Choosing Almond Butter
Almond butter is similar to peanut butter, but without the peanuts. This makes the spread less salty and also a wonderful alternative for those with peanut allergies. Several studies have been done with the results all finding that eating nuts is linked to lower risk of heart disease.
Almond butter can be purchased in most health food stores, but can also be made at home. I’ve seen recipes that call for blanched almonds only, run through a food process until a butter forms. I prefer a bit of salt in my almond butter.
Start with one cup of blanched almonds. Put the almonds in the food processor with ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Process.
If you want “chunky almond butter” chop up ¼ cup of blanched almonds and add after processing.
If you would like the almond butter a bit smoother, you can add oil in the food processor. Try about ½ tablespoon.
Use almond butter as you would use peanut butter. Use it on sandwiches, on toast, on muffins, on celery etc.
Once you’ve made the almond butter, what about using it to make almond butter cookies? Again, for those with peanut allergies these are a wonderful alternative. Here is just one recipe for these wonderful cookies, using maple as a sweetener:
Almond Butter Cookies
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, sift before measuring
1 cup almond butter
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Mix together the almond butter and oil; beating until smooth. Mix in the maple syrup and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, stir together flour and salt. Add mixture to almond butter mixture and mix until just combined. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place on baking sheet and then flatten. If you want the “lines” that peanut butter cookies have, then flattern with a fork. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
I personally love a good old fashioned almond butter and jelly sandwich. Enjoy experimenting with your almond butter and improve your health at the same time.
Audrey’s mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and often entertains 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at www.recipe-barn.com
Oh No! I Don't Have Any... Cooking Substitutions To Help When You're Out
For a lot of cooks, there are occurences when we do not have the exact ingredients on hand to prepare our desired dish. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair, you probably have a suitable substitution on hand, saving the cook a drive to the grocer. Here are some tips.
Milk
A lot of recipes call for milk. If you realize you are out of milk or short on the amount necessary to complete a specific recipe, make sure you keep a supply of evaporated milk readily available. Evaporated milk or reconstituted milk can be kept for a long time and once mixed with water and sometimes a drop of butter, can easily taste just as good as regular milk.
Baking Powder
If you do not have baking powder available, use baking soda and a dash of buttermilk. For a tablespoon of double acting baking powder, substitute 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and a 1/2 cup of buttermilk.
Self Rising Flour
Self rising flour is convenient to create at home, just mix one cup of all purpose flour with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Butter Milk
Ran out of butter milk? You can quickly whip up your own. You can substitute 1 cup of butter milk with 1 cup whole milk and a tablespoon of vinegar. You can also substitute 1 cup of butter milk with 2/3 cup of plain yogurt and 1/3 cup whole milk.
Garlic
Ran out of garlic? Replace it with garlic powder instead. About 1 clove of garlic equals 1/8 of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
Honey
You can easily replace honey with sugar and water. 1 cup of honey is equal to about 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/4 cup of water.
Substituting Sugar
If you are short on sugar on hand or would like to replace it because of health reasons, here are some hints to replace sugar:
Sugar can be exchanged with with maple syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, stevia, and molasses. Although, some recipes will ask for sugar or a granular sweetener instead of syrup due to baking and texture requirements.
If you would like to decrease your intake of sugar because of health issues, consider the many sweeteners, sometimes called sugar substitutes at your grocery store. These sweeteners include but are not limited to, Sweet and Low, Splenda, Equal, and plant derived Stevia.
Sauce Emergencies Creamed; Substitutions For Milk, Buttermilk, Whipping Cream, Cornstarch, Arrowroot
When it is crunch time in the kitchen, running out of a crucial ingredient is no picnic. Neither is running out to the store at midnight. If you are missing an ingredient knowing its "equivalent" or substitution can save the day. Adapting recipes from antique cookbooks can also cause confusion. What is arrowroot and must I consult a wizard? Today, Mom helps cooks with tips on milk, cream and other sauce thickeners.
Milk: If you don't have one cup of fresh milk substitute 1/2 cup of evaporated mile plus 1/2 cup of water. Or follow the directions on a box of powdered milk. It’s a good idea to have a can of evaporated milk handy for emergencies. If you don't use it during holiday baking, keep it for your other emergency kit.
Buttermilk: Also called sour milk, is used to give recipes a little zip. Substitute 1tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup (let stand 5 minutes before using), OR use 1 cup whole milk plus 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar OR use 1 cup of plain yogurt.
Whipping Cream: Whipped cream from scratch is worth the work. If you don't have time, just use frozen dessert topping. 1 cup whipping cream equals 2 cups dessert topping.
Light Cream: if you don't have 1 cup of light cream use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of milk plus 2 tablespoons of butter.
Cornstarch: Great for thickening sauces; if you don't have 1 tablespoon of cornstarch use 2 tablespoons of flour. Always dissolve it in a little water, broth or juice before you add it to your sauce to avoid lumps.
Arrowroot: Not a mystical ingredient but another thickening agent for sauces and soups. Substitute 2 tablespoons of regular flour or 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Dissolve in water or broth for easier mixing.
As a general rule if you are baking in the oven, you must follow the recipe as closely as possible. Not only do your ingredients add flavor, they also serve a specific function like making your bread rise, or binding ingredients together. If you are using milk or cream in a sauce, you have more flexibility. For example, if you are making gravy, a splash of milk instead of cream is fine. The fat content should only effect the flavor of your sauce, not the final product. Happy cooking!
For more of Mom's cooking tips and kitchen humor visit her on the web at www.MomsRetro.com. She also cultivates a gardening website at www.theGardenPages.com with plant profiles and growing tips on succulents and California native plants. Copyright 2007 by Laura Zinkan. Article may be reprinted if author credit is given with a website. All rights reserved.
Corn Flour, Corn Meal, Cornstarch Cooking Tips, Substitutions and About That Johnny Cake
By: Laura Zinkan
Several different types of cooking ingredients come from corn. Corn bread, stews and even fried catfish recipes call for some form of corn. If you are missing an ingredient knowing its equivalent or substitution can save grandma's recipe from oblivion. If you know the use of an ingredient, it is easier to come up with a substitution. Today Mom explains corn starch, corn flour, cornmeal and that Johnny Cake.
Corn Starch: Made from the endosperm of the corn kernel. Cornstarch is used to thicken sauces, soups and stews. Substitutions for cornstarch are as follows: 1 tablespoon cornstarch = 2/3 tablespoon arrowroot OR 2 tablespoons all purpose flour OR 1 tablespoon potato starch OR 2 tablespoons quick-cooking (instant) tapioca.
Corn Flour: Made by grinding whole corn kernels into a fine powder. It is used in combination with other flours to make breads, or for breading items for frying. Corn flour contains less gluten than wheat flour. When baking, substituting corn flour instead of wheat flour will result in a heavier bread. If you just need corn flour for breading, you can use regular flour instead.
Corn flour can also be used to thicken sauces. If you don't have corn flour, substitute with corn meal ground to a powder in a food processor. You can also thicken sauces by substituting regular wheat flours in the same measurements.
Sauce Cooking Tip: Before adding any powdered thickener to a sauce it is a good idea to dissolve it first. Use a little liquid from your sauce, or some broth, juice or water (about 1/2 cup or less). When your thickener is dissolved in liquid, carefully stir it into your sauce with a fork or whisk. This helps cook up a smooth sauce with no lumps.
Cornmeal: Made from ground corn, usually without the corn skin or germ and has a coarse texture. Cornmeal doesn't contain gluten so it is generally used to make quick breads or breads with a cake-like texture. If you don't have one cup of cornmeal substitute one cup of grits or polenta.
Cornmeal is sometimes called for in bread recipes for dusting a greased pan. Dusting a pan helps keep the bread from sticking to the pan. It also gives the bread crust an extra little crunch and a hint of flavor. If you don't have cornmeal you can substitute corn flour, regular wheat flour or any other flour to keep bread from sticking. If you still want that crunchy texture try pulverizing some corn flakes instead. Or try using another thinly ground grain like steel cut oats or cracked wheat.
Johnny Cake: Johnny Cake or Journey Cake is a simple quick bread made with corn and water plus sugar. Hoecake technically, is a corn cake cooked over the fire on the back of a hoe (or shovel). The method still works - but don't forget to grease your shovel first, or the hoecake will stick! Over the years we have added salt and leavening agents to our corn cake recipes for variations on the same corny theme. Here's a great old-fashioned recipe for Corn Cake using molasses as a sweetener.
Molasses Corn Cake 1 cup corn meal 3/4 cup flour 31/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup molasses 3/4 cup milk 1 egg 1 tablespoon melted butter (or margarine)
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add milk with molasses, egg well beaten, and butter. Bake in shallow buttered pan (roughly 9x9 or 8x8) in 425 degree oven for twenty minutes.
Easy Measuring Tip: The easiest way to measure the molasses for this recipe is to use the same measuring cup as the milk. First, pour the milk up to the 3/4 cup line. Then add the molasses until it measures 1 cup. If you still have room in the cup, add the egg and mix everything together before adding it to the dry ingredients. Good luck and happy cooking!
Laura Zinkan is a freelance writer in California. She puts the Mom in MomsRetro.com with kitchen tips, apron humor and retro art on her website for busy cooks at http://www.MomsRetro.com. She also cultivates a gardening website at http://www.theGardenPages.com with plant profiles and growing tips for succulents and California native plants. Copyright 2008 by Laura Zinkan (LauraZinkan.com). Article may be reprinted as long as author credit is given with one website. All rights reserved.
