Finally a chaotic way to measure sticky ingredients such as honey and PB

It is 3 a.m. and my four -year -old daughter and I are wide awake. No surprise – it is a blood moon, and somehow our sleep cycles always become a this year when the moon decides to show itself. It is colored at the kitchen table and covers every surface with stickers, Joni Mitchell plays in the background and I write while honey muffins bake in the oven.

And while I would like to tell you that the blood moon has inspired a profound culinary revelation, the truth is easier. In this hour, somewhere between listening to “Big Yellow Taxi” and the swiping of dough from the counter, I grumbled about measuring honey. For many of us it is a familiar scenario: you measure a tablespoon of a sticky ingredient, and instead of falling properly into the bowl, it clings to the spoon. You scratch, you are banging, you murder things in your breath – and even then you never get everything. But the fix is ​​easy.

The best way to measure honey

Honey, maple syrup, molasses and even peanut butter share this problem, spoons or cups such as glue. To avoid this, grease your measuring spoon or your cup with a light coating made of oil, butter or non -Steak cook spray before adding your sticky ingredient. This thin oil layer creates a barrier so that the honey (or molasses or peanut butter) slips directly out.

Why it works:

• The fat keeps sticky ingredients to hold on to the sides of their measuring tool.
• You get a more precise measurement because it actually creates in the bowl.
• They waste less (and they are not carved by their spoon hours later.

my colleague Genevieve Yam pointed out that the spraying of your spoon only means that you an oily utensil instead of a sticky. Just. But for me this is the smaller of two evils – sop and hot water take care of a little oil in a matter of seconds. If you measure oil or butter for the same recipe, you can simply measure these smooth ingredients before honey.

Other “solutions” that do not quite measure

I am not the first person who is annoyed by sticky measuring spoons and some other solutions float around – but most of them are more problems than they are worth.

• The meal trick. I saw the hack in which you press the back of a measuring spoon into your measured flour in a bowl and then pour the honey directly into the impressions. Sure, it prevents it from gluing, but it is not a precise measurement, and the dumping from honey directly in flour to dumps is not exactly for mixing.
• Adjustable push -ups. Yes, they exist. Yes, it is fun to use. But they are only well suited for larger quantities, not for one or two tablespoons, and they are still a pain to clean. Would you really like to dedicate a precious cabinet room to a disposable tool that you may pull out twice a year?

At 3 a.m. I can confirm with honey muffins in the oven and a blood moon outside that greasing your measuring spoon or the cup is the fastest and cleanest way of measuring sticky ingredients when baking and cooking. Regardless of whether it is midnight muffins or Tuesday pancakes, this trick makes the measurement of sticker ingredients quickly, clean and free of frustration.