No measuring cups? Some easy cheats

Baking is a science, and for reliable results you really should measure everything.

But for times when you’re baking on the fly or just don’t have another clean measuring spoon or cup, here are some tips and cheats from the experts.

Dry ingredients

— 1 tablespoon equals a chestnut

— 2 tablespoons equals a pingpong ball

— 1‚Ñ4 cup equals a small handful or a large egg

— 1‚Ñ3 cup equals a billiard ball

— 1‚Ñ2 cup equals a tennis ball

— 3‚Ñ4 cup equals a baseball

Liquids

— 1 tablespoon equals an ice cube

— 1 lemon provides 11‚Ñ2 teaspoons zest and 1 to 3 tablespoons juice

Other

— 1 teaspoon grated citrus zest is about the size of a quarter

— 3 medium tomatoes equals 11‚Ñ2 cups chopped

— 1 handful of greens or herbs is about 1 cup

— 2 medium garlic cloves equals 1 tea- spoon minced

Associated Press