Baking is a great activity for the entire family, and it can even be quite therapeutic for some. But if you’re not quite sure what to do, then here are some of our favourite top five tips for baking.

1. Use a tablespoon sized measuring spoon to portion out your cookie dough.

​Make sure all your cookies are the same size and cook evenly by scooping out the dough with a tablespoon sized measuring spoon.  You can also use an ice cream scoop to put the cake batter for muffins or cupcakes into the cases, this makes life so much easier and ensures that each muffin or cupcake is the same size.

2. Keep cookies from going hard by adding a slice of white bread.

Adding a slice of white bread to the airtight container you are storing your cookies in will keep them fresh for a longer period of time.  Apparently, the cookies absorb the moisture from the bread to stay fresh!

3. If you are “rubbing in” flour and butter for a recipe, grate the butter.

If you are Rubbing In, use grated chilled or frozen butter.  The smaller pieces mean that you’ll handle it less when rubbing the flour and butter together, which will prevent the butter from melting, which keeps the fat molecules intact, resulting in flakier pastries.

4. Flip the top layer of the cake upside down for a flat surface.

If you plan on decorating the top of your cakes after icing it, ideally you will want a flat surface.  We therefore suggest that when you place the last layer of the cake on the top, place it upside down. The underside of the cake is always flatter than the top so makes a much better base for decoration.  Such a simple tip but really handy.

5. Quickly Line a cake tin

Rather than trying to cut baking paper to fit the tin perfectly, tear off a strip of baking paper, roughly the size of the tin and then crumple it up and flatten it out and it will be far easier to to fit to the tin.