Do you need to grease parchment paper? – As parchment paper is non-stick, there’s no compulsory requirement to grease it. However, if you still like to grease it, there’s a way you can do it. Read further to know more.

What is a Parchment Paper?

Parchment Paper is a non-stick paper that is heat resistant and coated with silicone. You’ll find cake later but parchment paper first in a baker’s kitchen. From lining baking pans to layering stacked baked goods, parchment paper comes with many uses. Apart from baking, it helps in keeping the desserts from sticking to the pan.

Quick Tip: Always store your parchment paper flat instead of rolling. Keeping it flat prevents it from rolling back to you, and that way, you don’t get irritated.

Can it be replaced?

In case you don’t have parchment paper available with you, you can use aluminum foil or waxed paper as an alternative. However, do not consider these options as all-around substitutes for parchment paper. The waxed paper is made from paraffin wax, so it is not heat resistant and can’t be used in the oven. At the same time, aluminum foil does not support non-stick features, so it cannot be used to layer your desserts.

How to grease parchment paper?

Parchment paper is made from a thin silicone coating with a non-sticky texture. So you don’t have to worry about greasing the parchment paper while baking delicious cookies. However, if you decide to grease parchment paper despite knowing the fact it’s silicone-coated, you’ll see an extra greasy texture on your cookies. We are sure that this is not what you were expecting, so make sure you are not greasing the parchment paper.

How to grease a cake pan with parchment paper?

It’s easy peasy to grease a cake pan with parchment paper. All you need to do is arrange the things and follow the steps, and you’re all set to go.

Things to arrange

• Cake Pan (size of the pan depends on the recipe you’re making).
• Butter or cooking spray
• Cooking spray with flour inside can also work.
• Parchment paper
• Flour

Steps to follow

Step 1: Greasing

Put the cake pan in front of you and start putting butter drops on the sides. Next, brush the butter all over the pan. Make sure no corner or side is left ungreased inside the pan. Everything should be covered the bottom, the sides, corners, all.

In case you have a spray, your work is reduced now. Just spray it all over the pan, and if the spray comes with the flour inside, your job gets reduced by two steps. After that, you can just jump over to the third step.

Step 2: Flouring

After greasing the pan properly, you need to start flouring the pan. Flour sticks to the grease to provide extra protection between the pan and cake. According to us, flouring can be a satisfying process but messy at the same time. You can end up spreading flour all over the slab and your clothes. So to avoid any mess, always wear an apron and work near the sink.

Take a teaspoon or tablespoon of flour (depending on the size of the pan) and hold it just above the pan. Now start shaking your hand evenly, spreading the flour all over the pan. It might not spread evenly at this time. Chill out! Just take the pan over to the sink and tilt it from front to back. Tilt it where the flour needs to be reached. Once the pan is covered evenly, gently turn it down and remove any excess flour by shaking it.

Step 3: Lining the pan

You might think, I have greased the pan now what’s the need of lining it. But, trust us with the process, you’ll be happy in the end.

The most challenging thing about lining the pan is not the lining process; it’s actually about cutting the paper. If you do not know how to cut parchment paper, you can always buy pre-cut parchment papers from the market. If you apply the trick provided by us, you can do it at home. Just grab some scissors and parchment paper, of course.

The tricks we will tell are for round cake pans as they are the most difficult to fit parchment paper in.

Trick 1

Take the parchment paper and place it just below the bottom of the pan. Take a pen and mark the border of the pan on the paper. Now take the parchment paper and cut the design you just made. Make sure you are cutting slightly smaller than the design. Voila, your parchment paper is ready to fit inside the pan.

Trick 2

If the 1st one didn’t work for you, we have a second trick for you. We call it the “Triangle trick”. Take the parchment paper, fold it in half, and start folding it in a triangle. Make as many triangles as you can; they won’t be perfect, though. Once you’re done, hold the tip of the triangle from the center of the pan. Measure it and cut any extra length you notice.

Next, open the triangle, and woohoo! Your parchment paper is ready to line.

Place the parchment paper inside the pan.

If you have a square pan

Take the parchment paper, put it inside the pan, measure it, and cut off any extra paper from two sides only. You need to keep the other two sides long so that it’s easy for you to take the bake out.

Step 4: Again grease and flour

Repeat the same steps 1 and 2 as lining needs to go through this process too.

Step 5: Enjoy your delicious items

Now it’s time for you to enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Take the baked item from the oven, gently flip it over a plate (if you’re using a round cake pan), or take the cake out with the help of extra lengths of the paper that you left earlier. Gently pull off the parchment paper. You’re all set.

Conclusion

The conclusion always comes to one thing; we hope you understand the whole process. It is your choice whether to grease the parchment paper as it already comes with a silicone coating.

The post Do You Need To Grease Parchment Paper? appeared first on Kitchen Matts.

If you’re one of those few people, you must have come to that one point where you’ve arranged all the items but don’t have a cookie-cutter. Now you start to look for its substitutes. If you haven’t found those substitutes, then we are here to help you out. Read further to know what things you can use as an alternative to a cookie-cutter.

What is a cookie-cutter?

Ever wondered how your cookies get into such amazing shapes? There’s no rocket science behind it. It’s just cut by a simple instrument known as the cookie cutter. It cuts cookies in different shapes. Just take the cookie-cutter out and put it above the dough, press it, and the shape is ready.

No cookie-cutter? Try these alternatives

Cookie-cutter makes it easy for you to cut cookies in different and unique shapes. But what to do when you don’t have one. Buddy, just look around your kitchen, and there are plenty of things you can use as a cookie-cutter. Don’t lose your heart even if the shapes didn’t turn out to be the way you wanted them to, roll up the dough and start again.

Tin can

You can use a tin can to cut your cookie dough. Just keep this one thing in mind. Make sure the tin can is empty! One common thing that all people faced who used an empty tin can is that the cookie dough got stuck inside the can. Solution? Cut both the ends of the tin can, and you can take the dough out from the other side if it gets stuck. Smart, right? Thanks, us later.

Glass

As our drinking glasses quench our thirst, they can also satisfy our cookie cravings. Just pick a glass, place it over the dough, and cut the shape. It’s easy peasy lemon squeezy. The best part is that you can cut several cookies at a time with the help of someone. So make several cookies when you’re in a hurry.

Custom designs

You can always make custom designs on your cookie dough. How? Just use your regular kitchen knife and start cutting unique designs. Then, take our advice, try it with your partner or best friend. Trust us, both of you will end up having a good laugh about it. You can cut out fun shapes and surprise your family members with your creativity.

Pizza cutter

Say hello to the pizza cutter who has come to your rescue in this difficult time. After you’ve rolled out the dough, take the pizza cutter out and start cutting the dough. You can also experiment with your creativity on the dough with this pizza cutter. As pizza cutters are available in different sizes, you’ll need to choose the one that fits your needs.

Though you can cut only the shapes with straight sides like a rectangle, square, triangle, or diamond, if you try, you can cut a circle shape too. However, kitchen knives come with a risk of accidentally cutting your fingers, so in that case, a pizza cutter is a good choice.

Make a log and cut it

Or you can just roll up your cookie dough and start cutting it with your regular kitchen knife. If the recipe needs the cookies to be thick, try to maintain that. In this case, your baking time can change, so take care of that.

Try drop cookies

Certain cookies save you the time of using a cookie cutter and making shapes. Such cookies are called drop cookies, like chocolate chip cookies that only need you to form a dough ball and insert it inside the oven.

However, cookies that especially need to be cut will not work if you use the drop cookie technique.

Jar ring

It’s okay if you don’t have any of the above things available to you at the moment. Just pick any jar, take out its ring, and use it as a cookie-cutter. Select the ring size you want for your cookie and cut it. Though your cookies will be round only, the taste will remain the same.

Conclusion

Whether you use your drinking glass or your regular knife, these substitutes will definitely save your day. Try all of these substitutes, and you will surely have a favorite by the end of the day. Now cutting the cookies will be more fun for you than baking them. So grab the items in your kitchen and start cutting the cookies. Round cookies- use a jar ring. Want to eat custom-designed cookies? A regular kitchen knife is sitting right there waiting for you to use it.

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If you’re looking for donut pan substitutes, then we’ve got a list full of them. Donut pan substitutes work best when you bake like twice or thrice a year; otherwise, the donut pan will lie in your cupboard all alone.

Just like you check every feature while buying a smartphone, these are the following things that you should check before picking up a donut pan substitute.

When the matter comes to baking, it is important to choose the right material so that your item is baked properly and deliciously. Here are a few materials you should consider.

• Aluminum
• Stainless Steel
• Silicone
• Carbon Steel

We are talking about making donuts here, so the size of the pan is the most important thing to consider. If you use a too-small pan, there will not be enough space to make holes in the donut.

If you’re using the muffin pan as a donut pan substitute, make sure it comes with handles. If the pan has handles, it becomes easy to take it out of the oven.

A muffin pan is a popular substitute for a donut pan. For this, you need a muffin pan, for sure. Apart from this, you need to have aluminum foil or parchment paper and a pair of scissors.

Parchment paper would be a much better option as it is non-stick while the aluminum foil isn’t. That is why aluminum foil is not used as a substitute for parchment paper.

All you need to do is grease the muffin pan with any type of oil. Now use parchment paper and roll it up with a flat bottom. Keep the size only that much to fit inside the muffin pan. Place this roll in the center of the muffin pan. Now using a pastry bag, fill the pan with a donut mixture. Doing this will allow you to avoid any kind of mess.

You can also make your own donut pan when you don’t have one. Just take parchment paper and roll it like a cylinder. Take the foil and wrap it tightly around the cylinder roll to secure it. The thickness totally depends on your choice of donuts. Now make this cylinder into a circle and secure it with tape.

Now for molds, you need to cut a big sheet of foil. Fold this in half and cut it into two pieces. Now put the foil donut (made above) into the middle of this sheet. Add some more foil and wrap it around the edges of this donut. Remove the foil donut placed in the center.

It’s okay if you don’t have any pieces of equipment like a muffin pan, molds, or cutter with you, you can always form a free shape for your donuts. Just put 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter on a baking sheet, and start shaping the batter using your fingers or a spatula. To make it smooth, you can use a spoon.

Keep shaping it until you get the desired shape. Doing this will help flow your creative juices and make you feel happy. Making free-shape donuts is an exciting method.

You can always transform your muffin pan into a donut pan. Just follow these simple steps, and you’re all set.

• Aluminum foil
• Cooking Spray
• Muffin Pan

1. Place a square piece of foil over one of your fingers. Make sure the size is big enough to cover the bottom of each muffin cup.
2. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around your fingers, making a mold.
3. It will look like a cup but with a stick inside. (this is for making the holes in the donut)
4. Place it into the cup and press it.
5. Follow the same for all cups.
6. Now pour the donut cake mixture (any recipe would work) into the molds.
7. Bake the donuts.
8. Take them out after the required time and decorate them the way you like to.

If you don’t have a piping bag, you can always use a zip bag. Just pour the batter inside the zip-top transparent bag and cut the tips to make a pipe. Then, pour it as you would do with a piping bag.

Donuts will always remain in our hearts and our mouths! Now you can easily make donuts at home without taking tension about arranging a donut pan. You don’t have to arrange a donut pan because we have provided you best donut pan substitutes. The muffin pan is the most popular substitute used by most people. And don’t lose your heart even if you don’t have a muffin pan. There’s always a different way. Use your creativity and make free-shape donuts.

Now no more worrying about purchasing a donut pan in a hurry. Just grab all your ingredients, make a batter, and pour it into a muffin pan. As someone said, when there’s a way, there’s a will. There’s always an alternative to everything; you just need the right resources to find it, and we did that for you.

The post Donut Pan Substitutes To Try Right Now appeared first on Kitchen Matts.

Let’s take a situation; you have gathered all the ingredients required to make a pastry. Uh-oh, you don’t have a pastry cutter near you, and you don’t have time to buy it from the market. So, what will you do in this situation? You’ll try to find its substitutes, right? Well, you can end your search here as we have found some great pastry cutter substitutes to save your day and mood!

First of all, let’s clarify the meaning of a pastry cutter. A pastry cutter, also by the name dough blender or pastry blender, is a baking tool made to integrate fat into the flour to make a dough. Pastry cutters are basically half-circle-shaped with a flat handle and a chain of curved blades or metal wires opposite the handle. You must have seen a pastry recipe say “cut in butter” that’s what a pastry cutter does.

Forks are important kitchen appliances found in every household around the world. Well, apart from eating noodles, you can also use forks while making pastries! First, just put all the dry ingredients in the bowl. Remember that the fork you are using is clean and dry. Then, mix all the ingredients with the fork.

Now cut small pieces of butter and add them in small quantities in the bowl, mixing them with the sharp ends of the fork. Keep doing that until you get a fine consistency per your pastry recipe.

Quick fun fact: It was the Italian nuns and monks who introduced pastries to Italy.2. Knife

A chef is recognized by the different types of knives they keep in their kitchen. Knives are not for cutting purposes only; you can also use them while making pastry. How?

You’ll need two knives for maximum benefit. First of all, cut small cold butter pieces in the bowl. After that, add the remaining ingredients. Now, use these two knives to mix all the ingredients until they are properly mixed and make a nice dough. 

Quick fun fact: Croissant was influenced by an Austrian Pastry

Don’t just use your beautiful hands to eat delicious pastries; it’s time to use them to make pastries. Use both of your hands to mix all the ingredients in the bowl but make sure you maintain hygiene. Wash your hands with clean water and liquid soap before conducting the process.

Do not use wet hands to mix the ingredients. Instead, dry them with a towel or tissue, then start the process. Put the flour inside the bowl, take the butter, and start using your hands to mix it. Keep a check if the butter is getting evenly mixed with the flour.

If you feel like your hands are getting hot, stop right there, wait until your hands feel cool, and start again. As the fat or butter can get ruined by the heat generated and the overall taste will be sad, it’s better to cool down your hands.

Quick fun fact: On average, an American eats 300 cookies per year.

Welcome the cheese grater in your kitchen waiting for you to use for things other than grating cheese. You can use it to make pastry dough. But for this, you need to cool the butter in your refrigerator first.

First of all, fill the bowl with all the ingredients, and using the cheese grater, grate the cheese. Do not grate the whole butter; stop in half. Then, store the butter in the refrigerator again. The best part about using a cheese grater is that you can easily mix the ingredients with your hands or knives because the butter is now in very small amounts.

After you’re done half mixing the ingredients, take out the freezing butter and grate it. Follow this process until you get a smooth consistency.

Quick fun fact: The hole in donuts is made by particular machinery.

An egg mixer can also be used as a substitute for a pastry cutter. After putting all the ingredients inside the bowl, cut the cold butter using whatever you want. Now set the low speed of the egg mixer after you put it inside the bowl.

Keep in mind that the butter pieces are small to get mixed evenly with all the dry ingredients. But, in some time, you’ll see a fine consistency in your pastry dough.

Using the egg mixer slowly is the key to a good dough. But, by mistake, if you use it at high speed, you can expect your place to become a mess real soon.

Quick fun fact: A pastry war between the French and Mexicans over an unpaid debt to a French pastry chef.

Now, whenever you decide to make a cookie at home, you can always try these pastry cutter substitutes. We are sure you must have at least two of these substitutes in your kitchen. There is no complicated technique to use them. Just follow our instructions, and we are sure you will get a smooth consistency dough by the end.

Make delicious pastries without worrying about pastry cutters. Also, did you read the quick fun facts? Hope we successfully entertained you while you were gaining some knowledge about pastry cutters. Cooking is an art, and art requires patience and consistent efforts. While making pastry make sure you’re maintaining hygiene as a hygienic kitchen makes tasty pastries. Also, you’ll have to waste less time cleaning your kitchen area.

The post These Pastry Cutter Substitutes Are Worth Giving A Shot appeared first on Kitchen Matts.

Parchment is made from a coating that makes it non-stick, and greasing or spraying is done to make the surface non-stick. So greasing and spraying the parchment paper would be a useless thing to do.

Before thinking about greasing and spraying the parchment paper, you should know what exactly it is. Parchment paper is coated with a thin silicon layer either on one or both sides. This coating provides it with a non-stick and heat-resistant surface. That’s why it is commonly used for baking purposes and is found in almost every kitchen.

Its silicone coating makes it different from wax paper because it is coated with paraffin wax, making it non-stick, not heat-resistant. As a result, wax paper can get burnt when put in the oven, but parchment paper will not.

Most chefs advise that you don’t have to grease or spray parchment paper as it is already non-stick. It gets its non-stick surface by a thin layer of silicone coating. This coating not only makes it non-stick but also heat-resistant, grease-resistant, and moisture-resistant. It makes parchment paper a perfect choice during the whole baking process.

If you use grease parchment, then you’ll notice after your cookies have baked that they have a greasy texture on their bottom. When planning to grease your parchment paper, does not apply thick layers as you don’t want the greasy taste of cookies in your mouth.

Parchment paper is used during baking so that your deliciously baked items don’t get stuck to the pan and lose half of their parts while you try to remove them. It is available in rolls in the market just like aluminum foil and can be cut according to the size of the pan.

Yes, we know that we said you don’t have to grease and spray the parchment paper as it will make your cookies greasy. Look, it’s a paper after all so it’s not going to stay in the pan no matter how much you press it.

This means when you pour the cake batter into the pan, the parchment paper can move from its position and you’ll end up pouring the batter into the cake. So when you take out the baked cake, it will not be easy for you to remove it from the pan.

So to make the paper stay in the pan and let you have a delicious, perfectly shaped cake, you should grease or spray the parchment paper. But as we said earlier, if you grease it too much, it will give a greasy texture to your delicious baked items. So just a very thin coating of grease or spray would be fine to make the paper stay in the pan.

As spray comes in a bottle, there are no types to choose from. But, on the other hand, many things can help you grease the parchment paper or pan. So let’s take a look at them.

Butter is very commonly used to grease pans while baking. It’s light, takes less space, and is not costly. It is found in every kitchen and can be used while cold. Just take a piece of butter and start rubbing it in every corner using your hands. You can also melt it and then apply it using a brush.

Another most common type of grease is oil. Cooking oil is found in most kitchens, and it’s easy to apply. First, take a brush and dip it in the oil. Then apply the oil on each side to grease the pan properly.

The oil comes in spray bottles also to spray it on the pan.

Parchment paper is cut according to the size of the pan so that it fits properly. Cutting parchment paper for a square pan is easy, but it gets tricky when it’s a round pan. All you need to do is fold the paper in as many triangles as you can and then measure it on the pan. Cut the excess part, and you’re all set.

The conclusion is that there’s no need to grease the parchment paper as it already has a non-stick surface. However, if you still wish to grease, make sure you’re not overdoing it, as it will give your baked items a greasy texture and sometimes oily taste. Greasing parchment paper is not compulsory, but you can do it to make the paper stay in the pan properly. Greasing the parchment paper will press it and stay properly in the pan.

The post Do You Need To Grease And Spray Parchment Paper? appeared first on Kitchen Matts.

Cauliflower rice is easy to make and can be done in no time. All you need is a kitchen grater or a sharp thick knife. Check out the instructions and details below for a seamless procedure. Also, check the below-mentioned nutritional facts too.

These nutritional facts are per serving (108 grams):

1. Calorie count: 27
2. Protein: 2 grams
3. Fat: less than 1 gram
4. Carbs: 5 grams
5. Fibre: 2 grams
6. Manganese: 7%  of the daily requirement
7. Potassium: 7% of the daily requirement

1. It is high in natural fiber,  aids in easy digestion, and helps to clean your gut.
2. Has high quantities of antioxidants that helps in improving blood circulation.
3. Rich in vitamins that will help to keep your skin spotless and glowy.

Cauliflower needs a good clean because it has many curves where pesticides and insects can accumulate. First, rinse the whole head of the cauliflower under cold running tap water and submerge it into a bowl full of cold water.

Soak in salt water for at least 20 mins. This will remove most of the insects and dirt from the vegetable. Then let it sit in a drainer until it is completely dry. You can also use a vegetable scrubber to scrub the top of the head.

Dicing cauliflower is a simple and quick process. After the cauliflower is completely dry, remove the leaves at the base first.

Then use a sharp knife and cut the base of the head, and make slits into the head in four directions. Then use your fingers to pull the small florets apart. Then trim off the extra stems, ready to make your cauliflower rice.

Use the grater usually available in the kitchen to grate the cauliflower. This is usually available in every kitchen. Now grab the cauliflower heads and grate them using the cheese grater. Make sure the movements are even enough to get the best size for rice.

Be cautious about your fingers throughout the process, or use safety gloves. Usually, a larger cauliflower head can produce about six to seven cups of cauliflower rice. This is usually a messy procedure, so invest time cleaning up the mess too.

Let’s be some old school now, get a thick chopping board and a sharp knife. Start trimming the florets so they can be easily held. Then, chop the heads with regular chopping movements from left to right. Repeat the steps until you get a smooth rice size piece of cauliflower.

Ensure the chopping board is dry and clean, so the rice will not stick to the board. This process gives you the best texture for cauliflower rice. Although this is a time taking process, you can have the best-textured rice.

Saute the diced or shredded cauliflower under medium heat using a skillet. For the sauce, use two tablespoons of ghee, chopped garlic, and some pepper and salt for seasoning. After 30 seconds, transfer it into a bowl so it won’t overcook and become soggy.

If you want an oil-less option, you can steam your cauliflower rice. Steam the shredded or grated cauliflower the same as you steam rice using the steamer. This will give you the healthiest rice. Top it with veggies and sauce, and enjoy.

The easy peasy way to cook cauliflower rice is by microwaving it. Put the shredded or chopped cauliflower rice with two spoons of chicken stock or water and microwave for 3 minutes. Please check after 1.5 minutes for the desired consistency. The rice should not be soggy; let it be a little firm and moist. The crunch should be there. Serve it with chicken teriyaki or any sauced veggies for a fantastic dinner.

Cauliflower rice is the best nutritious substitute for normal rice. It is easy to cook and can be eaten alongside meat or roasted vegetables. Eat it when it is still warm. You can store it in the fridge for one week if it is raw. Or store the cooked cauliflower rice for 2 to 3 days max. Cleanly grated cauliflower rice can stay fresh for 2 months if frozen properly.

The post How to Make Cauliflower Rice Without Food Processor appeared first on Kitchen Matts.

Now you start wondering how to grease a pan without spray? Luckily, there are alternatives to your cooking spray present right there in your kitchen. You just need to look around, and you’ll find them in minutes. Keep reading to know what these alternatives are.

·       Butter

Butter is found in every household kitchen. Some of the recipes specifically say to use butter to grease the pan. It is because the fatty cells present in the butter give a non-stick coating to the pan. So all you need to do is take a stick of butter then start rubbing it around the pan with your hands.

·       Vegetable oil

Most cooking sprays are made from vegetable oil, so it’s an obvious replacement for a cooking spray. Plus, it’s already present in your kitchen because you use it daily. Just take a paper towel and pour some vegetable oil into it. Then rub this paper towel around the corners of the pan to grease it.

·       Parchment paper

You grease your pan so that the cookies or cake don’t stick to the surface of the pan. So why use oil or cooking spray to grease it. Instead, use parchment paper as it has a non-stick surface and will protect your pan from any mess. Parchment paper is usually present in every kitchen, and if it’s not, you should buy it as it has many uses.

If the recipe says that the whole pan needs to be greased, you need to cover all the sides and surfaces of the pan with enough parchment paper. For round pans, you can cut the paper in a circle, and for box pans, you can leave some parchment paper on two sides so that it’s easy for you to take out the baked item.

·       Bacon fat or lard

Yes, we know that not everyone has a jar of lard in their kitchen, and to get bacon fat, you’ll need bacon; that’s why we put it in the last. When you have any of these two options available, you can use them.

Lard is tasteless, so it can be used for any item you’re preparing. On the other hand, bacon fat is aromatic, salty, and meaty, so you should use it only when you want these flavors in your baked items.

Conclusion

The cooking spray has substitutes, and you can use them when you don’t have cooking spray near you to grease your pan. At least one of these substitutes is available in your kitchen, and you can use any of them to grease your pan. Now you don’t have to run to the grocery to get spray as you already have the option to grease your pan with a different thing. Look around, and they are right there in the kitchen!

References

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