The world always seems a little sweeter with a slice of cake, and yet there are a lot of excuses not to start a baking project. From time constraints to a lack of essential baking equipment, a batch of cupcakes or even a quick bread (which gets its name from how fast they come together) is a bit of a commitment, but a lot of people skip a scratch recipe simply because they don’t want to make a big mess. If measuring gooey, sticky ingredients that cling to measuring spoons like honey or maple syrup is preventing you from baking up your best life, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a simple, mess-free hack to save the day. All you have to do is press your measuring spoon into the dry ingredients to make an indent, and then pour the sticky stuff into the spot where you made a hole.
This trick is so easy you might kick yourself for not thinking of it sooner, but before you try it, keep in mind that there are also a couple of drawbacks. The first is that this hack only works well when the recipe calls for mixing dry and wet ingredients. Also, it’s best used only for thick liquids, like corn syrup and the aforementioned honey, which won’t immediately get absorbed into dry flour or sugar. Be sure, too, to only fill the hole just to the top as you would in the spoon so that you don’t overdo it.
Only mix wet with dry when the recipe calls for it
Baking is very much a science, in that it’s important to follow the steps in the recipe so that the leavener works properly. With that in mind, if you’re attempting to add honey to a recipe, don’t assume that it’s safe to mix it directly into the dry ingredients. Wet and dry ingredients are often mixed separately and then combined in order to make sure the leavening agents are mixed thoroughly, preventing overmixing, and to keep big clumps of dry ingredients from forming. Always read through every baking recipe from start to finish before doing any measuring, and if it doesn’t say to keep the wet and dry ingredients separate, go ahead and do the measuring spoon hack. One TikTok user @healingwithholly22 shows just how easy it is to do with this video:
@healingwithholly22 #tips #tipsandtricks #life #hacksoflife #hacksandtips #hack #hacks #baking #recipe #tips #tricks #easy #simple #musttry #omg #what
♬ original sound – Healing With Holly
If the recipe insists on separating the ingredients, however, all is not lost. While you will have to get your measuring spoons a little dirty, there’s one more hack to keep the goopy stuff from sticking: spray with cooking oil first then measure sticky ingredients. Alternatively, if the recipe calls for some kind of vegetable oil, measure that first, then measure the honey right after. The oily residue left behind in the spoon will form a barrier that will keep the syrup from sticking, which will make it a lot easier to wash. Because after all, the easiest mess to clean up is the one you don’t make.
