Baking question

[marydmjj]

Thanks everyone! I knew I would get the answer here. It looks like unsalted is the majority vote so that's what I will get. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[marydmjj]

I just want to say: thumbs up for the baking! I think the last time I turned on my oven was in 2007 - I am impressed!

Thanks! I don't know why I'm feeling the urge to bake. I'm going to take advantage of it while it's there though.

 

[RNMOM]

I bake a lot too and nearly always use salted. I have bought unsalted for special recipes but honestly don't think it matters much.

I did help one young woman with two small boys who were looking for 'sweet butter'. She had no idea what it was. I offered to help her and showed her standard, salted butter is referred to sweet. All the boxes have it on the label but in very small print. How that became known as sweet is a mystery to me.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Another vote for salted butter. I use it. My mother used it. My mother's mother used it. Her grandmother used it. Salted is the norm around here.

 

[Pikester]

I bake a lot too and nearly always use salted. I have bought unsalted for special recipes but honestly don't think it matters much.

I did help one young woman with two small boys who were looking for 'sweet butter'. She had no idea what it was. I offered to help her and showed her standard, salted butter is referred to sweet. All the boxes have it on the label but in very small print. How that became known as sweet is a mystery to me.

Isn't it amazing how recipe can word itself. I had one that called for "rolled oats". What that heck is that? Just oatmeal.

 

[clgwli]

I never use salted and wouldn't ever use it unless it was the only kind available. Even then I would cut out the salt if asked for it separately as well. I dislike salty tastes and can tell when too much has been used so I wouldn't dream of using salted butter in baking.

 

[mkymouse1928]

That is a great idea! I'll have to remember that for next week when I'm making sugar cookies.

On a similar note, if you are baking cakes from a mix and the directions say to grease and flour the pan, reserve some of the powder mix to use in place of the flour. Prevents that floury taste, and on dark colored cakes like chocolate you don't have that white coating!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I always use unsalted as most recipes call for a little bit of salt anyway in a recipe.

I only use salted when it is specified.

Not sure if that is the expert opinion, but it is how I cook/bake.

 

[Kit'smommy]

I use unsalted for cookies.

 

[sandramaac]

Salt in butter is not only used for taste, but also as a preservative. Thus, salted butter has a longer shelf life. Because of the delicate taste of cookies, sometimes using salted butter adds an odd sort of under taste to the cookies because the butter may be older. Using salted butter also sometimes adds to the rancid taste the cookies make take on a week or so after baking, again because the butter is older.

Unsalted butter is generally fresher, thus a better choice for baking cookies. If you do use salted butter because you do not have the unsalted, withhold the salt portion of the recipe as the cookies will already have the salt they will need.

A few tips for holiday cookie baking:

--store cookies some place very, very cool, almost cold, remember because of all the butter in them this will keep the cookies tasting better
--store each type of cookie you bake in a separate container, cookies very easily take on the taste of stronger flavored cookies thus you don't want all your cookies to taste like peanut butter also make trays right before serving or giving as gifts, again so the cookies have their own unique flavor
---to keep the mess down in the kitchen her is an easy trick for Xmas cookie production:

First purchase Ziploc gallon and quart size bags

Day 1 DRY INGREDIENTS DAY
--get your recipes out and decide if you are going to single or double the recipe I do not recommend tripling a recipe Ii you need to do that just do another separate batch
--next start pre-measuring your dry ingredients for your recipe in one gallon baggie, place your flour and if the recipe call for it, baking soda and baking powder you can also add any needed powdered seasonings the recipe calls for, like cinnamon, nutmeg, etc to this bag
--in the next baggie measure out your sugars(s) and place in baggie
--in other baggies, measure out each separately any choco chips, nuts, oats, etc you need
Write on the flour bag what the cookie is, like choco chip and if its a 1X (single batch) or 2X (dbl batch)
Now clip all of the bags for that recipe together, along with the recipe and place aside

Follow this procedure for all your cookies
Now, all of the messy flour, sugar, etc is away and done with

DAY 2 WET INGREDIENTS DAY (CAN BE COMBINED WITH DAY 1, JUST MAKE SURE TO PUT AWAY ALL OF YOUR DRY INGREDIENTS BEFORE STARTING THIS PART)

Early in the morning take out any butter, shortening, cream cheese and eggs that your recipes call for and allow them to come to room temperature

Also take out any liquid flavorings your cookies call for, vanilla, anise, etc.

Get you mixer out

Now, your start to prepare your dough's

---Start with your butter cookies cream your butter, add your already pre-measured baggie of sugar in, your pre-measured flour baggie, etc just follow the recipe
---once the dough is mixed, put it back into the flour baggie (this way the dough won't stick to the baggie) you used and place in the frig
--rinse and dry your bowl and mixing items,and start your next dough, placing each dough into its flour baggie that already has the type of cookie it is written on it, and then putting the dough in the frog


Before you know it all you, all of your dough's will be mixed and you can put away your mixer, and all of the mess from the eggs, butter, etc.

DAY 3 BAKING DAY

I bake about 20 different types of cookies, including Italian cookies, butter, choco chip. etc. Need less to say. I was days with the mixer, flour, butter, sugar out. Your kitchen starts to look like a war zone, because those items are so messy. I mentioned this to a cooking instructor, and he mentioned that I should pre-mix my dough's before baking. I took his suggestion, and perfected the method. Now, I am really only a few hours with a messy kitchen. Once all the dough's are made, I start taking them from the frig (much like refrigerator cookie dough), and either start scooping, or rolling cookie balls for the cookies and baking them off.

I hope these tips help. My cookies are highly sort after at xmas.

 

[Green Tea]

I remember reading once, "If you want your baked goods to taste professional, always bake with unsalted butter."

 

[sbell111]

I bake a lot too and nearly always use salted. I have bought unsalted for special recipes but honestly don't think it matters much.

I did help one young woman with two small boys who were looking for 'sweet butter'. She had no idea what it was. I offered to help her and showed her standard, salted butter is referred to sweet. All the boxes have it on the label but in very small print. How that became known as sweet is a mystery to me.

Actually, you are incorrect.

'Sweet' has nothing to do with the butter's salt content. 'Sweet Cream Butter' is butter made from sweet cream. Sweet cream is pasteurized cream. Salt has nothing to do with it.

BTW, I checked my fridge a minute ago. There is a pound of unsalted sweet cream butter in there.

 

[cdepauli]

I agree with the previous poster. Almost all butter in the US is sweet cream butter, either salted or unsalted. Commercially, unsalted butter is more likely to be referred to as sweet cream butter in order to make it more appealing to consumers.

BTW, I only use salted butter for 3 things - making boxed rice or pasta (think rice a roni or Knorr), melting it on veggies, or on toast, English muffins etc.

I always cook and bake with unsalted butter.

 

[MosMom]

Unsalted butter.

I roll my cookies between 2 sheets of wax or parchment paper. No flour or sugar needed. Not messy, no sticking, you can do several "batches" and keep them refrigerated between cutting.