Ingredients to Keep on Hand for Holiday Baking
It’s a great idea to have a well-stocked pantry containing all the essentials, as well as ingredients and supplies to keep on hand for holiday baking. At first it may seem that this list would be short – flour, sugar, maybe a few spices. When you start thinking about it however, there is actually a fairly long list that will result in an ideal baking pantry.
Dry Staples
When you first set out to gather all the ingredients and supplies to keep on hand for holiday baking, think about how much space you have. Also consider how much baking you plan on doing in a given month. Keep enough on hand for 2 or 3 months. Good quality baked goods starts with good quality ingredients so you don’t want anything to go stale.
Here is a list to get you started:
* All-purpose flour
* Pastry flour
* Whole wheat flour (bleached or unbleached)
* Granulated white sugar
* Powdered sugar
* Brown sugar
* Honey
* Molasses
* Maple Syrup
* Baking soda
* Baking powder
* Salt
* Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, cloves, candied ginger, vanilla
* Baking chocolate
* Semi-sweet chocolate
* Cocoa powder
* Chocolate chips
* A variety of nuts: walnuts, cashews, pecans, peanuts and almonds
* Yeast
* Canned pumpkin
* Canned pie fillings (if desired)
Dairy Products and Refrigerated Items
In addition to a well-stocked pantry of dry goods, you’ll also want to keep on hand a few dairy products:
* Eggs
* Butter
* Cream
* Milk
* Buttermilk
* Lemons
* Applesauce
* A variety of berries: blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, huckleberries, blackberries
The Gluten Free Pantry
If anyone in your family is gluten intolerant or suffers from celiac disease, you’ll need a separate set of ingredients and supplies to keep on hand for baking. You’ll want to avoid anything containing gluten which will include wheat, barley, rye and oats and all products made from these grains.
Substitute products include:
* Sorghum flour
* Brown and white rice flour
* Teff flour
* Amaranth flour
* Cornstarch
* Potato starch
* Xanthan gum
* Gluten free baking powder
* Gluten free baking soda
* Gluten free chocolate chips
You may also decide it’s simpler to keep gluten free baking mixes on hand. You can find a good variety of mixes for pancakes, breads, cookies, cakes and muffins at most health food stores.
Baking is a wonderful activity on so many levels. What else nourishes your family, is creative and imparts a heavenly aroma to your home? Now that you know all the ingredients and supplies to keep on hand for baking you’ll be able to make homemade masterpieces whenever the mood strikes you!
One way to add a little pizazz to your baked goods is by using spiced pecans instead of regular pecans. Using spiced or candied pecans can add an extra layer of flavor. Use this simple candied pecans recipe to make your baked goods even better this year.
The Author:
Jennifer M. Warner – I enjoy baking and planning parties, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’ve developed a particular interest in candied pecans, cake stands and dessert presentation. I hope you enjoy reading my articles and I hope you learn something worth your while about preparing the perfect presentation for your delicious dessert.
Photo. Pexels
