By Christina Shoup
We all know this story: in the kitchen with a fantastic recipe and you’re ready to create magic. When gathering all the ingredients, lo and behold you’re missing something. Here are a few easy substitutions that I find quite useful:
• Cake Four—something I almost never have on hand when I need it. For 1 cup cake flour, substitute 1 cup all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons. Replace with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, sift together 5-6 times until well combined and light.
• Buttermilk—make your own with 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Mix and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Plain yogurt can also be used as a substitute.
• Cornstarch—for thickening, 1 tablespoon cornstarch is equal to 2 tablespoons flour.
• Allspice—if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon allspice, you may substitute ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ½ teaspoon ground clove.
• Brown sugar—1 cup white sugar mixed with ¼ cup molasses can be used in place of 1 cup brown sugar.
Next time you find yourself in a kitchen dilemma, I hope one of these tips comes in handy.
