If you’re looking for a great culinary arts institute, the New England Culinary Institute is one of the best options out there. They’ve got a great reputation so that when you earn your degree, you’ll have an easier time getting work. They’ve also got a great internship program, giving you some valuable work experience before you even graduate.

But what exactly does the New England Culinary Institute have to offer? And, most importantly when you’re picking a culinary arts institute, what sets it apart from the rest?

In this article, I’ll tell you all about this culinary arts institute. First, I’ll briefly go over the school’s history and philosophy. Then, I’ll talk about the things that make it stand out from other culinary arts schools. Next, I’ll go over the different available programs. And finally, I’ll talk about tuition and fees.

If your dream is to become a professional chef, you should know as much as you can about the different culinary arts schools. So read on!

A Bit About the New England Culinary Institute

The New England Culinary Institute (NECI), located in Montpelier, Vermont, was established in 1980. It started out small, with its first graduating class consisting of just 7 students! But it’s grown a lot since then. Today, you’ll find about 500 student on campus – a good deal more than 7, but still small enough to have a feeling of community.

One of the most important things about NECI is their guiding principle, “Learn by living it.” A lot of their curriculum is based on giving you on-hands, real-life experience. There are a lot of hands-on classes, and lots of internship opportunities. You learn by doing, you have a great student-to-teacher ratio, and you learn what it means to work in the culinary industry in the real world, so that when you graduate, you’re ready for it.

And although there’s no official ranking for culinary arts schools, NECI has a great reputation. Graduates are happy with what they learn and what they accomplish afterward, and the name NECI on your resume gives a certain prestige.

Special Features

All the top culinary arts institutes have certain features that make them special, different from the others. And depending on what type of personality you have, some schools will be better for you than others. It’s important to know which school offers what so that you can pick the best one for you.

So what sets the New England Culinary Institute apart?

• The small campus and student body gives the school a feeling of community and closeness that you just can’t get with thousands of students.
• They have a great student-to-teacher ratio. 10:1, that’s amazing. More teachers per students means that the teachers can focus more attention on you and really get to know you. They have more time to help you learn and understand the things that are giving you trouble.
• You get to work in real restaurants as part of your schooling. NECI owns several for-profit restaurants, including NECI on Main, La Brioche, The Chef’s Table, and a few others. And they’re the real deal. Working there gives you experience you just can’t get in a classroom.
• You get to learn about more than just cooking – you also get to learn about the whole process of getting ingredients from the farm to the kitchen. There are plenty of farms, farmer’s markets and local producers to help you understand how to get the best, freshest ingredients available.
• For some fields, internships are incredibly valuable. The culinary arts is one of those fields. It’s one thing to learn how to cook in a classroom, but it’s a whole other to actually do it in a restaurant with all the pressure that goes along with it. An internship can help you get prepared for that. NECI ‘s programs include two 700 hour internships, with many, many different restaurants to choose from all over the world.
• A culinary career doesn’t just mean cooking. You may also need to know about management, catering, purchasing, working the front of the restaurant as well as the back. The New England Culinary Institute offers courses for all of those subjects, to give you a well-rounded education.

All of this put together means you get a top notch culinary arts institute. It’s also pretty high pressure – the internships and hands-on training can get pretty intense. It’s kind of like learning to swim by being thrown into the water. Yes, the teachers are there to help and guide you, but you’ll be working hard right off the bat – they don’t ease you into it!

Programs Offered

Another thing to consider when you’re looking at different culinary institutes is whether they have a program that’s right for you. Most culinary arts schools have a general sort of program, but some also offer various specializations that may be even better suited to you!

The New England Culinary Institute offers the following programs:

• Bachelors Degree in Culinary Arts
• Associate of Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts degree
• Associate of Occupational Studies in Baking and Pastry Arts degree
• Bachelors Degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management
• Associate of Occupational Studies in Hospitality and Restaurant Management degree
• Online Bachelors Degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management
• Certificate in Professional Cooking
• Certificate in Professional Baking
• Certificate in Professional Pastry

There’s 3 basic types of programs: the Bachelors degree, the Associate degree, and the Certificate.

• The Bachelors degrees are the most in-depth. They take more time but leave you prepared for some higher positions in the industry.
• Associate degrees are a little less in-depth, but also have internships and hands-on training. They give you lots of career choices, although some of the higher position might be a little more difficult.
• The Certificates, on the other hand, are short, intensive programs. Their goal is to help you improve your current culinary career and better your existing skills, or to allow you to test if a culinary career is right for you, before you go for a 4 year degree.

The program that’s right for you depends on what exactly your career goals are, and how much time you have available for your culinary arts degree. NECI offers a general culinary arts degree, but you can also specialize in delicious desserts: baking and pastry!

Tuition and Fees

The tuition for the New England Culinary Institute is probably on the higher end of the spectrum, at over $30,000 per year for certain Bachelors and Associate degree. The Certificates are less expensive, closer to $10,000 for the Certificate.

It’s really not orders of magnitudes higher than other top schools. It is a little more expensive, but you do have the possibility of paid internships to offset some of the costs. And you get extremely valuable hands-on experience, contacts in the culinary industry, and a degree that’ll open lots of doors for you. If you can afford it, it’s well worth the cost if your dream is to be a chef!

So that’s a little bit about the New England Culinary Institute. It has a lot to offer, and has lots of very happy graduates, including the Food Network’s Alton Brown. It’s well worth taking the time to figure out if it’s the right culinary arts institute for you.

Why should you be interested in the best culinary schools? Well, if you’re visiting us at Enjoy How To Cook, chances are you’re interested in cooking and learning how to cook. And we’ve got lots of information to help you really understand how cooking works.

But what do you do if you don’t just want to learn to cook? If you’re really passionate about cooking, you might be thinking of making a career out of it. And that’s where culinary arts schools come in.

There’s a lot of information online, and you can learn a lot. But the best culinary schools give you even more than information: you get professionals to guide you, a structured curriculum, and a lot more insight into the professional world.

That’s why I created this section. If you love cooking so much that you’d like to become a professional chef, read on.

I’ll talk about the advantages of going to a culinary arts school, and about different things to consider when looking at culinary schools. Then, I’ll give a list of some of the best culinary schools.

Why Go To Culinary School?

If you’re really serious about wanting to pursue cooking as a career, then it’s a good idea to look into getting a culinary arts degree. You can learn a lot online (a ton, in fact), but the best culinary schools just offer so much!

Here are some of the benefits of going to a culinary arts school.

• You have expert chefs to teach and guide you. Often, when we’re learning to cook on our own, we tend to make lots of mistakes, and slowly learn from them. It helps to have a chef watching over your shoulder to keep you from making at least some of those mistakes!
• You get credentials. After graduating, you’ll have a culinary arts degree. And like any other field, a degree can open all sorts of doors, or at least make it much easier to get a foot in!
• Depending on the school, you can learn about so much more than just how to cook. Here are a few things you might learn:
  • History of cooking, how cooking techniques have evolved over time.
  • How to plan meals and make a menu.
  • How a restaurant kitchen works and how to manage it.
  • Some programs even focus on nutrition.

But really, the greatest thing is that the best culinary schools can help you turn your passion for cooking into a career.

It’s not always an easy career path though, especially at first. Many chefs (some quite famous now) started out their careers washing dishes. The salaries can start out pretty modest, but get better as you move up the kitchen ladder.

And even when you do move up the ladder, it’s important to remember that as a chef, you can expect to work meal times and weekends – when everyone else is eating, basically!

All that means it’s important to be very passionate about cooking if you’re thinking about getting a culinary arts degree. It’s so much easier to put in the hard work when you love what you do. Because then it’s not working at all – it’s fun!

Find The Right School For You

The first step towards finding the best culinary schools for you is to think about what you need. Different schools offer different things, so it’s important that you know what matters most to you. A great school for one person is not necessarily as good for someone else!

Here are a few things to think about when you’re looking into different culinary arts schools.

Hands-On Training

Does the culinary arts school offer lots of hands on training? Learning to cook means you actually have to cook. But that’s not all.

Why Go To Culinary School?

If you’re really serious about wanting to pursue cooking as a career, then it’s a good idea to look into getting a culinary arts degree. You can learn a lot online (a ton, in fact), but the best culinary schools just offer so much!

Here are some of the benefits of going to a culinary arts school.

• You have expert chefs to teach and guide you. Often, when we’re learning to cook on our own, we tend to make lots of mistakes, and slowly learn from them. It helps to have a chef watching over your shoulder to keep you from making at least some of those mistakes!
• You get credentials. After graduating, you’ll have a culinary arts degree. And like any other field, a degree can open all sorts of doors, or at least make it much easier to get a foot in!
• Depending on the school, you can learn about so much more than just how to cook. Here are a few things you might learn:
  • A history of cooking, how cooking techniques have evolved over time.
  • How to plan meals and make a menu.
  • How a restaurant kitchen works and how to manage it.
  • Some programs even focus on nutrition.

But really, the greatest thing is that the best culinary schools can help you turn your passion for cooking into a career.

It’s not always an easy career path though, especially at first. Many chefs (some quite famous now) started out their careers washing dishes. The salaries can start out pretty modest, but get better as you move up the kitchen ladder.

And even when you do move up the ladder, it’s important to remember that as a chef, you can expect to work meal times and weekends – when everyone else is eating, basically!

All that means it’s important to be very passionate about cooking if you’re thinking about getting a culinary arts degree. It’s so much easier to put in the hard work when you love what you do. Because then it’s not working at all – it’s fun!

Find The Right School For You

The first step towards finding the best culinary schools for you is to think about what you need. Different schools offer different things, so it’s important that you know what matters most to you. A great school for one person is not necessarily as good for someone else!

Here are a few things to think about when you’re looking into different culinary arts schools.

Hands-On Training

Does the culinary arts school offer lots of hands on training? Learning to cook means you actually have to cook. But that’s not all.

• Some of the best culinary schools have apprenticeship or internship programs. These allow you to take all the theory you learned and apply it in a real world, practical setting. It’ll give you a feel for how the industry works, and it’ll definitely give you an edge when you’re looking for a job. People prefer to hire someone with experience, after all!
• Some schools also run student-staffed restaurants. If you’ve ever been to one, it’s usually fantastic gourmet food at decent prices. But it’s also wonderful for the students to get to work in a real restaurant and understand how it works.

A good, solid, theoretical education is important. But being out there in the field is a tremendous learning experience, and it’s something you should consider when looking at culinary arts schools.

Student-Teacher Ratio

Some people do really well in large classes. But fewer students means that the teacher’s attention isn’t as divided. And even if you do well in a large class, it’s always nice to have extra help and attention. You learn much faster with an expert helping you with your mistakes.

Specialization Options

Does the school allow you to specialize in your area of interest? Some people have something specific in mind when they dream about being a chef. Here are just a few examples of possible specializations.

• Desserts. Is your passion actually baking and making desserts? You might want to look for a school that lets you specialize as a pastry chef.
• Specific cuisines, like Thai or Italian. Many culinary arts schools have wonderful French cuisine programs, but not all offer global cuisine programs.
• Health and nutrition. There are a number of absolutely delicious things you can make that are horrible for you. If you want to learn make delicious food that’s actually good for you, some schools will be better than others.

Resume Writing and Interviewing

Writing a resume for the first time can be intimidating. Often you get that lingering feel that you’re not doing it right. And interviews are even worse!

The very first job interview I went on, I was so nervous I wanted to run away and go back home. Luckily I wanted the job more, so I stayed… but I was terrified.

Some schools offer extra classes to help you with your resume writing and interviewing skills. And that can be a huge help. They’ll give you advice on what to include in your resume to ensure you get an interview. And they’ll help you practice for interviews so that you go in feeling confident. It makes a real difference!

Scholarships

A culinary arts degree can open lots of doors for you, and help you get a good job, but first you have to pay for the degree! If you need a bit of extra help paying tuition, don’t despair! Many of the best culinary schools have some kind of scholarships or financial aid, so check out what they have to offer.

The Graduates

How well do the graduates do? If you want to pursue cooking as a career, you want to make sure that your culinary arts degree will actually help you. Check out the schools’ graduates. Are they successful? If most of them are, odds are it’s a great school!

Some celebrity chef graduates can be neat, but remember to look at the graduates as a whole. Not everyone can go on to have their own television show, but if most of the graduates get to cook and live out their dreams, then that’s a good sign.

Some Of The Best Culinary Schools

Here are just a few culinary schools out there. Check them out, and find out which one is right for you.

• New England Culinary Institute
• Culinary Institute of America
• French Culinary Institute
• American Culinary Federation
• Cordon Bleu Culinary School
• International Culinary School at the Art Institutes

All of these schools are great culinary arts schools. Any one of them is a good place to start looking for the right school for you!

Remember, figure out what you want, and then find the best culinary school for you. It’s the first step towards earning a culinary arts degree and turning your passion for cooking into a wonderful career.

Tempering chocolate ensures that the finished product will be glossy, shiny, and enjoyable to eat.

Tempering involves bringing your chocolate to a temperature at which the cocoa butter reaches its most stable form. Chocolate that has been tempered and cooled incorrectly will be disappointing, so it pays to learn the correct method for tempering chocolate.

Tip #1: Cheap chocolate and chocolate chips will not melt evenly, since they are likely to be made with vegetable fat rather than cocoa butter. The finished product will be unsatisfactory. Honestly, if you’re going to all the trouble of melting and tempering chocolate, do yourself a favor and use a good ingredient.

You can get excellent tempering chocolate at Chocolate.com.

Tip #2: Chocolate will crystallize if any moisture gets in it. When tempering chocolate, you must be vigilant about keeping your chocolate dry at all stages. Ensure that all utensils used for tempering chocolate are perfectly dry. Avoid placing a cover over cooling chocolate, as this can cause condensation to get in the mixture.

Tip #3:If crystallization does occur while you are tempering chocolate, you can try correcting it by adding 1 tsp of vegetable oil per 8 ounces of chocolate and mixing energetically over low heat. No guarantees this will help, but sometimes you get lucky.

Tip #4: If you do a lot of candy making, it might be worth it to consider purchasing a chocolate temperer. These appliances take the guesswork out of tempering. Home machines run between $300 and $400. Check out the Rev1 Chocolate Temperer.

Equipment Needed for Tempering Chocolate

1. Bowls, microwave-safe if you will be using the microwave for melting.
2. Double boiler if you are using this method for melting. For best results, use a stainless steel double boiler, two-quart size if you are planning on tempering chocolate in large amounts. This Farberware Classic 2-Qt. Covered Double Boiler is good for tempering chocolate for two reasons. First, its tri-ply bottom ensures even heating. Second, the vented lid allows steam to escape, preventing moisture from condensation to ruin your chocolate.
3. A hard, cool, dry surface on which to pour the chocolate. Professional chefs recommend marble for its coolness when tempering chocolate. The RSVP International 18×18-in. Marble Pastry Board. is a good choice.
4. Spatulas for spreading. The Ateco Stainless Steel Offset Spatula 14.75-in. is the kind that chefs use. It’s big enough for icing a cake, so can do double duty.
5. Chocolate scraper. The Paderno World Cuisine 3-1/2-Inch by 7 1/8-Inch Diameter Stainless Steel Chocolate Peel< is an example.
6. Heating pad, hot water bottle, or another warm surface
7. Digital thermometer. The Silikomart Silicone/Nylon Chocolate Spatula with Digital Thermometer is ideal for melting and tempering chocolate and it comes with its own spatula! Do not use a candy thermometer; it will not record the low temperatures needed for tempering chocolate.
8. Optional but handy to have: A chocolate chipper, like the Lee Pro Products Chocolate Chipper. This sturdy tool converts hard, thick baking-chocolate bars into chunks for cookies, candy, etc.
9. Optional, but handy: Chocolatiere Electric Chocolate Melting Pot

First, the Melting

The first step of tempering chocolate is to melt it carefully. This yummy substance scorches easily, and once scorched, the damage is permanent.

Tip: Take the temperature of the chocolate at intervals during the melting. Place your digital thermometer so at least two inches of the tool is covered with melted chocolate. Avoid having the thermometer touch the sides or bottom of pan. The temperature should be between 110 and 120 degrees F.

1. To use a microwave, chop chocolate, place in a bowl, and melt at medium power for 90 seconds or longer. Stir every 30 seconds for white or milk chocolate; less often for dark chocolate. Remove from oven when chocolate becomes shiny and continue mixing until the substance has melted.
2. To use a double boiler, chop chocolate, place in the top part of a double boiler. Make sure water simmers but does not boil. Ensure the top pan does not come in direct contact with the water. Stir almost constantly. When the mixture is almost melted, remove from heat and continue stirring.

Tempering Chocolate

When the chocolate is melted, pour it into a second, dry bowl to help bring the temperature down. You want to maintain this melted chocolate at a temperature of about 100 degrees F. Use your thermometer to ensure accuracy.

Tip: Keep the chocolate at the desired temperature while you are working with it by using a well-wrapped hot water bottle, a heating pad set on low, or a double boiler placed over warm water. Watch the temperature carefully and do not allow to overheat while you are tempering chocolate.

1. Pour about a third of the melted chocolate on a dry, marble work surface. Using a metal spatula, spread the chocolate across the marble surface, then bring the chocolate together again using a pastry scraper.
2. Repeat this process until chocolate milk chocolate has cooled to about 80 °F and about 84°F for dark chocolate. At this point, your chocolate should be a thick paste that is called “mush.”
3. Add this mush to the bowl of chocolate that is being kept at 100 degrees F. Stir gently, taking care not to create bubbles.
4. Check temperature. You want a temperature of about 90 °F for dark chocolate and a few degrees less for white and milk chocolate. (NEVER exceed 92°F) Heat gently, not overheating, if mixture is too cold. Always stir for at least a minute before you check the temperature.

The chocolate is now tempered and ready for you to work with it. As you work, ensure the chocolate stays at the desired temperature. Reheat gently as needed.

Chocolate is divided into two categories: real and compound.

Both real chocolate and compound chocolate are chocolate – the difference is the type of lipid (fat) or oil used in the production of the product.

Real Chocolate

Real chocolate contains cocoa butter, which is extracted from the cocoa or cacao bean. Cocoa butter is an expensive ingredient that has some unusual characteristics or quirks. Because of the nature of cocoa butter, real chocolate requires going through a special procedure during the melting process called tempering, which re-establishes the cocoa butter crystals, giving the cooled and finished chocolate the proper sheen, snap, and taste. Additionally, and of vital importance, tempering prevents bloom, where the cocoa butter separates from the cocoa solids and comes to the surface, turning the chocolate whitish or grayish in color. If you are making candy or dipping items that won’t be consumed within a day or so, tempering is absolutely mandatory for all real chocolate.

Real chocolate is subdivided into three categories based on the quality of the product (quality of the cocoa beans) and most importantly, the cocoa butter content: regular chocolate, couverture chocolate, and ultra couverture chocolate.

Regular Chocolate

Typically in chocolate chip form, regular chocolate is sweetened with sugar, is generally made from moderate quality cocoa beans, and has a very low cocoa butter content and a high viscosity (thickness when in a melted state). Generally used in baking (i.e. chocolate chip cookies), regular chocolate holds its shape and is not the best choice when molding, dipping or enrobing.

Another form of regular chocolate is unsweetened blocks or bars of baking chocolate (also called plain chocolate), which generally has a relatively low cocoa butter content and doesn’t require tempering when used in normal baking applications.

Couverture Chocolate

The term couverture translates to “covering” and refers to the finest professional quality chocolate. It is produced with a high percentage of cocoa butter and uses premium cacao beans. It melts smoothly, making it ideal for specialty candy making and molding. When tempered and cooled, it forms an elegant glossy finish.

Ultra Couverture Chocolate

Ultra Couverture Chocolate is equal in quality to couverture chocolate but with an even higher cocoa butter content. Due to the higher cocoa butter content and very low viscosity, it is the perfect chocolate for dipping and enrobing. Few manufacturers are able to successfully produce this type of chocolate because of the difficulty in balancing the higher cocoa butter content while retaining superb taste and texture. When tempered and cooled, it forms a thin and elegant glossy shell.

Compound Chocolate

Compound Chocolate contains vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter and tempering is not required. Home hobbyists and professionals alike have utilized compound chocolate due to its ease of use and lower price.

Historically, quality and taste have been sacrificed for ease and price. Now, with Bada Bing Bada Boom, Chocoley has a solution for those that do not want to temper, yet want great tasting chocolate. Bada Bing Bada Boom is produced using unique and drastic advances in manufacturing and superior formulation processes.

Preventing problems in dealing with chocolate & troubleshooting

Like Superman, chocolate (the Super Food) has its weaknesses. Superman has to worry about kryptonite and chocolate’s archenemies are water (or moisture of any kind), temperature extremes (especially heat), and absorption of odors. Read this section, and read problems and corrections when working with chocolate.

Seizing

Understanding & preventing seizing will eliminate potential catastrophic results.

When moisture/liquid gets in chocolate, it’s like oil & water – they don’t mix. A drop or two of liquid can cause chocolate to seize (form hard lumps) and become unworkable for dipping.

Always pat wet fruits dry before dipping and always keep tools and utensils dry. I am aware of very experienced chefs ruining a large batch of chocolate by melting in a double boiler and then pouring the melted chocolate directly into the base of a chocolate fountain, without first drying the water from the outside of the double boiler pan. When they pour the chocolate, water drips from the outside of the pan into the chocolate, creating a disaster. Similarly, dipping wet fruit items can result in the chocolate seizing.

Seizing is also caused by overheating the chocolate. Proper melting is done slowly at low temperatures as chocolate is extremely sensitive to rapid temperature changes, such as melting under high or direct heat. Chocolate will melt at around 88°F and will burn at around 125°F (for dark & milk chocolate) and around 120°F for white, so don’t be in a hurry to melt it. It’s very easy to scorch/burn chocolate – especially white.

The Just Melt It! Fountain & Fondue Chocolate has microwave instructions on each microwavable 2.5 lb. tub. The instructions assume that your microwave has a turntable, which is important so that no hot spots are created. Use low-temperature settings and stir frequently with a rubber spatula.

Be very careful when melting chocolate – one small burn can cause the entire batch to seize or simply taste and smell awful.

Blooming

Dampness & condensation results in “sugar bloom” – you’ll see grains of sugar on the surface of the chocolate. Excessive heat or cold results in “fat bloom” – you’ll see a whitish or gray color on the chocolate. Blooming (especially “fat bloom”) is probably the biggest issue most people have with chocolate. If you haven’t melted the chocolate yet and it has bloomed, the final taste will not be affected because when the chocolate is melted, the cocoa butter will be redistributed throughout the chocolate. Fat bloom is simply the cocoa butter separating from the cocoa solids and coming to the surface. Proper storage will prevent blooming.

Storing Chocolate

Before and after it’s been melted…store between 55-70°F, ideally with less than 50% humidity. DO NOT refrigerate before or after melting. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT FREEZE! Remember, dampness & condensation results in “sugar bloom” and excessive heat or cold results in “fat bloom.”

While we maintain a climate-controlled facility (both temperature & humidity), once the chocolate leaves our facility, it is subject to the outside world, which we, of course, have no control over. It’s fine if you receive your Just Melt It! Fountain & Fondue Chocolate melted since it’s intended to be used melted. When weather requires it, our other chocolate products will be shipped in insulated cold packaging to help control temperature.

How To Melt Chocolate

1. Use only DRY utensils.
2. Don’t stir chocolate with a wooden or metal spoon. Use only rubber spatulas that have not been exposed to strong flavors such as tomato sauce or garlic.
3. Stir the chocolate slowly & gently, keeping movement to a minimum.
4. The correct temperature coaxes the very best out of chocolate. When melting, the ideal temperature is 108-115°F. Make sure to completely wipe the bottom of the pot before pouring the chocolate, whether into a chocolate fountain, fondue pot, or when making candy.

Tempering Chocolate

When making candy or dipping items that are not going to be consumed within hours of initial preparation, you must “temper” the chocolate in order to prevent blooming. Tempering is when the cocoa butter crystals are stabilized, allowing the chocolate to harden properly with the desired gloss finish. Chocolate that has not been properly tempered will seriously bloom within 24-48 hours. Tempering takes time, devotion, and a cool kitchen (around 68°F), but the results are worth the work.

Substituting honey for refined sugar makes sense for many reasons, but there are a few things you need to know before you do.

It’s hard to go a few hours these days without hearing about some new study indicating that honey may help fight bacterial infections, prevent allergies, and even help reduce obesity rates. It’s no wonder many bakers are becoming more and more interested in substituting honey for refined sugar when creating their sweet treats. Before jumping on this bandwagon, however, there are a few things you need to know.

Use Less Honey than Sugar

Ounce for ounce, honey is sweeter than sugar, both because it contains more fructose than sugar does and because it contains less air. Substitute 2/3 to 3/4 cup of honey for each cup of sugar called for in any recipe.

Honey Adds Flavor

Granulated sugar sweetens but doesn’t significantly affect the flavor of your baked goods. All types of honey will add flavor to your recipe. With the darker more robust honey the effect can be quite intense (and delicious). Honey can also create a lovely caramel taste in coffee cakes and other sweet baked goods.

Honey Holds Moisture

Honey not only contains more moisture than granulated sugar, it attracts it as well. This means that you will want to reduce the total fluid in your recipe by ¼ cup for each cup of honey. You can also add a dash more flour if you prefer. If you have a favorite cake that tends to be a little dry on occasion, substituting some or all of the honey could be just the adjustment needed to make it perfect.

Honey Alters Texture

Honey adds a distinctive crispness to cookies and crusts. In fact, a character in John Irving’s Last Night in Twisted River has incognito existence blown wide open when someone tastes his trademark crispy pizza crust made with his special ingredient, you guessed it, honey. If you prefer your cookies or granola bars on the chewy side you should stick with brown sugar. The addition of honey does make cakes a little heavier than they would be with refined sugar alone. A little extra baking soda to work with the acidic honey will help with this, but you may want to try just substituting half of the sugar at first. Denser confections like coffee cakes are often well improved by the inclusion of honey.

Honey Burns at a Lower Temperature than Sugar

When baking with honey always reduce the oven temperature by 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. You may also need to increase the overall baking time to compensate for the lower temperature. There is so little honey in most bread recipes that you won’t need to adjust the temperature, but for cakes, muffins, cookies, and other sweeter goods, it’s a good idea to reduce the heat and keep a close eye on them. The upside to the low caramelization threshold is the beautiful golden brown surfaces it produces.

As with any type of baking, don’t be afraid to experiment. Just let your taste buds lead the way.