Substitute baking

We've all been there.  You pull out a recipe, start to mix the ingredients together, and find you're out of something.  Great.  Now you have to put everything on hold and run to the store.

I can't take credit for this pic, but I LOVE the saying!

Don't have time to do that? Then forget it, you'll just buy something and put it in a different container so no one knows it's store-bought.   (I have totally done this!!)

First off, you may want to make a list the next time you go to make a recipe.  This way, you won't forget something at the store.  There are great apps for this purpose if you have a smart phone.

Now, if you've made a list and still run out of something, don't panic.  I have a list of substitutions to use in case of emergencies!  This list is NOT all inclusive, but covers the most common ingredients.

      Instead of:                                                                 Use:
1 cup brown sugar                           1 cup white sugar with 1/4 cup molasses, and
                                                          decrease the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup
1 cup buttermilk                              1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice with enough
                                                                             milk to make 1 cup
1 cup corn syrup                              1 1/4 cups white sugar plus 1/3 cup water
1 cup half-and-half                          7/8 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon butter
1 cup cake flour                               1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons
1 cup molasses                                 1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup self-rising flour                      7/8 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking
                                                                     powder + 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil                           1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vinegar                           1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup yogurt                                     1 cup sour cream or 1 cup buttermilk


A little talk about fats in recipes (namely, butter and margarine):
*You CAN replace shortening in a recipe with butter.  However, the texture will be a little different.  Shortening produces more of a flaky consistency than butter.  Also, butter melts at a different temp so cookies may spread a bit more with butter than with shortening.
*Butter needs to be unsalted in recipes.  Otherwise, the recipe may turn out a little too salty.  If you use salted butter, decrease the salt from the recipe by about 1/4 teaspoon for every 1/2 cup butter you use.

I hope these work for you!  And remember, always try to plan ahead and make a grocery list....or have a backup plan in case something goes terribly wrong. If you DO pass off store-bought as homemade don't worry, I won't tell ;)

Have any baking questions you want answered?  Check out the "contact" tab!!