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Q: Is there a better way to prepare fresh neck pumpkins for recipes other than the usual peeling, cutting in chunks and cooking in small amount of water. The pumpkins are very hard to peel and I was wondering if they could be baked and the flesh scooped out when soft.

Any tips would be appreciated.

I also have another question. When a recipe tells you to sift the flour should you measure the amount that is needed in the recipe before or after you sift. Thanks! --Owl

A: Pumpkins can be cooked just like any other squash. Cut them in halves or quarters, roast and then scoop out the cooked flesh. Bear in mind that small "pie" pumpkins are the sweetest. If you try this with your average jack o'lantern pumpkin, the meat won't be nearly as sweet. However, consider a blank canvas upon which to write your own flavor signature.

For sifting ingredients, measure before sifting. After sifting, the amount of air added into the dry components can throw your measurements off substantially. Of course, if the recipe specifies sifting before measuring, do so, but I've seen that instruction only two or three times in my entire baking career.

Quick Tip

I've had a lot of questions lately about "creaming" butter and sugar, which is to many minds the single most important step in baking cookies and cakes. If you've got a countertop Kitchen-Aid or other brand of fairly beefy mixer, this is your chance to crank that baby up to 10. Put the butter (remember to use unsalted unless other is specified!) into your mixer's work bowl about an hour before you're ready to work to give it time to soften. Add the sugar and run the mixer on speed 2 or 3 until the sugar is mixed thoroughly with the butter. Slowly increase the speed until you get to 8. Stop at this point and scrape the bowl and paddle well. Bring the speed up quickly to 9 or 10, whatever your noise comfort level. Let the mixer run for 2 minutes, then turn it off and finger-test the butter. If the creaming is done, you should feel very, very little graininess of the sugar when you roll a bit between your fingers. If you still feel a lot of granules, give the mixture another two minutes at high speed.

This method may not have the old-time feel to it, but when you're doing high-volume baking around the holidays, there's not always time to get out grandma's old wooden spoon and spend an hour creaming butter and sugar.

Q: I have recently come across a recipe using cardamon. It is a very expensive spice. What could I use as a substitute? --Barbara

A: There really isn't a good flavor substitute for cardamom, in my opinion. If you head to The Great American Spice Co., you can find black and green pods at very reasonable prices.

It IS true that most "exotic" spices, such as cardamom and saffron, are not terribly cheap. However, the amount used is usually very small and the flavor is well worth the expense. That's the greatest argument for buying your spices from people who specialize in them and sell the freshest ones available.

Q: I make a lot of cakes from scratch. My problem is that they come out crumbly, but not dry. I use cake flour, bake them at the right time and temp, but I have cakes that fall apart on me. I even have problems with quick breads. My mom used to put a teaspoon of vegetable oil in her cake mixes to keep them moist, could this help?

A: Adding a bit of fat is a surefire way to make your cakes more moist. Vegetable oil will do, or if you're making a white or yellow cake, try some butter-flavored shortening such as Crisco. Be careful, though! Too much fat and your cake won't rise properly and will have a gummy texture.

Also, if you haven't done so, get an oven thermometer and make sure your oven is heating properly. I've found variances of as much as 25 degrees, and that can overcook and dry out a cake for sure.

Q: Regarding an item I read in last week's column, about baking chocolate chip cookies ... you mention using regular cookie sheets (instead of the insulated sheets this gal was using with not so good results), "lined with parchment paper." I was not aware you could put any type of paper in the oven, is that what you meant to say? I'm sure it is ... but I just found that odd. Although I am not a baker by any means (obviously), but just wanted to clarify. --Betty

A: Your consternation is completely understandable. The idea of putting paper into a hot oven would rightly send most folks reaching for the fire extinguisher. However, parchment paper is a silicone-coated product designed to stand up to oven heat. It provides a nonstick, but not TOO slick, surface on which you can bake your cookies.

Oh, and you don't have to throw the parchment out after one batch! During a recent baking session, I got a good 10 batches out of one sheet. After six batches, I flipped the sheet over to bring the freshly coated side to the top. Not one cookie stuck! The paper will get brown around the edges, and in fact start to look like its namesake, but you don't need to toss it until you see real signs of scorching or your food begins to stick.

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