Editorial Team

32 Posts
What is Sour Cream

What is Sour Cream

Sour cream has become a staple in most kitchens, kept on hand to make quick dips, thicken sauces, and of course, to top baked potatoes. Like its relative, yogurt, sour cream also tenderizes and softens baked goods. Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting a regular cream by certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, introduced either deliberately or naturally, sours and thickens the cream. Though only mildly sour in taste, the name stems from the production of lactic acid by bacterial fermentation, sometimes referred to as “souring”. Adding bacteria derived from lactic…
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Tips For Baking with Chocolate

Tips For Baking with Chocolate

Since there are now more types of chocolate than ever, here are a few things to keep in mind when you're baking with chocolate: 1. Know the percentages of cocoa matter. These days, many chocolate labels include the percentage of cocoa matter (cacao) in a bar. The cocoa matter includes the flavorful cocoa powder, as well as the fatty, nearly flavourless cocoa butter. For semisweet, that means 45 to 55 percent cacao, for bittersweet between 56 - 70 percent cacao and for dark more than 70 percent. 2. Choose Chocolate brands wisely. Chocolate brands often tout words and phrases such…
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