Substitutions

Cooking Substitutions

Has this ever happened to you?  You just found a delicious sounding recipe that you really want to make, but you are missing a key ingredient.  Now what?  Well, here is a list of cooking substitutions for when this situation arises.

This is in the format of:  <Recipe calls for this, but you don’t have it>:<Substitute with this instead>

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Cooking Substitutions:

Bacon, 1 slice, crisp-cooked, crumbled: 1 tablespoon cooked bacon pieces

Baking powder, 1 teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon: 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or red wine vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Bourbon or Sherry, 2 tablespoons: 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.  Add water, white grape juice, or apple juice to get the specified amount of liquid (when the liquid amount is crucial).

Bread crumbs, fine dry 1/4 cup: 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs, or 1/4 cup cracker crumbs, or 1/4 cup cornflake crumbs

Broth, beef or chicken, 1 cup: 1 teaspoon or 1 cube instant beef or chicken bouillon plus 1 cup hot water

Butter, 1 cup: 1 cup shortening plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, if desired

Buttermilk, 1 cup: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup (let stand 5 minutes before using) or  1 cup plain yogurt.

Chocolate, semisweet, 1 ounce: 3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate pieces, or 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder plus 2 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons shortening.

Chocolate, sweet baking, 4 ounces: 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons shortening

Chocolate, unsweetened, 1 ounce: 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon cooking oil or shortening, melted.

Cornstarch, 1 tablespoon (for thickening): 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Corn syrup (light), 1 cup: 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup water

Egg, 1 whole: 2 egg whites, or 2 egg yolks, or 1/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed

Flour, cake, 1 cup: 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Flour, self-rising, 1 cup: 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Garlic, 1 clove: 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Ginger, grated fresh, 1 teaspoon: 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Half-and-half or light cream, 1 cup: 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup

Lemon (Juice of one Lemon):  2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice equals juice of one lemon

Molasses, 1 cup: 1 cup honey

Mustard, dry, 1 teaspoon: 1 tablespoon prepared (in cooked mixtures)

Mustard, yellow, 1 tablespoon: 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard plus 2 teaspoons vinegar

Onion, chopped, 1/2 cup: 2 tablespoons dried minced onion or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Sour cream, dairy, 1 cup: 1 cup plain yorgurt

Sugar, granulated, 1 cup: 1 cup packed brown sugar or 2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Sugar, brown, 1 cup packed: 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons molasses

Tomato juice, 1 cup: 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water

Tomato sauce, 2 cups: 3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water

Vanilla bean, 1 whole: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Wine, red, 1 cup: 1 cup beef or chicken broth in savory recipes; cranberry juice in desserts

Wine, white, 1 cup: 1 cup chicken broth in savory recipes; apple juice or white grape juice in desserts

Yeast, active dry, 1 package: about 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Seasonings:

Apple pie spice, 1 teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, and dash ground cloves or ginger

Cajun seasoning, 1 tablespoon: 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Herbs, snipped fresh, 1 teaspoon: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried herb, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon ground herb

Poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon: 3/4 teaspoon dried sage, crushed, plus 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or marjoram, crushed

Pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

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