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If you are preparing holiday meals or baking you may find yourself mid-recipe without an ingredient, or you may not want to spend a lot of money on something that you only need a little and won’t use a lot in normal day-to-day cooking.

Here is a list of common cooking substitutions…

Allspice: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves equals 1 teaspoon allspice.

Apple Pie Spice: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice and a dash of ground cloves or ginger = 1 teaspoon apple pie spice.

Baking Powder: ½ teaspoon cream of tartar plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda equals 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Brown Sugar: 1 Cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup molasses equals 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar.

Buttermilk: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup equals 1 cup of buttermilk; let stand for 5 minutes. Or use 1 cup plain yogurt.

Cake Flour: 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour equals 1 cup cake flour.

Chili Sauce: 1 cup ketchup plus 1 to 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish.

Corn Syrup: 1 cup sugar plus ¼ cup of liquid (use whatever liquid is called for in the recipe) or use 1 cup honey equals 1 cup corn syrup.

Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or 4-6 teaspoons quick cooking tapioca equals 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

Cream of tartar: 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar equals ½ teaspoon cream of tartar.

Dried Herb: ½ teaspoon ground herb equals 1 teaspoon dried herb.

Fresh Herb: ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of dried herb equals 1 tablespoon of fresh herb.

Half and Half or Light Cream: 1 tablespoon melted butter plus enough whole milk to equal one cup.

Miniature Marshmallows: 10 large marshmallows equal 1 cup mini marshmallows.

Pastry Flour: 7/8 cup all-purpose flour equals 1 cup pastry flour.

Poultry Seasoning: ¾ teaspoon dried sage (crushed) plus ¼ teaspoon dried thyme or marjoram (crushed) equals 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon plus ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg equals 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

Rum: 1 tablespoon rum extract plus 3 tablespoons liquid (use whatever liquid called for in recipe) equals ¼ cup rum.

Self-Rising Flour: 1 cup of all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon baking soda.

Shortening (for baking): 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons lard or 1 1/8 cup butter or margarine (reduce salt in recipe if using salted butter or margarine) equals 1 cup shortening.

Sour Cream: Substitute equal parts plain yogurt.

Tomato Sauce: ¾ cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water equals 2 cups tomato sauce.

Whole Milk: ½ cup evaporated milk plus ½ cup water or 1 cup water plus 1/8 cup nonfat dry milk powder.

Wine: 13 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar equals 1 cup wine.

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Tags: Baking, Baking Substitutions, Cooking, Cooking Substitutions, Tips
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This week I spotted some great prices on pears at my local grocery stores, which means autumn is almost here! This recipe uses either fresh pears or canned pears which I just love, because that means I can make it any time of year using canned pears and it tastes just as good. I made this last year for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit with everyone! While this recipe has a lot of steps, if you enjoy baking give this one a try!

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Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour, Plus More For Work Surface
• 1 Disk Pate Brisee
• 1 Cup Blanched Almonds
• 3/4 Cup Confectioners Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Chilled, Cut Into Small Pieces
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
• 1/2 Cup Apricot Jam
• 8 Large Canned Pear Halves, Well Drained, Patted Dry, Thinly Sliced Lengthwise – OR- 4 Fresh Pears, Peeled, Cored And Thinly Sliced Lengthwise

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 12-inch round.
3. Fit dough into a 9-inch removable bottom tart pan lifting into and pressing up sides.
4. Cut off excess dough by rolling your rolling pin across the edge of the tart pan.
5. Place prepared tart pan on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
6. In a food processor pulse almond and sugar until finely ground.
7. Add butter, egg, flour, salt and almond extract and process until well combined.
8. In the bottom of your tart shell spread 1/4 cup apricot jam.
9. Spread almond filling over; chill for 15 minutes.
10. Arrange pear slices on top in a circular pattern starting at the outside edge working your way to the center.
11. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until crust is golden brown and almond filling is puffed and set.
12. Transfer tart, being careful not to push up on the removable bottom of the tart pan, to a wire cooling rack and cool completely in the pan.
13. Once cooled, remove tart from pan.
14. Melt remaining 1/4 cup apricot jam and brush over tart.

Serves: 8-16 depending on how large or small you slice the tart.

Tags: Almond, Almonds, Autumn, Baking, Pear, Pears, Tart
Posted in Blog, Desserts, Recipes | 1 Comment »

Sprinkle ¼ cup baking soda in your drain, followed by 1 cup vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes, and then flush with a pot of boiling water. Doing this treatment to your drains once a month can help avoid major backups of clogged grease, soap, and hair which can prevent costly plumber visits.

Tags: Baking, Clogged Pipes, Frugal Living, Frugal Tip, Household Tip, Pipes, Plumbing, Vinegar
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When you open a stick of butter, toss the wrapper in a zipper freezer bag and store in the freezer. Next time you need to butter a baking dish whip out a butter wrapper from the bag and use it to butter your dish.

Tags: Baking, Butter Wrapper, Frugal Living, Frugal Tip
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