Use This for That

Substitutions

I didn't have potatoes....so I substituted rice,

I didn't have paprika.... so I used another spice,

I didn't have tomato sauce...I used tomato paste,

A whole can...not half a can...I don't believe in waste!

A friend gave me the recipe

She said you couldn't beat it!

But there must be something wrong

As I couldn't even eat it!!!

Author unknown

I have people ask me all the time if they can use butter instead of margarine, or the other way around.  Or if they can use shortening instead.  Or what about cake flour and regular flour? 

So a few of the following can be used in place of one another.

But watch out because it really depends on the recipe!!!

1 cup sifted cake flour = 1 cup less 2 Tbsp. sifted all-purpose flour

You can use cake flour where sifted all-purpose flour is called for but not the other way around unless you want to sift it about 10 times.

1 cup of granulated sugar = 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar or 1 cup packed light brown sugar or 3/4 cup honey

This is one of those, it doesn't always work subs.  You CANNOT substitute anything for powdered sugar in buttercream icing.

1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup sugar plus 2 Tbsp. molasses

And to answer the butter vs. margarine ummm no you should not substitute them for each other unless the recipe says you can. Yes they look alike but they aren't the same thing.  And you most definitely should not swap one out with or for shortening.

No buttermilk?  Well 1 cup of milk with 3 Tbsp. of lemon juice let stand for 10 minutes = 1 cup of buttermilk

1 cup of sour cream = 1 cup of plain yogurt
but only in baking


So the next time you have half the ingredients already mixed in your bowl and realize you are missing something maybe you can use something else in it's place.