33. SUBSTITUTES

BROWN SUGAR SUBSTITUTE:

For each cup firmly packed brown sugar called for in a recipe, use 1 1/2 tbsp molasses plus 1 cup granulated white sugar

To make light brown sugar from dark brown sugar, use 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar.

For dark brown sugar, use 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar plus 1 tbsp molasses, or 1 cup white sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses.

BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE:

For every 1 cup buttermilk called for, use 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar. Mix them and let the vinegar turn the milk for about a minute before incorporating into your recipe.

VANILLA PUDDING SUBSTITUTE (ONLY FOR USE IN BATTERS):

For 1 package of vanilla pudding called for in a recipe, combine 1/4 cup cake flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING SUBSTITUTE (ONLY FOR USE IN BATTERS)
Use vanilla above and add 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tbsp sugar. 

CAKE FLOUR SUBSTITUTE:

For every cup of cake flour called for in a recipe, fill a 1-cup measuring cup with 5 tablespoons cornstarch and then fill the rest of the way with all purpose flour. Sift them to combine, and sift multiple times for a better consistency.

TIPS FOR COOKIES:

Basically, all great cookies start with softened butter.  This is because the batter works best when going into the oven cold, but the butter has to be soft enough to mix.

I like cookies chewy in the inside and crispy on the outside, so the butter and sugars need to be whipped to be as light as possible before and after adding egg.

Eggs need to be used at room temperature, otherwise they do not whip up as easily.  When making a meringue, the whites will not get stiff and form peaks unless room temp so this also applies to cookies!

Also, cookies come out better when your flours and dry ingredients are sifted together.  If you do not have a sifter, use a whisk to just mix it in a bowl.

TIPS FOR CAKES/BROWNIES:

It is also really important to sift your dry ingredients for cakes so that they rise correctly.  However, unless the recipe calls for something different, you do not want to whip your butters and sugars so much.  The same is true for brownies.