Kitchen Basics
Substitutions

How I hate to begin a recipe only to discover I'm out of a key ingredient! Or to discover that a recipe calls for a pinch or a dash of something. And what the heck is a peck? I found in my many cookbooks a listing of equivalent measures and substitutions.

If your recipe calls for:

1 square or 1 oz. of chocolate = 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa plus 1
tbsp fat(melted butter or oil).

1 cup of buttermilk = 1 cup sweet milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar. Let stand at room temp for 5 minutes.

Whipped cream = Evaporated milk (not skim) which has been poured into a metal or glass mixing bowl and set in freezer until ice crystals form around edges of bowl. Place beaters in freezer too. Beat until soft peaks form.

1 cup sweet milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour milk plus 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Nuts = An equal amount of crunchy cereal, such as bran flakes

Superfine sugar = Regular sugar whirled in blender until fine

1 cup packed Brown sugar = 3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cup molasses
2 c. corn syrup
1 1/2 c. maple syrup
(reduce liquid in recipe)

1 cup honey = 1 1/4 cup of sugar plus 14 cup liquid

1 tbsp cornstarch = 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour minus 2 tbsps.

1 whole egg = 2 egg yolks plus 1 tbsp water(for baked goods)
2 egg yolks only (for pudding and custards)

"Granny" measurements:

a pinch = slightly less than 1/4 tsp
a dash = a few drops
3 tsps = 1 tbsp
an "egg" sized piece of butter = 1/4 cup
1 jigger = 3 tbsps
1 peck = 8 quarts
1 bushel = 4 pecks

If you are trying to lower fat in recipes these substitutions will work well:

Use evaporated skim milk for cream

Fat free plain yogurt has more body and richness than fat free sour cream. Works well in baked goods, stroganoff and fruit salads.

Applesauce substitutes nicely for butter, oil, or shortening. If the liquid fat is only liquid called for in a recipe substitute equal amounts of applesauce and fat free buttermilk.

Chocolate recipes do well with prune puree or baby food prunes substituted for fat. To make your own puree: Blend 2/3 pitted prunes
and 3 tbsp hot water. Process until smooth.

Marshmallow creme is a fat free substitute for butter and margarine in frostings.

When the recipe calls for nuts, use half the amount, but toast them to maximize the flavor.

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