Tuesday's Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer - Baking Substitutions

Now if you’re like me you bake all year round. Every week there’s at least one dessert to choose from plus the bajillion other recipes I’m working on for the blog or clients. However I find that most people really kick up their baking game once Fall hits. Perhaps it’s the ‘everything pumpkin season’ or perhaps it’s due to the cooler weather. Either way on today’s Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer I’m going to be sharing with you my best baking substitutions. Some classics and some you may be surprised about.

Let’s face it, it’s happened to each of us at least once while we’re in the midst of cooking or baking. You’re mixing something together and when you go to add that one ingredient you realize that you’re out of it or worse, you have it but it’s gone bad/stale. Or doubly worse… you checked your pantry, saw the container in your cupboard and didn’t buy any more. You go to use it only to grab the container from the shelf only to find that it’s EMPTY. This has happened to me when I went to grab my baking soda and corn starch. While he (points to Mr. Fantabulous) won’t admit to doing this, we all know he did that. LOL

Unsweetened Chocolate Squares: Mix together 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/4 cup melted regular flavored Crisco. This makes the equivalent to a 4 ounces square.

Half And Half Cream: Take a one cup measuring cup and add in 3 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon of melted unsalted butter. Next fill up the measuring cup with whole milk. Top up the cup with whole milk. If you don’t have whole milk you can just use evaported milk.

Eggs: for this we need to look at the purpose of the eggs in the recipe

Binder – if the eggs are meant to act as a binder then 1/4 cup of Arrowroot, Flax-seed Mix, Silken Tofu or Unflavored Vegetarian Gelatin Powder (agar agar) can be used (source)
Leavening Agent – 1/2 cup buttermilk for every egg or egg replacement powder (per package instructions). The only caveat to using buttermilk is use less liquid (say water) in your recipe
Moisture – 3 heaping tablespoon of pureed fruits or vegetables equal one egg

Vanilla Bean: Let’s face it, whole vanilla beans are expensive but for a good reason. They rock! So if you don’t have them, don’t fret. Just use 2 teaspoon of good vanilla bean extract to for every vanilla bean.

White Sugar: 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of honey equals 1 cup of white sugar

Cake Flour: see here how to make your own

Bread Flour: see here how to make your own

Cinnamon: if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon use just shy of 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg or allspice.

Graham Cracker Crumbs: 1 cup of ground corn flakes with 2 teaspoon of brown sugar equal 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Panko Bread Crumbs: Crushed Chex cereal makes the perfect panko crumbs and they are gluten free! See the instructions here!