Substitute Baking Ingredients

Some of us have a unique need on baking ingredients, such as a moslem can't consume cream of tar tar, alcohol, pig contain ingredients or a gluten free person (such as autistic person, gluten allergenic, etc) can't consume wheat flour, or even for health reason (diabetes, cholesterol, heart attack, hypertension, etc)...So in this blog, I decide to make substitute summaries for a few ingridients...hopefully could help you all:

Cream Of Tar Tar (COTT)
Known as Potassium bitartrate crystallize in wine casks during the fermentation on grape juice and can precipitate out of wine in bottles. This may be the reason why its prohibitted for moslem. Cream of tartar is natural, and is formed from the sediment left over in barrels after the winemaking process. They’ve found cream of tartar in ancient pottery dating back 7000 years

1. Cream of tartar has multiple uses in food preparation including stabilizing egg whites by increasing their heat tolerance and volume; preventing sugary syrups from crystalling; preventing chocolates and candies from crystallizing; reducing discolouration of boiled vegetables
2. Additionally COTT is used as a component of baking powder, as an acid ingredient to activate baking soda (homemade baking powder can be made by combining baking soda and cream of tartar as the active acid ingredient).
3. If you use whipping cream and want to stabilize it, add some cream of tartar after whipping.
4. COTT has an extremely high potassium content – 495 mg per teaspoon. Our daily requirement for potassium is 3500 mg. This is a risk for people with kidney disease or folks that take medication that decreases the ability of their kidneys to excrete potassium. Keep in mind however that cream of tartar is usually used in tiny amounts.
5. COTT has laxative effect. Again, a non-issue for most people due to the tiny amounts used in food. You’ll be more likely to experience laxative effects from a stick of gum sweetened with sugar alcohol, or eating an emergy bar pumped with inulin for extra fiber.

So considering your health use cream of tartar in the small quantities intended.

You can substitute COTT with:

• An equal amount of lemon juice or vinegar. The amount for substitution should measure about 1/8 teaspoon per egg white.
• Sweeten if needed. You may like to add a little sugar, but you don't have to. 
• Beat the egg whites correctly...soft peak / hard peak. Just make sure you beat the egg 
  whites thoroughly to create the wispy, frothy and airy texture needed for the recipe.
• Prevent candy crystalling you can use gliserin a little bit

Alcoholic Ingredients

Brandy, you can use viscous cherry syrup or cherry jam; water+white grape juices+apple juices dissolve with peach/apricot syrups

Vodka, you can use apple juices or grape juices add with a little lime juice

Bourbon, subtitute with 1.5 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract non alcohol, cranberry juices or grape juices

Cointreau, subtitute with orange juice or frozen orange juice concentrate

Coffee Liqueur, substitute 2 tablespoon CL with 0.5-1 teaspoons chocolate extract + 1 teaspoon instan coffee + 2 tablespoon water. Or exchange with expresso, coffee syrup, non alcoholic coffee extract

Cognac, substitute with peach juice, apricot juices or pear juices

Creme de Menthe, substitute with spearmint extract/oil spearmint dissolve with water/ grape juices

Grand Marnier or Orange-Flavored Liqueur, substitute unsweetened orange juice concentrate atau orange juice. (Substitute 2 tsp unsweetened orange juice concentrate or 2 tbs orange juice dan 1/2 tsp orange extract for 2 tbs Grand Marnier)

Kahlua, substitute with coffee or chocolate liquid (2 tbs kahlua = 1/2-1 tsp chocolate extract or instan coffee with 2 tbs water)

Kirsch, substitute with cherry cider/black cherry/raspberry,grape juice or syrup. Substitute same amount of liquid as mention for in the recipe

Rhum, substitute with white grape juice, pineapple juice, cider apple or almond syrup

Sake, substitute with rice vinegar

Vodka, substitute with white grape juice or apple cider mix with lime juice/water