Setting Up a Holiday Baking Pantry 101

Stock These Staples for Christmas Cakes, Cookies and Pies

© Michael Vyskocil

Dec 4, 2008

The month of December heralds the beginning of holiday baking. Having a pantry full of essential baking staples will enable you to make efficient use of your time in the kitchen. Be sure to regularly check you supply, as items like baking powder and spices have a limited shelf life before they become stale or lose their effectiveness in baked goods. Here's a list of items to stock in a holiday baking pantry:

PANTRY LIST

• Unbleached, all-purpose flour contains a combination of high- and low-gluten wheat. Store flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place for up to six months. Keeping flour in a large glass jar makes it easy to measure. To keep flour weevils away, insert a bay leaf or two into the jar.
• Cake flour is milled from low-gluten soft wheat. It is used in tender cakes and pastries. Be sure to use cake flour that does not contain any self-rising agents. Store cake flour in a plastic bag inside an airtight container in a dark cool place.
• Baking powder is a baking additive that releases carbon-dioxide gas which helps bread doughs and other items rise. Over time, baking powder loses its effectiveness. While you can find large containers in stores, it's best to buy small containers. Store them tightly covered in a cool, dry place.
• Baking soda is also a baking additive, but it works by reacting with acidic foods, such as lemon juice or molasses, to help bread doughs and other items rise.
• Granulated sugar is the most common form of sugar produced. It is created from either refined cane or beet sugar. Store sugar in a tightly covered airtight container. Sugar can stay in a pantry for a long time, which makes it useful for using in canning and preserving.
• Superfine sugar is granulated sugar that has been finely ground. Because it dissolves quickly, it is most often used in baked goods and icings.
• Confectioners' sugar is granulated sugar that has been ground into powder form. It is generally used in uncooked foods and is most often an ingredient in uncooked icings. Confectioners' sugar generally has a "10x" or "3x" descriptor, referring to the number of times the sugar has been sifted before packaging.
• Light brown and dark brown sugar are two types of white sugar that contain molasses. The lighter the sugar, the more delicate it will be in flavor. Light brown sugar contains about 8 percent molasses and 92 percent granulated sugar. This ratio of molasses to sugar enables light-brown sugar to caramelize sooner than dark-brown sugar at low temperatures. Dark-brown sugar contains a higher molasses content and tends to burn faster during cooking. Brown sugars will harden if they are exposed to air, so store both types tightly in an airtight container.
• Dutch-process cocoa has a richer flavor and darker color than regular cocoa, resulting from the addition of an alkali that neutralizes the cocoa's natural acidity. Store cocoa in an airtight container in a dark, cool place.
• Chocolate varieties include semisweet, bittersweet, milk chocolate and white chocolate. Have all types available for different uses.
• Walnuts can be purchased both shelled and unshelled. When buying shelled, look for walnuts with no holes or cracks in the shells. These should be stored in a cool, dry place for up to three months. Unshelled walnuts should be kept in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to six months. Discard nuts older than these dates, as they most likely will have become rancid.
• Almonds should be stored away from direct sunlight in a tightly covered, airtight container. Almonds can also be purchased both shelled and unshelled. Shelled almonds can be stored in an airtight container up to six months, but shelled almonds should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container also up to six months.
• Pecans that are unshelled can be stored at room temperature for up to three months. Shelled pecans tend to absorb odors when placed around other foods, so store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to six months.
• Hazelnuts are perishable nuts. Since shelled hazelnuts will dry out very quickly, they should be used immediately. Unshelled hazelnuts can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three weeks. Shelled hazelnuts should be refrigerated for up to three months in an airtight container.
• Vanilla beans are the seed pods of the orchid Vanilla planifolia, one of 20,000 varieties of orchids that bear edible seed pods. The most common types of vanilla beans originate from Madagascar, Mexico and Tahiti. Tahitian beans are the most flavorful.
• Vanilla extract is a sweet liquid formed from the infusion of vanilla beans in a mixture of water and alcohol. The resulting mixture is allowed to age for several months, intensifying in flavor. Keep vanilla extract covered in a cool, dry, dark place. Avoid using imitation vanilla extract, as it does not yield the same flavor as pure vanilla extract.
• Cinnamon is the inner bark extracted from an evergreen tree native to the tropics. The bark is harvested from the tree and dried. Cinnamon is sold both as sticks or ground into powder.
• Unsalted butter is the best butter to use for baking. This type of butter should be stored in the freezer for long-term storage. The American Dairy Association recommends keeping unsalted butter no longer than two weeks in the refrigerator.
• Parchment paper is a non-stick, unwaxed paper that is excellent for lining baking sheets when baking cookies. Parchment paper not only ensures that cookies won't stick to the baking pan but also eliminates the need for greasing the pan.

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