Baking often requires precise measurements, but if you're not sure how to measure correctly, your fabulous recipe may turn into a frightful flop. Professional chefs make it look so easy by just tossing in a pinch of this or a dash of that, but if you're a newbie to cooking or just like following the "rules," it's best to pull out the measuring utensils.

You should have a set of both liquid measuring cups and dry measuring cups. A liquid measuring cup is clear with a pouring spout and should only be used for liquids, including oil, honey, and cream. A dry measuring cup is used for dry ingredients, like flour and sugar. While it's tempting to scoop out flour with a measuring cup, this packs it down and may result in 150% of the correct measurement! Not only could that ruin a recipe, but it also equates to more carbohydrates per serving than what the nutrition facts show, a number that diabetics are counting on being accurate. Stir flour in the container first. Then, lightly spoon flour into the cup until heaping over the top; don't shake the cup. Level with a straight edge over the flour container or wax paper, not your bowl of ingredients.

What about those semi-liquid ingredients like peanut butter or yogurt? They are too thick to measure accurately in a liquid cup so a solid cup should be used. Brown sugar should only be packed (pressed firmly in the measuring utensil) if the recipe specifies it. Now that you have a guide to measuring, you'll be able to create an awarding winning dish!

Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies Printable PDF

1 cup instant oats

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

? teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons margarine, melted

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup honey

1 cup red apple, finely diced

Preheat oven to 325?F. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together margarine, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the honey. Add the wet ingredients to the oat mixture, and stir until combined. Fold in the apple. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops on a sprayed baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Yield: 20 servings

Nutritional analysis per serving: 80 calories, 2 grams fat, 20 milligrams sodium, 16 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams protein