baking question

[phinnia]

I have a very good friend (hi arjache!!!) who is sensitive to dairy; so is Seaners. Is there any way to make baking with shortening any less ick-ifying? I can't stand the stuff, it's just weird. Is there a better dairyless butter substitute for baking, or a brand/way of using shortening to make it more palatable? I got some of this 'earth balance' but I'm not sure about it. (although I'm going to attempt a gluten and dairy free oatmeal raisin cookies soon. watch this space ... more like 'put a general weather eye on this space' I mean, I'm not running in there at this second or anything.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I've kept Earth Balance around for vegan friends, and some margarines don't have dairy in them. (Most have very little, some have whey.)

[arjache.livejournal.com]

Hello! Earth Balance works great for baking; it works just like butter in my experience. You can even make pastry out of it.

(And thank you for keeping me in mind. It means a lot to me.)

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

oh fantastic. <3 i've also found a nanaimo bar recipe; those have butter in them also but if it works for butter tarts it should work for these.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

(and you are very welcome. I wanted to make some cookies for you but i wanted to make sure they turned out well. <3 there's nothing worse than nasty-tasting christmas cookies.)
(nanaimo bars here. (http://www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/visitors/NanaimoBars.html))

[zaratyst.livejournal.com]

earth balance is OK, but actually butter flavored crisco, ickey though it seems works really well in baking applications. I can't do much for dairy either. Stupid Lactose Intolerance! :)

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

augh, i forgot you were lactose intolerant! i will alter your cookies accordingly also. <3

[zaratyst.livejournal.com]

No, actually I'm fine. If it's cooked into a cookie I'm OK. IF it's like huge cream sauce or actual milk on cereal or something. Doom. :)

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

ah okay. <3 that makes sense.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Yeah I was going to suggest the butter flavored crisco. Plus when you use it for cookies, they're nice and chewy/soft.

[katybeth]

Crisco is non-dairy but I think butter flavored Crisco has dairy in it, though probably not much.

And yes (to a below comment), Crisco sticks are the win. More expensive per volume than tubs, but SO MUCH easier to measure and deal with.

[krasota.livejournal.com]

Crisco comes in sticks. You can cut and unwrap into your bowl.

I use palm shortening (soy-free, gluten-free, lard-free). It only comes in a tub and probably holds the same ick factor for you.

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's any help, but vegans use something called nut butter. I think they have to make it themselves though...

[lovesasa.livejournal.com]

I've seen Apple Butter used in oatmeal cookies, too (Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites), but I haven't tried it yet. Sounds delish.

With a slow cooker, apple butter would be pretty easy to make.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

the only nut butter i know is similar to peanut butter, or tahini (sesame seed butter). is it that, or something else again?

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

Umm...I'm not sure. The nut butter I had at the vegan restaurant had a consistency like butter, but perhaps was softer...and was made out of ground nuts maybe with a bit of oil added too.

[lovesasa.livejournal.com]

I think you can buy Almond butter commercially. My college store sells it, and I'm pretty sure you could find it at Whole Foods or the like.

Would that work, do you think?

[lovesasa.livejournal.com]

I don't know anything about gluten, but the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites often substitutes applesauce for shortening, and it has always turned out well for me. It helps keep the moistness without all the fat and grossness.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

It won't work in a shortbread or a pastry cookie. It'd work in something like a muffin or drop cookies, but the pastry cookies need the fat; they don't stay together without it.

[lovesasa.livejournal.com]

Oh, ok. I just use butter in those and deal with the stomach ache (the Spanish/Mexican name for shortbread is roughly translated as 'butter cookie' so that makes sense...) so I'm not much help :)

Like I said above, I saw a recipe for oatmeal cookies using apple butter that sounded good. I have not found a single recipe in Moosewood's Low-Fat Recipes that I haven't loved.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

i have the book, it's good, yes.

[doubletake.livejournal.com]

Coconut oil can sometimes work too.

What part do you find 'icky'? The color? The tub? The way it gets everywhere if you just stick a measuring cup in?

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

Mostly the way it gets everywhere - especially on my hands, it gives me the willies. *shudder* my mom had the same issue with cornstarch on her hands, it drove her crazy. And to me "butter" doesn't taste right; on the other hand it has been years since I used the stuff.

[natalief.livejournal.com]

I replace 'butter' with a dairy-free margarine (Sunflower Pure) which works in most places ( we even use it to fry mushrooms). I have not tried to rub flour into it to make pastry or scones yet, though - it is spreadable from the fridge.

Another alternative might be vegan ghee - an indian (subcontinent) fat, usually clarified butter but they do do a dairy free version in health food shops here in the UK. It is a solid like shortening/lard (non-vegan but dairy free animal fat). Then again, mum used to always use lard for her pastry and scones and they were delicious!

P.S. I will be very interested to read about your results - and any recipes, of course!

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure they have that brand here - I'll keep looking - sometimes I find things in unexpected places. I haven't heard of vegan ghee but I do know an all-vegan grocery that I go to occasionally - I can ask there. <3 I think I'm initially going to try out the "breakfast cookies" in a gf/df fashion - they are one of Sean's favorites and I expect he misses them <3 - plus the recipe doesn't have a lot of flour to begin with, so it should be easy to substitute it out, and I'm using almond meal instead of the wheat germ. <3