Our handy substitution hints might save you having to dash to the shops!
- All Spice: 1 tsp all spice = ½ tsp ground cloves + ½ tsp cinnamon
- Baking powder: 1 tsp baking powder = 1/3 tsp baking soda + 2/3 tsp of cream of tartar.
- Butter: 250g butter = the same quantity of margarine or 7/8 cup of oil (if recipe required melted butter).
- Buttermilk: 1 cup buttermilk = ½ cup plain non-fat yoghurt + ½ cup milk.
- Caster sugar: place white or raw sugar in a food processor and pulse for approximately 1 minute until the grains are finer.
- Cinnamon: 1 tsp ground cinnamon = ½ tsp ground all spice.
- Cornstarch: 1 Tbsp cornstarch = 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour.
- Dark Brown Sugar: 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar = 1 cup Caster Sugar + ¼ cup Treacle or Golden Syrup.
- Egg: 1 whole egg - Try 2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp of baking powder. Mix well before adding. Unsweetened Apple sauce, or mashed banana - these can be used as an egg replacement in baked goods. These will leave their own flavour of course, so be sure of the taste you want. Fruit can make the baked item heavier, so add a little baking powder if this concerns you. Usually 1/4 cup will replace 1 egg
- Golden caster sugar: place raw sugar in a food processor and pulse for approximately 1 minute until the grains are finer.
- Half and Half Cream: Often mentioned in US or UK recipes. Mix half the quantity of milk with half the quantity of cream
- Honey: 1 cup honey = 1 cup & 2 Tbsp of sugar + ¼ cup of the same liquid used in the recipe.
- Lemon juice: small amounts of lemon juice e.g. 1 tsp can be substituted with vinegar. 1 tsp lemon juice = ½ teaspoon vinegar.
- Milk: 1 cup blue or light blue milk = ½ cup water + ½ cup evaporated milk or cream. Alternatively use soy milk.
- Pouring Cream: substitute with an equal measure of evaporated milk
- Self-raising flour: 1 cup self-raising flour = 1 cup plain flour + 1½ tsps baking powder.
- Shortening: 1 cup shortening = 1 cup butter or margarine.
- Soft Brown Sugar: 1 cup Soft Brown Sugar = 1 cup Caster Sugar + 2 Tbsp Golden Syrup.
- Sour cream: 1 cup sour cream = 1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar stirred through and allowed to stand for 5 minutes to sour.
- Unsalted butter: many US and UK recipes call for unsalted butter. You can buy unsalted butter in NZ, however regular butter (salted) is fine to use in your recipes - just reduce the salt called for in the recipe.
- Whipping cream: our good old NZ cream