By The Washington Post
Spirits columnist M. Carrie Allan, Seattle baker Polina Chesnakova, pastry chef Meredith Tomason, King Arthur Flour recipe developer Charlotte Rutledge and Whisked! founder Jenna Huntsberger recently joined The Washington Post staff to answer questions about all things edible. Here are edited excerpts from that chat.
Q: I realized as I reached for the baking powder that it expired more than a year ago. Does expired baking powder and baking soda make a difference in how baked goods turn out?
A: Yes; better to play it safe and get fresh rather than come to that conclusion after the fact when your baked goods are flat. — Becky Krystal
A: You can also do a quick test by pouring hot water over the baking powder. Because it’s heat-activated, it should bubble when it comes into contact with the water. If it doesn’t, you know you need to get a fresh canister. — Charlotte Rutledge
Q: I found a pierogi recipe I would like to try, but it calls for farmer cheese, which isn’t locally available. I also haven’t eaten it since I was young and don’t really remember what the texture was like. What would be a good substitute?
A: Farmer cheese is like a more crumbly (more dry) version of ricotta. So either substitute ricotta for farmer cheese (just know that it might spread a bit more) or take the extra step and put the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined strainer and drain it over a bowl for a few hours to get rid of some moisture. — Polina Chesnakova
Q: I had quite a bit of leftover evaporated milk from a pumpkin pie I made. How else can I use it? Can I replace regular milk with it? Will it affect the chemistry (obviously the flavor is stronger)?
A: You can do so many things with leftover evaporated milk. It does have a slightly sweet taste, but that lends itself nicely to all things sweet. Two of my favorite desserts to make with evaporated milk are chocolate pecan fudge and vanilla bean flan. — Meredith Tomason
Q: I started doing the keto diet about three weeks ago. I love to bake Christmas cookies — do you have recipes that are keto- friendly? Several people suggested that I use almond and coconut flour. I’m also not sure how to sweeten my baked goods.
A: One of my favorite go-to cookies for folks with dietary restrictions is the classic coconut macaroon. It is perfect as its own cookie without any ingredient swaps or hacks. The key for you will be using unsweetened shredded coconut and a sweetener that is keto-friendly. My recommendations there would be stevia or a monk fruit sweetener. Check the packaging for proper measurement swaps. — M.T.
Q: What is the cookie that will stay fresh the longest? Say, if I wanted to bake it and leave it (well sealed) on the counter. My freezer is pretty full, so it would be nice to have a cookie that I could bake ahead of time for Christmas Day.
A: Dry cookies (think shortbread, gingersnaps, crunchy sugar cookies) will stay fresher longer than drop cookies, such as chocolate chip. This is because with a dry cookie, you’re trying to keep moisture out of the cookie, but with a drop cookie you’re trying to keep moisture in. Much easier to keep a dry cookie dry than retain the delicate balance of moisture in a drop cookie. If you keep your dry cookies well sealed, they will keep for a couple weeks. Coconut macaroons would be a good choice for a long shelf life — the moisture from the coconut acts as a shelf-life extender. — Jenna Huntsberger
Q: I am having friends for dinner and serving barbecue ribs. Do you have an idea for a festive holiday cocktail?
A: My brain turns to whiskey or dark rum. I think a Dark & Stormy could be really good, especially if you dial up the ginger. I’d also look at a Gold Rush or a Black Manhattan, which has some nice baking-spice notes great for this time of year. — M. Carrie Allan
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