Measure before or after chopping? Read the ingredient line
A comma can change when a cup of nuts, herbs or vegetables goes into the measure.
“One cup walnuts, chopped” usually asks you to measure the walnuts first, then chop that portion. “One cup chopped walnuts” usually asks for a cup of pieces in their chopped state. A cup of large halves has gaps in different places from a cup of small pieces. Reversing the order can change how many nuts end up in the batter.
Read the preparation paragraph as a cross-check. If it begins by asking you to finely chop the measured nuts, that resolves the order. If the author lists a weight as well, weigh that amount instead of trying to reproduce the exact chop used to fill their cup. Cutting a 75-gram portion into smaller pieces does not change its weight if you keep all the pieces.
Herbs have an extra wrinkle. “One cup loosely packed basil leaves” calls for a particular filling method as well as a preparation state. Strip the leaves, fill the cup gently and cut them only if the next instruction asks. Save a note with your recipe when the wording is unclear and you have found a result you like.
