Monday, November 29, 2010

Handy Dandy Substitutions

With plenty of Christmas cooking coming up, you are bound to run out of something! I rarely have all of the ingredients for any given recipe, so improvising is a standard practice in my kitchen. Here are a few substitutions to save a trip out to the store:
  • Egg beaters 1/4 cup = 1 egg
  • Buttermilk= 1 Tablespoon vinegar + enough milk to make one cup. Let stand 5 min.
  • Plain yogurt for sour cream
  • Broth and wine can be substituted for each other in recipes
  • 1Tbs. cornstarch=2 Tbs. flour
  • 1 tsp. Allspice = 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, and 1/4 tsp. cloves
  • Cracker crumbs or panko can replace bread crumbs
  • 1 cup of chicken broth= 1 cup of water + 1 bullion cube
  • 1 ounce uunsweetened chocolate= 3 Tbs. baking cocoa + 1 Tbs. shortening or oil
  • Cool Whip can replace whipped cream
  • 1 (.25oz) packet of yeast= 2 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast
And while I'm at it, here is the first of the promised Christmas cookie recipes with a handy description. Enjoy!

These cookies are so easy, yet look and taste like a fussy recipe. They are reminescent of an Almond Joy candy bar. Holy moley are these good!! Did I just drool? Yep. I think I fried the keyboard...

Chocolate and Almond Macaroons
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 (14oz.) package sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/8 tsp. salt
14 whole almonds
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I prefer dark)
  • Stir together first 4 ingredients. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto waxed or parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Press an almond into top of each cookie. (Dough will be very sticky)
  • Bake at 350* for 15-17 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.
  • Microwave chocolate chips at high for 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring halfway. Transfer to a ziploc bag. Seal bag and snip off a corner and drizzle chocolate over cookies.
 Makes 2 dozen

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Il semble que vous soyez un expert dans ce domaine, vos remarques sont tres interessantes, merci.

- Daniel

Brandy said...

Should it say a 7 oz bag of coconut? I am making these and I just wanted to double check. Thanks!