 |
Nearly every ingredient used in cooking or baking has a substitute which will do in a pinch -- usually a cousin that shares some
of the characteristics or flavor. You usually have to combine the substitute with another ingredient or two, but it sure beats making a special trip to the store. Clip this column and stick it in your favorite
cookbook, and soon you’ll be substituting with the pros.
FLOUR
If you need self-rising flour and all you have is all-purpose, just add
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt to each cup of flour.
If you need cake flour and all you have is all-purpose flour, take away 2 tablespoon from each cup of all-purpose flour.
CRUMBS
If the recipe calls for 1 cup of bread crumbs and you’re out, use 3/4 cups of cracker crumbs. If you need cracker crumbs,
substitute 1 1/4 cups of bread crumbs for each cup of cracker crumbs called for.
BAKING POWDER
If you’re out of baking powder or yours is too old, use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 5/8 teaspoon
cream of tartar or use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/2 cup.
BUTTERMILK
If you need buttermilk and you don’t have any handy,
you can substitute the same amount of plain yogurt or take either 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to make 1 cup.
BUTTER
When a recipe calls for butter, you can substitute
shortening in a pinch by using 7/8 cup shortening to replace each 1 cup of butter. You can also use 7/8 cup of vegetable oil.
CHOCOLATE
For each ounce of unsweetened chocolate called for in a
recipe, you can substitute 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter. For semisweet chocolate, use 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon sugar.
CORN STARCH
For
each tablespoon of corn starch, substitute 2 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.
SOUR CREAM
For each cup of sour cream. you can substitute 1 cup of plain yogurt or 3/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk
plus 1/3 cup of butter.
LEMON JUICE
If you need a quick substitute for lemon juice, use the same amount of vinegar.
For a substitution for nearly every
ingredient known to man, visit http://www.switcheroo.com
[TOP]
|
