Years ago, I was at a friend’s house and I wanted to make some chocolate chip cookies. When I went digging in her pantry, I found baking powder that had expired many, many years earlier. I tossed it, ...

DEAR HELOISE: I understand that baking powder has a shelf life, and that it can go bad. Can you tell me how long it remains good? — Joe and Kay, via e-mail It does have a shelf life, and here’s how to ...

Q: I've got a problem! Sometimes my cookies, muffins, cakes and biscuits do not rise enough. I was told that there is a test for checking the freshness of baking powder. I tried this and was surprised ...

Dear Heloise: I understand that baking powder has a shelf life, and that it can go bad. Can you tell me how long it remains good? Thank you. -- Joe and Kay, via e-mail Dear Joe and Kay: It does have a ...

Claire is Lifehacker's Senior Food Editor. She has a B.S. in chemistry, a decade of food journalism experience, and a deep love for mayonnaise and MSG. At any given moment, I have at least one open ...

If you've gone to all the trouble of baking a homemade cake or batch of cookies, only to find they came out flat or dense, your leavening agent might be to blame. While baking powder and baking soda ...