My guide to substitutes in pastry by Amourducake

Hello foodies,

At home, I rather make a family pastry, everything that is pancakes, chocolate cake, yogurt. I compose my recipes according to the ingredients I have in my cupboards and often I am missing one or more ingredients so I am always looking for a substitute on the internet. we are all confronted with this problem, we have a recipe but we lack an ingredient and we put aside the recipe while all the ingredients are replaceable by others.

Thanks to this perpetual search for substitutes, it has allowed me to make beautiful discoveries and experiences by combining different ingredients to fill a gap and to build up a fairly complete guide to substitutes that are suffering.series

Today, I offer you my guide to substitutes in pastry making

How to replace butter?

For its melting and softness

 How to replace butter in cakes?

Butter has a different role depending on the recipe, you already need to know what it is used for, what its role is and what it brings to a recipe. Butter in a pastry recipe brings the side melting in a cake. The typical case of a flux, for example. The butter fondant will have its side soft and melting to the heart thanks to it. 

In this case the ingredients to replace butter are:

-Compote: is a substitute that I use a lot in my chocolate cake recipes or my yogurt cake recipe when I want a very soft cake when combined with vegetable oil. Compote will bring this touch of fondant. In this case, use homemade compote with no added sugar.

-Avocado is a fruit that replaces butter. It must be ripe and then pureed. smooth and homogeneous. I have already used it in my chocolate fondant, maybe use cookies or even pancakes-Oils is a perfect substitute for butter, usually in yogurt cake recipes. I sometimes use it in my pancakes recipe. you can use hazelnut, coconut or olive oil. Choose neutral oils to avoid overwhelming the taste of your pastries

-The banana: once crushed the banana will replace the butter. 50 gr of banana approximately for 50 gr of butter. Remember to adjust the cooking time of the recipe and check the cooking of the recipe with the blade of a knife. I don't use this substitute, I don't like the smell of bananas.

-Zucchini: you have to grate it to add it to your cakes. It is undetectable. I made a chocolate cake with zucchini, it was really good especially soft and melting
-Oilseed purées: perfectly replace butter in a healthy way in your pastries. There is the peanut butter or almond butter that you can make yourself.

For binding and emulsifying

Butter brings a side emulsifying and binding agent. 

In this case the ingredients to replace it are:

-Margarine or vegetable butter can replace butter in these cases.
- Egg yolk is the "fat" part of the egg.
-Potato starch, corn or corn starch will replace butter in this case. 

Tips and tricks

80g of oil=100g of butter
100g of compote=100g of butter
80g chopped zucchini = 100g butter
100g mashed banana = 100g butter
50g avocado puree = 100g butter
20g egg yolk (1) = 20g butter

How to replace sugar?

I am in a procession where I want to reduce my sugar consumption, I am a sugar addict because I am more sweet than salty so I look for substitutes or I often reduce the sugar dose in my recipes.

Sugar has the role of giving tastehelps to develop yeast during cooking. It is this one that gives a golden color and helps to raise the cake or bread. Finally, it is also sugar that helps to emulsify foams.

How to replace white sugar?

-Fruits (fresh, compote or puree): they contain fructose, so it is the healthiest way to substitute sugar. For example in pies there is no need to add sugar.
- Whole sugar (wholemeal, Rapadura, Muscovado): This sugar is more nutritiously interesting and has a sweeter power.

-Maple or agave syrups: are a perfect substitute for sugar and have more sweetening power. this substitute is my favorite, I use agave syrup which is essential in my kitchen.

-Honey: use neutral honey

-Sweeteners (xylitol, stevia): I don't use it, it's a very expensive product. Its sweetening power is also more important than white sugar.
-Aromas: we also have extracts of vanilla, orange, almond...

How to replace milk?

The milk moistens your preparations and brings the side soft. 

There are two types of milk:

- vegetable milk: I have become a major consumer despite the fact that I still consume animal milk but in smaller quantities. there are many variants of vegetable milk that everyone can find what they are looking for. the best known are soya, hazelnut, rice, almond, oat, coconut milk...

Animal milk: the most common is cow's milk.

Replace milk with?

-Water. You can combine water and milk, that's what I sometimes do for my pancakes, it doesn't hurt the taste. On the other hand, it is not necessary to completely replace milk with water, always combine them together.
-Liquid cream + water: it is possible to replace milk with liquid cream + water. We have 2 types of creams, animal or vegetable creams ( soya cream, oat cream...)
- Cottage cheese: this substitute is perfect for cakes and pies. I often use it in my cake recipes.

-Eggs: it is also possible to substitute milk with beaten eggs. In this case add a little water to get a more liquid result.
-Banana: it is a good substitute. I don't like the taste of bananas so I avoid this trick. The taste of banana still dominates in the recipes.

-The oil: she'll bring the side egg white binder as well as liquid such as milk. On the other hand, be careful with this trick. Taste-neutral oils should be used.

How to replace eggs?

Egg white is the part of the egg, the most used in pastry, it brings the binder between the ingredients and gives a softer and more aerated side to the recipes.

Egg yolk is the fatter part, it has the role of emulsifier, it gives a creamy texture to lemon cream, to custard. It also gives the melting touch.

Replace the egg with:

-Soy yoghurt: 60gr of soy yoghurt is the equivalent of an egg. The soy yoghurt will bring the binding side while keeping the softness.
-Silky tofu: 50 gr of tofu replaces 1 egg. Silky tofu is available in organic grocery stores in the fresh department. The advantage of silky tofu is that it takes the taste of the ingredients it accompanies. Perfect for quiches, gratins, custards, cheesecake, creams... It has the advantage of being low in fat and can also replace fresh creams.

-The banana: once crushed, it brings the binding and melting side. Don't forget the banana has a very strong taste.
-Yogurt: it's an ingredient, I use it in all kinds of ways, I like it too much. There are several types of yoghurt for example plain brewed yoghurt, Greek yoghurt.... --Butter: easily replaces fat egg yolk.

-Chickpea or aquafaba cooking water: This is a technique that is widely used in vegan cooking. The cooking water from chickpeas is a perfect substitute for egg white. Just whip the aquafaba with an electric mixer and be a little more patient so that it also snows. Use it in your mousses recipes or very soft and aerated cakes.

-Agar-agar or gelatin: it is a vegetable gelling agent that can replace eggs in blanks.
-Milk: milk can replace eggs to brown your buns and slippers. Apply the milk with a brush to your brioche or dough and it will come out as golden as a beaten egg.
-Oil: It has a binding effect.
-Flax and chia seeds. To do this, just mix 2 teaspoons of flax and add 30ml of water or mix 2 teaspoons of chia seeds with 30ml and water. Let this preparation stand so that it "gels" and add it to a cake dough for example to substitute the binding effect of the egg.

What should wheat flour be used as a substitute?

Wheat flour is the most common. But many people have gluten intolerants like wheat, oats, spelt, rye, barley....

The non-exhaustive list of gluten-free flours is the flours of:
- buckwheat (I made you a recipe for a gluten-free pancake...)
- rice
- coconut (a good pancake recipe containing it here)
- lupin
- chestnut
- amaranth
- chickpeas
- split
peas - lentils
- soya
- but
- millet
- teff
- quinoa...
I take this opportunity to share this blog specialized in vegan and sometimes gluten-free recipes here: On the green with Lili

Well, that's all very well, but with which ingredient can we replace flour?

-Lenses: Cook your lenses until they are soft. Then drain them well so that they do not release water. Mix them and you will have a good substitute for the flour.
-White or red beans: Once melted and cooked or drain and wash (for canned beans), mash into a puree and replace the flour.

Gluten-free flours
-Chickpeas: You must cook your chickpeas until they are soft. Then drain them well so that they do not release water. Mix them and you will have a good substitute for the flour.

-Powdered almonds: Here it's very simple, roast or not your almonds and then mix them. The powder obtained will also replace the flour.
-Hazelnuts in powder: Same as for almonds.

 I hope that my pastry substitute guide will be useful to you in your daily life.

Don't forget to leave a comment if you have other substitutes.

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