Receta Cooking and Baking Substitutions
Image Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/by JohnWhat do you do when the recipe for your mother's buttermilk pancakes actually requires buttermilk and you don't have any on hand?
Or when you have to make that german chocolate cake and you forgot to purchase the cake flour.
How about when a recipe calls for 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs and all you have on hand are dried herbs?
These are all things that have happened to me, by the way. I guess you can say that I have learned a few tricks of the trade for 'getting by' in the kitchen without having to run to the grocery store at the last minute.
Below is a 'cheat sheet' of sorts to help you with substituting certain ingredients in a recipe. You can thank me later ;)
Make Your Own Buttermilk:
Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar with enough milk to make 1 cup. Let stand for 5 minutes before use.
Make Your Own Cake Flour From All Purpose Flour:
Measure out the amount of All Purpose Flour you will need and place in a bowl. For every cup of flour you will use, take out two tablespoons and return it back to the flour bin or bag. Replace two tablespoons of the flour you removed with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift the flour and cornstarch together, about 5 or 6 times, until the flour is super soft and airy. Proceed with recipe as instructed.
- Make Your Own Self Rising Flour:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- Stir and sift together in a small bowl until well blended. Makes 1 cup.
- ~If using self rising flour as a substitute for all purpose flour, omit the salt and baking powder in the recipe~
- Make Your Own Bisquick (Baking Mix):
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter/margarin
- In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. With a fork or pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Store in fridge or freezer in an air tight container for up to 6 weeks. Use in any recipe that requires Bisquick mix. Makes 6 cups.
- Substitution For Cream of Tarter:
- Substitute 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar for 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- Substitution for Eggs
- Half of a banana, mashed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice:
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Mix together. Makes 2 teaspoons total.
- Homemade All Spice:
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- Mix together. Makes 1 teaspoon.
- Make Your Own Baking Powder:
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus a 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- Makes 1 teaspoon.
- Homemade Brown Sugar:
- 1 cup white sugar plus 2 tablespoons molasses
- Substitution For Heavy Cream:
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- Substitution for Half and Half:
- For one cup, mix 7/8 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of butter
- Substitution for Fats in Baking (vegetable oil):
- For one cup, substitute 1 cup applesauce or fruit puree
- Substitution for Mayonnaise:
- 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup plain yogurt
- Substitution for Sour Cream:
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- Make Your Own Confectioner's Sugar (Powdered Sugar):
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Blend in processor until powdery.
- Substitution for Shortening:
- For one cup, substitute 1 cup butter OR 1 cup margarine minus 1/2 teaspoon salt from recipe.
- For Fresh Herb Substitutions:
- Replace fresh herbs in a recipe with one third dried herbs. For example...one tablespoon of fresh herb is equal to one teaspoon of dried.
- To Make Ketchup:
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Mix together well. Makes 1 cup.
- Substitution for Lemon Juice:
- For one teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon lime juice
Source: allrecipes.com