It’s no secret that the quality of the ingredients we choose can have a drastic impact on the way a particular dish turns out. Fresh, local produce, for example, tends to be much more flavorful than fruits and vegetables grown in a hot house, but do differences in ingredient quality matter as much when it comes to baking? After all, sugar is sugar, right? The truth is, not exactly—higher quality ingredients can make a difference in the way your baked goods turn out. Read on to learn more about which ingredients are worth splurging on.
Butter
The milk fat in butter provides texture, richness, and flavor to baked goods, and higher-quality butter brands contain more milk fat than their lesser-quality counterparts. The process of producing high-fat butter requires a significant amount of resources and space, and this is reflected in its price. If there’s one product that will undoubtedly make a difference in how your baked goods turn out, it’s butter. Get the good stuff, if you can.
Cocoa Powder
Like butter, high-quality cocoa powder contains more fat than lower-quality products, and using one versus the other can seriously affect the taste and texture of your baked goods. Cakes and cookies made with low-quality cocoa powder may become dry due to the lack of fat, while those made with high-quality cocoa powder will develop a velvety texture and a more pronounced chocolate flavor.
Vanilla Extract
Genuine vanilla extract is made by soaking real vanilla beans in alcohol in order to, well, extract their flavor compounds. While artificial vanilla does contain a small amount of these compounds, they actually don’t come from the vanilla plant but are instead derived from petroleum. As a result, artificial vanilla tends to have an overpowering, slightly medicinal taste, whereas high-quality vanilla will elevate your baked goods with warm floral notes.
