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Post by mandie68 on Mar 18, 2012 23:43:49 GMT -5
• Fats and Oils They get a bad rap these days, but good fats are essential for our bodies and for successful baking. Here are the ones in my pantry: • Buttery Spread: Try buttery-flavored Earth Balance, my favorite; it comes in soy and soy-free versions. • Canola Oil: A light, mild-flavored oil from the canola plant (originally called rapeseed); good for frying, sautéing, baking, and salad dressings. Note: If using canola, which contains no salt, to replace salted butter or buttery spread, which does, make sure to increase the salt in the recipe a little bit to compensate. • Coconut Oil: Good in baking; use refined for less coconut flavor. • Grapeseed Oil: From grapeseeds; it has a clean, light taste and color. • Olive Oil: Use extra-virgin for salad dressings and drizzling; virgin works well for baking. • Nut Oils: Though a bit more expensive, almond, hazelnut, and walnut oils are good to have on hand. • Shortening: Choose non-hydrogenated versions made from soy or palm oil. For most baking, I prefer greasing pans with shortening rather than cooking spray because the spray often creates pools of moisture that can contribute to sogginess. I also prefer shortening to cooking spray for greasing pizza pans because shortening holds the dough in place as I press it onto the pan.
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