Evaporated Milk Substitute for Pumpkin Pie and What Changes
Half-and-half is the easiest evaporated milk substitute for pumpkin pie. See ratios for cream, milk and condensed milk, and how each changes the filling.
How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust: Weights, Temperature, Time and No Slumping
Blind bake a pie crust with pie weights at 375 to 400°F, then bake it uncovered until set. Learn how to chill, dock and weigh the dough so the sides stay tall.
Can You Freeze Butter? How Long It Keeps, How to Wrap and Thaw It
Yes, butter freezes well. Learn how long it keeps, how to wrap it to prevent freezer odors, and how to thaw it properly for baking, creaming and pastry.
Muffins
All Muffins
Lemon Streusel Muffins With Crumb Topping and Easy Lemon Butter
A classic lemon muffin recipe with a buttery crumb topping, plus a simple lemon butter to spread on top, with US cups, grams, oven temperature and storage tips.
Cappuccino Muffins: Instant Espresso Coffee Muffins With a Cinnamon-Sugar Top
Bake cappuccino muffins with instant espresso, a milky tender crumb and a cinnamon-sugar top, plus an optional mocha chocolate-chip version and storage tips.
How to Make Muffins Without a Muffin Tin: Ramekins, Mugs and Loaf Pans
No muffin pan? Bake muffin batter in ramekins, mugs, a loaf pan or foil cups. Get fill levels, temperatures and bake times that suit each substitute.
Substitutions & Conversions
All Substitutions & Conversions
Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitute: Easy Homemade Blend and How Much to Use
Mix your own pumpkin pie spice from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, and learn how much of the blend to use in pies, muffins, breads and cookies.
How to Halve or Double a Baking Recipe: Eggs, Leavening, Pans and Bake Time
Scaling a recipe is simple arithmetic until you hit 1/3 cup, a single egg or a 9x13 pan. Here is how to handle each of those cleanly.
Cake Pan Size Conversions: Round, Square, 9×13 and Loaf Pans Compared by Area
Switching pans is mostly a geometry problem. Compare surface area, keep the batter depth similar and adjust the bake time, and most recipes move over cleanly.
Baking Basics
All Baking Basics
Classic Pumpkin Pie With Canned Pumpkin and Evaporated Milk, and How to Tell It Is Set
A standard pumpkin pie recipe using canned pumpkin and evaporated milk, with baking temperatures and the jiggle test that shows when the custard is set.
All-Butter Pie Crust From Scratch: Mixing, Chilling and Rolling Tips
A classic all-butter pie crust with exact amounts, plus how to mix, chill and roll it, and the fixes for a tough, shrinking or soggy crust.
Thanksgiving Pies Ranked Easiest to Hardest, and Which to Bake Ahead
Pumpkin, apple, pecan and sweet potato pie compared by difficulty, with clear advice on which pies you can bake ahead and which are best fresh.
Cookies & Bars
All Cookies & Bars
Why Did My Cookies Come Out Hard? Causes, Soft Storage and Rescue Tips
Hard cookies usually come from overbaking, too much flour or dry storage. Learn the causes, how to keep cookies soft and how to soften ones gone hard.
Pecan Pie Bars With a Shortbread Crust and a Filling That Won’t Crack
Make pecan pie bars with a buttery shortbread crust and a gooey filling that sets cleanly. Includes amounts, steps, storage and fixes for common problems.
Gingerbread Cookies: Molasses Dough, Spice Blend and How to Make Them Soft or Crisp
Gingerbread dough is a molasses-sweetened, spiced cookie dough that rolls and cuts well. Thickness and bake time decide whether the cookies come out soft or snappy.
Equipment
All Equipment
KitchenAid Stand Mixer Sizes Compared: 4.5, 5, 6 and 7 Quart
Compare KitchenAid stand mixer bowl sizes of 4.5, 5, 6 and 7 quarts, how tilt-head and bowl-lift designs differ, and which size suits your baking.
Black Friday Baking Deals: Which Baking Tools Are Worth Buying on Sale
Sales are a good time to replace worn bakeware and buy tools you use often. Here is what is worth buying on Black Friday, what to skip and how to judge a deal.
Measuring Cups and Spoons: Dry vs Liquid, US vs Metric, and How to Measure Accurately
Most measuring mistakes come from using the wrong cup or the wrong technique. Here is how to get volume measurements right.
Quick Breads
All Quick Breads
Cranberry Nut Bread With Fresh or Frozen Cranberries and Orange Zest
A classic holiday quick bread with orange zest and chopped nuts. Use fresh or frozen cranberries, with tips for storage, variations and fixing a sunken loaf.
Pumpkin Bread From One Can: Two Loaves, Muffin Option and Freezing for the Holidays
A full can of pumpkin purée makes two loaves of moist, spiced pumpkin bread. Bake one now and freeze the other for the holidays.
Classic Banana Bread: A Reliable Recipe With Weights, Pan Sizes and Doneness Temperature
Very ripe bananas, a light hand with mixing and a thermometer reading of 200–205°F are what separate a tender loaf from a gummy one.