-On Chicken Sandwich

“You’re the chip in my cookie…..”

Chocolate Pecan Cookies and Gluten Free Chocolate Pecan Cookies from the cookbook series

See this post for my sister’s amazing Old Fashioned Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

‘……you’re the “whole” in my donut….’

“You’re the shrimp in my gumbo….”

“You’re the ………………..”

What can you come up with? 🙂

From the Cookbook Series: Gluten and Gluten-Free Quadruple Chocolate Brownies

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating”

Luciano Pavarotti

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Food Quote by Mark Twain

By Denise Pare-Watson

Food Quotes by Mark Twain:

“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”

*****

“There are people who strictly deprive themselves of each and every eatable, drinkable, and smokable which has in any way acquired a shady reputation.

They pay this price for health.

And health is all they get for it.

How strange it is.

It is like paying out your whole fortune for a cow that has gone dry.”

*****

“A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs.”

*****

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.”

*****

“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

*****

“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Cupcakes – love ’em? or not!

By Denise Pare-Watson

Cupcakes – Do you Love Them? Or not?

I have a confession to make. I.Really.Do.Not.Like.Making.Cupcakes.For.A.Wedding.

Don’t get me wrong. I love being a pastry chef. I love meeting with prospective clients to help plan their wedding cake displays. I am a happy kitchen dweller. My collection of recipe books gives me such pleasure as I “read” through old favourites or the latest cookbooks that have come on the market and mysteriously appear in my collection. I do eat, live and breathe the life of a pastry chef, and cannot imagine that this will ever change. But cupcakes……well, cupcakes are somewhat problematic, and here is why:

Wedding display of cupcakes

For the individual who is eating the cupcake, they can present some interesting challenges.

Cupcakes are typically top-heavy due to their heavy rosette of buttercream frosting and topple over easily.
Cupcakes are designed to be eaten out-of-hand. This can create some challenges when you are dressed in formal attire.
Cupcakes are not unlike tacos or hotdogs – in order to eat them effectively, you really have to tilt your head slightly sideways. This is not pretty in most cases.

For the pastry chef, the challenges are as daunting.

Due to the tipsy nature of a cupcake, they are not easily transported, especially when dealing with large numbers.
Typically, there is an additional charge for set-up since the cupcakes will often need to be frosted and finished at the wedding site to prevent significant damage.

…

Original content here is published under these license terms:		X

License Type:	Commercial

License Abstract:	You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

Original content here is published under these license terms:		X

License Type:	Commercial

License Abstract:	You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

Original content here is published under these license terms:		X

License Type:	Commercial

License Abstract:	You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

Original content here is published under these license terms:		X

License Type:	Commercial

License Abstract:	You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

Original content here is published under these license terms:		X

License Type:	Commercial

License Abstract:	You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

Sidebar/Sidebar/Content

The Confident Kitchen Series

Making Sense: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

Making Sense: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

Creating Convenience Foods

Classic Braised Beef Stew

Classic Braised Beef Stew

CLASSIC BRAISED BEEF STEW

The Challenges of Cooking for a Rock Star

The Challenges of Cooking for a Rock Star

KID OF A CHEF SERIES

The Gluten-Free Rock Star

Favourite Kitchen Tools Series

Food and love related quotes