Butter/Margarine

[dwnloom]

Is there a substitute for these in a recipe? I have plenty now, but know that I will be out shortly (I'm being layed off in a week)

Thanks,

Dawn

[Contrary Housewife]

Sometimes you can use vegetable oil or shortening, but it will change the flavor and texture of the finished product. It depends on what you are making.

Mayonnaise was invented as a substitute for butter during the French Revolution. Again, depends on what you are making with it.

[old_lady_in_the_shoe]

Butter
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute:
- 1 cup regular margarine
- 1 cup vegetable shortening (for baking)
- An equal amount of oil can be substituted for a similar portion of MELTED butter if the recipe specifies using MELTED butter.

you can also use about 3/4 cup of oil when a recipe calls for 1 cup of butter...I do this a lot for baking quick breads and such and it works well.

Fruit spreads make excellent butter substitutes in certain baking recipes too. They are often much lower in fat and can be used to replace butter and oil. Applesauce works well in quick bread and such and thicker fruit spreads for cookies...you should lower the sugar a bit becasue of the added sweetness of the fruit. I like doing this in oatmeal cookies the best.

[Grainlady]

A great place to find substitutes of all kinds of ingredients in cooking is The Cook's Thesaurus - http://www.foodsubs.com/

As already mentioned, it depends on what you are making.

-If you need to use oil in a cookie recipe that calls for a solid fat (shortening/butter/margarine), then find a recipe that specifically calls for oil because it does not substitute for a solid fat.

-Pastry made with oil instead of a solid fat is more delicate and mealy, but are easy to make. Once again, don't substitute, but find a recipe for that type of fat.

[Luckybustert]

A great place to find substitutes of all kinds of ingredients in cooking is The Cook's Thesaurus - http://www.foodsubs.com/

As already mentioned, it depends on what you are making.

-If you need to use oil in a cookie recipe that calls for a solid fat (shortening/butter/margarine), then find a recipe that specifically calls for oil because it does not substitute for a solid fat.

-Pastry made with oil instead of a solid fat is more delicate and mealy, but are easy to make. Once again, don't substitute, but find a recipe for that type of fat.

AWESOME website - thank you so much for the link! I've bookmarked it and I'm sure I'll be referring to it often.

[Judi Dial]

Mayonnaise was invented as a substitute for butter during the French Revolution. Again, depends on what you are making with it.

What an interesting fact. Thank you!

Judi

[Juju]

I have found that if I can find a cheap can cream. Those some times have more milk fat. I can use an egg beater and beat it and butter appears. Half and half does this too. But these have to be set out and warmed up. But not heated.

[frugrrl]

-If you need to use oil in a cookie recipe that calls for a solid fat (shortening/butter/margarine), then find a recipe that specifically calls for oil because it does not substitute for a solid fat.

-Pastry made with oil instead of a solid fat is more delicate and mealy, but are easy to make. Once again, don't substitute, but find a recipe for that type of fat.

Actually, you can use oil instead of fat in these kind of recipes. You just need to use less oil. Like it if calls for 1 cup butter, you would use 3/4 cup of butter. I have a bread recipe that calls for 2T butter. I just use canola oil instead -- just less than 2T.

This site: http://www.olindaridge.com/Health-Re...tead-of-Butter has a chart that explains it all.

I have also used powdered margarine in a cookie recipe and it turned out fine. I didn't reconstitute it before adding it to the recipe. (I'm not sure it ever would turn into a solid.) I just added the powder and then the water to the rest of the ingredients and it turned out fine.

[Grainlady]

Actually, you can use oil instead of fat in these kind of recipes. You just need to use less oil. Like it if calls for 1 cup butter, you would use 3/4 cup of butter. I have a bread recipe that calls for 2T butter. I just use canola oil instead -- just less than 2T.

This site: http://www.olindaridge.com/Health-Re...tead-of-Butter has a chart that explains it all.

I have also used powdered margarine in a cookie recipe and it turned out fine. I didn't reconstitute it before adding it to the recipe. (I'm not sure it ever would turn into a solid.) I just added the powder and then the water to the rest of the ingredients and it turned out fine.

Powdered margarine (also powdered butter and powdered shortening) is spreadable when reconstituted (water added to powder) and allowed to sit for a period of time to thoroughly hydrate and set-up, and will solidify when refrigerated.

You used the correct method by adding it dry and adjusting the liquid ingredients - but only in certain applications. When using powdered fats in baking it's not necessary to reconstitute them unless they are used in an application where they need to be creamed with sugar.

I use powdered butter in my homemade (dry) mixes. I also use powdered peanut butter in mixes.

When you reconstitute powdered margarine or butter to use as a bread spread, adding a little vegetable oil (I add coconut oil) gives it a smoother texture. The same if you reconstitute powdered peanut butter to use as a bread spread - add a little oil.

FYI Food Science- Cookies that call for solid fat in the recipe will not bake the same or have the same texture if you use a liquid fat. CAN it be a substitute? Yes, but don't expect the same results. That's why I suggest finding a recipe that already uses a liquid fat instead of substituting it for a solid fat. You'll get better results in a recipe designed with that type of fat.

Liquid fat will not act like solid fat when creaming the fat/sugar is indicated in the recipe. Liquid fats should be added with the liquid ingredients (also called the muffin method), but if the "cake method" is indicated (cream the fat and sugar), then expect a different result. Solid fat and sugar is creamed together to take on a light and airy texture and reduce the size of the sugar granules, you can't get the same result when creaming liquid fat with sugar.

Liquid fat also soaks into flour, while solid fat coats the flour, and that will effect the gluten in the flour differently - like in a recipe for biscuits - if you were to substitute oil for a solid fat.

When it comes to making yeast bread, there's not a problem substituting a liquid fat for a solid fat.

[Debbie-cat]

Great websites! Thanks!

[freebie]

Wonderful post! I too was laid of from my job and wondered what to use for a butter substitute thank you for asking this question.