We’ve covered baking mishaps — what we called November nightmares — in the hopes of helping you avoid them. Now it’s time to focus on what we’re calling December daydreams. We’ve compiled a series of baking hacks, intended to turn potential baking misadventures into very sweet dreams.

• Add a slice of apple to prepared baked goods, as this preserves moisture and freshness.
• Heat your knife prior to cutting brownies or bar cookies for easy slicing and less mess.
• Sprinkle sea salt on your chocolate chip cookies for a richer taste.
• Replace vegetable oil with butter when using boxed mixes; the end result will taste homemade.
• Prepare a homemade-tasting fudge cake with boxed chocolate cake mix and a can of Coke.
• Replace butter with avocado or oil with unsweetened applesauce for healthier alternatives.
• Avoid the cookie crumble by leaving cookies on the baking sheet for 30 seconds before moving them to the cooling rack.  
• Add a marshmallow or slice of bread when storing brown sugar to keep it soft and fresh.
• Soften already-hard brown sugar by microwaving for 20 seconds underneath a wet paper towel.
• Grab that broken egg shell with ease by wetting your finger and placing it near the shell.
• Cut cheesecake or large cakes with a long piece of flavorless dental floss to ensure neatness and precision.
• Wet your hands before handling sticky items.
• Measure flour by pouring into a dry measuring cup and scraping off excess (as opposed to scooping from the bag itself).
• No rolling pin? No problem. Use a wine bottle.
• Spray your measuring cup prior to use when measuring hard-to-release ingredients.
• Bake cookies in our baking cups to keep them soft and the same size.