Powdery ingredients are less likely to stick to metal measuring spoons. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

When some clever person coined the phrase "If cooking is an art, then baking is a science," an essential truth was captured. A quick taste of a simmering stew might lead you to casually sprinkle in more basil, but your pie crust recipe brooks no such changes, relying as it does on exactness for consistently delicious results. To get that consistency, it helps to understand the abbreviations used in recipes, including what a capitol T stands for.

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Big T, Little T

It wasn't until the late 1800s that a standardized measurement for tablespoons and teaspoons was introduced. Before that time, most bakers were simply using their silverware pieces as measuring tools, meaning recipe results could be widely inconsistent from one household to the next. Today's measuring spoons are standardized, and sets typically include a 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, and 1 tablespoon measurement. It is here that recipe shorthand comes into play: A capitol T stands for a tablespoon and a lower-case t is shorthand for a teaspoon. It's an important distinction; confusing the two when adding spices or a leavening agent to a recipe could be an unwelcome game-changer.

Measurement Tricks

Knowing a few tricks before using your measuring spoons will help you get better results. Before adding baking soda, baking powder, sugar or salt to a recipe, stir the container to loosen the ingredients. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon, and level it with the flat edge of a knife or spatula. When a recipe calls for brown sugar, pack it into the tablespoon with your finger before leveling it off; the air needs to be pressed out to get an accurate measurement. Any solid fat such as butter or shortening also needs to be pressed into the tablespoon to eliminate any air bubbles.

Design Considerations

The folks at Cooks Illustrated spent time comparing the pros and cons of different measuring spoons, finally arriving on a few criteria. When choosing a set of measuring spoons, consider, for example, how often measuring spoons must dip into small containers (think spices) to retrieve ingredients. Selecting spoons with narrow, straight and lightweight handles that are not overly long can make this job easier. Another favorite tip was to purchase measuring spoons hung on a ring — it eliminated digging through drawers to find a spoon that's gone missing.

More Recipe Shorthand

Now that you are savvy to capitol and lower-case Ts, you might want to tackle a few other types of recipe shorthand and conversions. If your recipe calls for a pinch of something, add 1/16 of a teaspoon. A dash is just slightly more than that — about 1/8 teaspoon. Baked goods can be brightened with citrus, but that measurement can be vague, too. If your recipe calls for the zest of 1/2 of a lemon rind, add 1 tablespoon. The zest of ¼ orange also equals 1 tablespoon. Finally, to make things simpler: when a recipe calls for 4 T, you can add 1/4 cup; they are equal.

This cinnamon toast crunch coffee cake is such a delicious recipe. The soft cake is coated in a crisply golden Cinnamon Toast Crunch streusel and sweetly glazed with a thick drizzle of icing. While baking, the cake releases an incredibly fragrant and heavenly aroma, which only adds to its delicious appeal.

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Things You\’ll Need

• 1/3 + 1/8 cup light brown sugar (3.5 ounces / 100 grams)

• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (8.8 ounces / 250 grams)

• 1 ¼ cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (1.76 ounces / 50 grams)

• 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (16.75 ounces / 475 grams)

• 1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (11 ounces / 310 grams)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean extract

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 cup sour cream (7.7 fluid ounces / 230 millilitres)

• 1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature (2.7 fluid ounces / 80 millilitres_)_

• 2 cups + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, sifted (9.1 ounces / 260 grams)

• 3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk

Make the Coffee Cake

Step 1

Pre-heat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius). Lightly grease and line a 12 x 8 inch (30 x 20 cm) rectangular baking tin with non-stick parchment paper. Let the paper slightly overhang the sides. Set aside.

Step 2

First, make the Cinnamon Toast Crunch streusel. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the flour (4.4 ounces / 125 grams), 1/2 cup of the light brown sugar (3.5 ounces / 100 grams), 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add in 1/3 cup of the butter (2.6 ounces / 75 grams). Use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a rough, crumbly mixture. Roughly crush in the cinnamon toast crunch until evenly combined. Set the streusel aside.

Step 3

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or using hand-held electric beaters, beat together the rest of the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about six to seven minutes. Pause mixing to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, as needed.

Step 4

Meanwhile, in a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Step 5

In a separate large pouring jug, whisk together the eggs, vanilla bean extract, almond extract, sour cream, and milk, until well combined.

Step 6

Lower the mixer speed to medium. Add in half the liquid ingredients. Beat, until evenly combined, about two more minutes. Add in half the dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated throughout the batter. Beat in the remaining half of the liquid ingredients. Again, beat until evenly combined. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat, for a further three minutes, until pale and aerated.

Step 7

Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin. Then, use a rubber spatula or the back of a metal spoon to smooth down the top. Evenly sprinkle over the Cinnamon Toast Crunch streusel then cover the top of the cake with a layer of aluminum foil, to prevent the top from browning too quickly.

Bake, for 35 to 45 minutes, or until risen and golden. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in its tin for 15 minutes, before carefully turning it out and onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Glaze

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and heavy cream until very smooth and thick. Then, once the cake is just cool, generously drizzle the glaze over the top.

Serve

Slice, serve and enjoy! The cake is best eaten warm, on the day of making but can be kept for up to three days, stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.

This is how you level up when it comes to Taco Tuesday. Sure, savory tacos are awesome, but they won't be able to please the crowd the way these delightful little dessert tacos can. You might even be tempted to eat dessert first.

Things You\’ll Need

• 6 small flour tortillas (I used the "street taco" size)

• Vegetable oil

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup Nutella (or other type of chocolate spread)

• 1 cup sliced strawberries

Step 1: Fry the Tortillas

Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the tortillas, cooking on both sides until browned.

Step 2: Cover in Cinnamon Sugar

Add the granulated sugar and the cinnamon to a plate, then stir to combine. Cover the tortillas in the cinnamon sugar on both sides.

Step 3: Fold

Fold the tortillas in half and allow to cool.

Tip

Want to make a "Dessert Taco Bar"? Just serve these folded, along with the fixins, plus any others you can think of (raspberries, chocolate chips, candied pecans), and let your guests go nuts!

Step 4: Make the Whipped Cream

Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to a bowl. Beat on high until light and fluffy.

Step 5: Fill

Fill each taco shell with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Nutella, then whipped cream, then strawberries.

Step 6: Serve

Serve and enjoy!

One of the happiest sweet treats in the world has to be an ice cream cone—holding one in your hand, you can't help but smile. Well, if an ice cream cone can be such a joy, imagine a cake pop ice cream cone. Mind blown! Instead of being filled with ice cream, the miniature cone holds a cake pop topped with a candy coating, sprinkles and even a "cherry" on top. Besides being as tasty as can be, these cake pops won't drip on you like ice cream. The adorable confections will certainly be the hit of any birthday party, shower or picnic.

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Things You\’ll Need

• Cake

• Butter knife

• Large mixing bowl

• Frosting

• Ice cream scoop, 1 1/2-inch

• Candy melts—chocolate, vanilla and strawberry

• Miniature cones

• Sprinkles

• Red sixlets

Step 1: Prepare the Cake Pop Mixture

Bake a cake using your favorite recipe or a box mix. You can choose any flavor you'd like. I used a strawberry cake mix. Allow it to cool. Then, using a butter knife, scrape the browned edges from the top, bottom and sides of the cake. Removing the browned sections will keep your cake pops consistent in color and texture.

Remove the cake from the pan and crumble it with your fingers in a large mixing bowl. It should have the consistency of moist breadcrumbs.

Tip

I always use a pair of food-safe rubber gloves so my friends and family don't feel like I've gotten my fingers all over their cake pops.

Add three heaping tablespoons of frosting to the cake crumbs. I used a tub of prepackaged strawberry frosting from the store. Knead the mixture with your hands, adding additional frosting if necessary, until the mixture resembles cookie dough.

Step 2: Roll Into Balls

Using a 1 1/2-inch diameter ice cream scoop, scoop out some of the cake mixture. The scoop will help you make cake pops that are all the same size.

Roll each scoop of cake mixture between your hands to form uniform balls.

Place them in a pan lined with wax or parchment paper, and freeze for at least half an hour to harden.

Step 3: Add Weight to the Cones

These cake pops can be top heavy, so to help distribute the weight, we'll add some chocolate to the bottoms of the ice cream cones. Start by melting a bag of chocolate candy melts in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until you have a creamy consistency. Be sure to use a microwaveable bowl. Different brands of candy melts vary their instructions, so check the package.

Spoon some chocolate into each miniature ice cream cone. Besides helping to stabilize the cake pops, this chocolate provides a sweet surprise as people finish their cones.

Step 4: Dip the Cones

Decide what color you would like your cake pops. I decided on white and pink so they would look like vanilla and strawberry ice cream. Melt a bag of candy melts in your desired color(s) in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until creamy.

Tip

If your melted candy seems stiff, add a tablespoon of vegetable shortening to thin it and make it easier to coat the cake pops.

Holding the miniature cone upside down, dip it about 1/8 inch into the candy melts to coat the rim.

Step 5: Add the Cake Balls

Remove the cake balls from the freezer. Immediately after each cone has been dipped in the candy melts, position a cake ball on top of the cone. Place them back in the freezer or refrigerator for about half an hour to harden. The candy melts will lock the cake ball in place.

Step 6: Dip Cake Pops in Candy Coating

Holding the cake pop by the cone, dip the cake portion in the candy melt coating until it reaches just beyond where the cone was originally dipped. It helps to rotate the cone as you dip to make sure you've coated all sides.

Place the cake pops upright and allow the candy coating to harden, about 15 minutes. They already look like ice cream cones!

Step 7: Add Chocolate Topping

We all know ice cream cones are better when dipped in chocolate, so let's add some chocolate topping to the cake pops. Depending on when you last used the melted chocolate to spoon into the cones, you may need to re-melt the chocolate. Spoon some of the melted chocolate candy on top of the cake pop, using the spoon to create drips down the sides. Don't worry about the drips being uneven, or if they even drip down onto the cone. That's how real ice cream cones look.

Step 8: Add Sprinkles and Cherry

Before the chocolate has hardened, place a red sixlet candy at the very top for the cherry. Then add some rainbow sprinkles around it.

These ice cream cone cake pops could not be more magical if a unicorn delivered them to you at the end of a rainbow.

Well-made fudge is smooth and creamy, not grainy or chewy. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Getting your oven temperature right is important in baking, but usually you can compensate for a hotter or cooler oven by adjusting the baking time. Candymaking doesn't give you the same kind of latitude, because the texture of your finished treats depends almost entirely on accurate temperature management. If your fudge turns out chewy instead of soft and creamy, it usually means you've gotten the temperature wrong.

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Mind Your Concentration

Like most forms of candymaking, fudge is all about heating sugar to dissolve its crystalline structure and then controlling how it recrystallizes. The sugar must first be dissolved in a liquid, then cooked until much of that liquid is driven off to produce a highly saturated sugar solution. Laboratory instruments can measure the concentration of sugar, but temperature tells the story just as well. As the water level in a syrup drops, its boiling temperature rises. If you have an accurate candy thermometer, the temperature tells you when you've reached the correct degree of concentration. For fudge, that's the so-called soft-ball stage, which extends from 234 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chewy and Gooey

The ideal temperature for fudge is right at the bottom of that range, at 232 to 234 F. If you boil the fudge to a temperature lower than 232 F, your fudge will retain extra moisture, which can make it chewy or in extreme cases, prevent it from setting at all. If the temperature goes much beyond 234 F, the fudge's final texture will be hard, dry and crumbly. Catching your sugar mixture at the right moment requires either enough experience to recognize the correct consistency or using an accurate candy thermometer.

Testing Two Ways

Candy thermometers are often inaccurate, a definite problem when a few degrees either way mean the difference between success or failure. Before you rely on your candy thermometer for fudge, test it in a pot of boiling water. At sea level, it should read 212 F and if it's higher or lower than that, make note of the discrepancy. For example, if it shows 217 F, you know it measures 5 degrees high and you'll cook your fudge until that thermometer shows 239 F. Alternatively, keep a measuring cup of cold water beside your stove. As the fudge nears its recommended cooking time, dribble some of the syrup into the cup. If it forms a soft ball that flattens easily between your fingers, it's ready.

Give it a Beating

After cooking your fudge to the correct temperature, you're still not home free. The next step is to cool the sugar syrup until it's barely warm, about 110 F, and then beat it. If you start while the fudge is too warm, it will become grainy. If you don't beat it enough, it will remain soft and slightly chewy. It takes a long time to produce the correct temperature, often up to 20 minutes of beating, which will tax the sturdiest of arms. Use a stand mixer or high-powered hand mixer if you have one, or have a few helpers ready to take over when you're tired. Beat the fudge until it loses its glossy sheen, then pour it into a buttered pan to finally set.