Kitchen Hacks: Simple Tips to Save Time & Reduce Waste

This applies to both baking and cooking: when putting items away in the fridge, always label them with the contents and the date on a piece of tape, then stick it to the container or bowl. This way, you’ll know which to use first, can avoid mistaking one ingredient for another, and can easily tell if anything has gone bad. This is the best way to save waste and time!

Baking

Cookie dough - If you can’t finish all your cookies within 3–4 days, the best thing to do is roll or scoop the dough, place it on a baking tray, and refrigerate for 1–2 hours (or even overnight). Then, transfer the dough to a freezer bag or airtight container and store it in the freezer. The dough will last for 2–3 months, helping you reduce food waste! You can also bake your cookies and crumble it then freeze it again to add as topping to ice cream, whereas a fully baked cookie that is refrozen doesn't taste the best and will be tough so when crumbling it up you want that firmer and crispier texture.  

Always make sure to user the correct amounts if not your cookies won't turn out right and when you do your cookies should turn out perfect very time. Cookies in the oven on 325 degrees farheit take about 18-22mins where cookies in the oven at 350 takes 12-14. This is if you cookie dough was frozen and you let it defrost while the oven preheats. 

Butter - For any recipe that calls for butter, always soften it first. If the butter is too firm, it won’t mix properly and will leave lumps in your batter.

Want to keep your baking tray grease-free without wasting parchment paper? Try a Silpat! It’s a reusable alternative to parchment paper, making baking easier and more eco-friendly. It’s my holy grail product—I hate getting my hands greasy with butter, I rarely have spray oil on hand, and it makes cleanup so much easier! Highly recommend for anyone who bakes cookies regularly! There is also a silat for making macaroons where it has circles lined out for you to make a perfect shape and not waste parchment paper.

You'll see it in my picture below under my cookies.

Tempered chocolate - I used to think tempering chocolate was hard, but it's actually simpler than it seems! It's essentially melting your chocolate and then adding solid, tempered chocolate to it until you reach the right temperature and consistency — this method is called "seeding."

Here’s a quick guide:

1. Melt your chocolate gently over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Dark chocolate should be melted to about 115°F to 120°F (46°C to 49°C), while milk and white chocolate should be melted to 105°F to 110°F (40°C to 43°C).
2. Once melted, remove it from the heat and add small pieces of solid, tempered chocolate. Stir continuously to help the chocolate cool down evenly.
3. For dark chocolate, cool it to 88°F to 90°F (31°C to 32°C). For milk and white chocolate, cool it to 86°F to 88°F(30°C to 31°C).
4. Make sure the chocolate is smooth, shiny, and has a thick, fluid consistency. If it hardens too quickly or looks dull, re-melt and try again!

Tempering properly gives your chocolate that beautiful shine and satisfying snap. Once you get the hang of it, it’s honestly so rewarding! Great as a topping for your desserts or as your coating for strawberries dipped in chocolate! 

Don't forget to always scrape down the sides of your bowl when mixing your ingredients to ensure everything is fully incorporated. Learn from my mistakes—I once skipped this step, and some of my cookies ended up with more butter than the rest, causing them to spread too much. I'm really focused on learning and growing in this process, and now that I'm working in a bakery making desserts again, I'll have plenty more tips and tricks to share with you! Moving forward, I'll do my very best to avoid any mistakes instead of trying to take shortcuts that weren’t part of the recipe. 

Professional Kitchen - Ovens in professional kitchens are typically hotter than the ones at home, so I recommend lowering the temperature by 25 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit when baking in a professional setting. 

Spreading Brownie Dough on a baking tray - I learned that when you're baking brownies in a cookie sheet or any baking tray, you should only fill it about two-thirds full. If you fill it too much, the batter will rise and overflow. It’s better to play it safe and use a bit less rather than overfilling. Just make sure it’s not a super thin layer—there should still be enough batter to evenly cover the tray without reaching the top. This also applies to cakes and muffins/cupcakes.

Muffins with fruits - When making muffins with fruits just know you will have to cook it a bit longer than a regular muffin as the fruits takes out more moisture. But sure does taste good!

Mistakes - When you're baking and realize you’ve made a mistake — whether it’s not mixing the ingredients properly or mismeasuring something — it’s best to stop and redo what you’ve already done. Continuing might just waste more ingredients and time if you can’t fix it later.

When it comes to whipped cream, overmixing can be tricky to fix in the moment. If you’ve gone too far, the best thing to do is stop right away — most of the time, you can melt it down and try rewhipping it. You never want your whipped cream to look super lumpy; that’s a clear sign it’s overmixed. The good news is, most baking mistakes can be saved — you just need to know how to fix them. Baking is a lot more technical than cooking, and every detail counts.

Creams - 15% cooking cream can be used in baking when you want a thicker, more set whip. If you’re going for a softer, looser texture, 35% cream is the better choice.

Cooking

If you want veggies in your meal or on the side but don’t want to cook them all from scratch, here’s a great time-saving trick—plus, they taste amazing! Coming from someone who’s usually skeptical of premade food, these veggies are a game-changer. All you need is a pan, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and in just 10-15 minutes, you’ll have delicious veggies ready to complement any meal!

P.S. You can freeze almost anything—fish, meat, bread, cookies, and even cakes! This simple trick has helped me save so much food from going to waste.

Nuts - Who knew you had to put nuts in the fridge once the bag is opened? I didn't! I only found out recently that if you don't, they can go stale and soft. So don't forget to put all your owned nuts in the fridge! 

15 % Cooking Cream - I recently learned that with just a bit of cream, the seasoning from the bottom of the pan, plus some salt and pepper, you can make a really tasty sauce for shrimp. I poured it over red pepper shrimp boats, and it turned out delicious.

Cream is also great for making a classic white sauce or even a simple rosé sauce for pasta

Cooking rice on the stove - For those who don’t know, you shouldn’t stir your rice while it’s cooking. The key to perfect rice every time is to start by adding your rice to the pot, then pour in enough water to cover it by about an inch. Add a bit of salt, bring it to a boil, then cover with a lid and let it cook on low for 15 minutes. Once it’s done, turn off the heat and let it sit (still covered) for 3–5 minutes. Then, fluff it up with a fork or give it a gentle mix.