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Recession-Friendly Baking Tips

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Yep, times have changed and we’re rolling with the punches.  We’re back with our new “Recession Friendly Cooking Tips” column.  This week, we’re all about baking…

Occasionally, we’ll run into a recipe that calls for a some obscure or pricey ingredient, and I don’t want to invest in something I’m only going to use once.  No worries.  Here’s a few substitutions that don’t affect the outcome.

*Try replacing one cup of buttermilk with one cup of whole milk mixed with a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.

*No glucose syrup in the pantry? Consider corn syrup.  No one will ever know.

*Out of self-rising flour?   Substitute one cup of self-rising with a cup of all-purpose flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1.5 teaspoons baking powder. Voila!

 

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I’ve always wanted to make fudge or caramel, but I don’t own a candy thermometer and I didn’t know if this was a one-time urge or a career.  So I wasn’t about to invest in one yet.  I learned you don’t really need one.   Just use a glass of cold water and a spoon.  As your sugar cooks, test the temperature by taking a small spoonful and dropping it into the water. Then feel it with your fingers.  If it’s soft and gooey, you’re in the soft stage.  If it forms a hard shell, you’ve got yourself a hard crack. Play around with different textures and see what you prefer!

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If you don’t own a double boiler, now’s probably not the best time to buy one.  People melted chocolate and baked custards before the invention of the double boiler.  Alll you really need is a saucepan filled with barely simmering water and a glass or stainless steel bowl to place over it.  Anything heatproof does the job.

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