What does it mean to cream ingredients in cooking?

Creaming ingredients in cooking refers specifically to the process of combining sugar and fat—typically butter—by mixing them together until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy. This technique is crucial in various baking recipes, as it incorporates air into the mixture, resulting in a lighter texture in the final product. The creaming method allows the sugar to dissolve into the fat, enhancing the structure and moisture of baked goods like cookies and cakes.

The other options do not accurately define the creaming process. Mixing dry ingredients does not involve fat or the technique of aeration; blending spices into a liquid focuses on flavor integration rather than changing texture; and heating ingredients until melted pertains to a different cooking technique altogether, typically used for combining items like chocolate or butter with other components without the aeration effect that creaming achieves. Therefore, the correct understanding of creaming is key for successful baking and achieving the desired texture in desserts.