Good to know: Vanilla Extract

The difference of Vanilla Extract and Imitation Vanilla extract may not seem all that big to most, besides the price, but there is a difference. It may affect your choice for baking, and I personally only use Natural Vanilla Extract.

Vanilla is available as a pure or imitation extract or as an imitation Vanilla flavor. The main difference between pure and imitation extracts is that the pure products are made entirely with natural vanilla beans; imitation extracts may use other natural and artificial ingredients to create a vanilla flavor. Imitation Vanilla Flavors differ from extracts because they do not contain alcohol; they do, like the imitation extracts, use both natural and artificial ingredients. Imitation extracts and flavors have never been able to duplicate the delicious flavor of Pure Vanilla Extract.

Imitation Vanilla Extracts and Flavors rely completely, or in part, on artificial flavors rather than the vanilla beans for its flavor. Their aroma is more straightforward than the pure extract. Imitation is the stronger in flavor and retains its flavor even when cooking at very high temperatures. Artificially flavored products will last longer and not discolor.

Information found on McCormick for Chefs

Good to know: Flour

Most recipes call for a specific type of flour, whether its cake flour, all-purpose flour, or pastry flour; here's what the difference is and why one is preferred over another for certain recipes.

The main difference among flour types is in the gluten content, which varies depending on whether the flour is made from hard wheat or soft wheat. Gluten is the protein that helps yeast stretch and rise. To achieve the best baking results, use the type of flour a recipe specifically calls for.

All-purpose flour is designed for a number of uses, including cookies, quick breads, biscuits, and cakes. A mixture of high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat, it comes in both bleached and unbleached forms, which can be used interchangeably.

Bread flour is an unbleached, high-gluten blend of mostly hard wheat and is best used in yeast breads.

Cake flour is made predominantly of soft wheat. Its fine texture and high starch content make it ideal for making tender cakes, cookies, biscuits, and pastries that do not need to stretch and rise much.

Pastry flour is similar to cake flour but has a slightly higher gluten content. This aids the elasticity needed to hold together the buttery layers in flaky doughs such as croissants, puff pastry, and pie crusts.

Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour that has had baking powder and salt added to it. Use it in yeast bread recipes in place of all-purpose flour by omitting salt, and in quick bread recipes by omitting salt and baking powder.

(Found on TLC Cooking "Baking Flour facts")

Good to know: Gluten-free

Gluten-free diets and food labels are becoming more and more predominant; but what is GLUTEN and why gluten free?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts, and triticale. It is used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often hidden under "dextrin".

A gluten-free diet is the only acceptable treatment for celiac disease and wheat allergy.

Most foods that are marked "gluten free" contain no or a very small amount of gluten. Other items that are good alternatives, and most common replacement for wheat, in gluten-free diets are potatoes, corn, tapioca, and rice. Baking for gluten-free diets can be a challenge, but not impossible. Usually the flavor remains the same, but the texture of baked items changes, however with the right mix of ingredients the difference is barely noticeable.

Good to know: Cream of Tartar

Cream of Tartar is a mystery ingredient that is asked for often... but not many seem to know what it does.

Cream of tarter actually isn't a cream at all... its a dry white powder. Originally a bi-product of wine making, cream of tartar is an acid that is mixed with baking soda to create baking powder. It acts as an acid, while the baking soda emits carbon dioxide to make the dough or batter rise, or leaven, properly, helping to create fluffy baked items.

Some recipes may ask for baking powder, baking soda and cream of tartar separately, or not at all. It depends on the other ingredients involved in the recipe and the amount of acid contained in the ingredients and the balancing act to make it rise.

Good to know: Baking Powder and Baking Soda

Countless recipes call for baking powder and baking soda, and although they're very commonly used, most don't know why.

Baking soda is used to produce carbon dioxide in batters that help it to "rise" or leaven baked items. There are many acidic ingredients in lots of cakes, breads, and the like, such as: some fruits (like bananas), brown sugar, molasses, buttermilk, and others. So the baking soda is used to combat the acid and allow the dough or batter to rise properly so you get those fluffy cakes and muffins you desired.

Baking powder contains baking soda and other dry acidic ingredients that are used similarly; however, baking powder has more kick to it since it doesn't rely on the ingredients of the batter alone, which helps the batter rise better or leaven higher than just the baking soda alone. Generally one teaspoon of baking powder leavens one cup of flour.

There are commonly two types of baking powder: single-acting and double-acting powders. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.