Tips and Featured Ingredients

Applesauce Instead of Butter and Oil

Using Applesauce as a Butter or Oil Substitute: Cupcake Project Substitution Lab Test 2

Cupcake Project Substitution Lab Test 2: Using Applesauce as a Butter or Oil Substitute Introduction / Purpose Many of you have asked me about using applesauce as a butter or oil substitute to cut …

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Mayonnaise Instead of Eggs

Cupcake Project Substitution Lab, Test 1: Using Mayonnaise as an Egg Substitute

Test 1: Using Mayonnaise as an Egg Substitute Introduction / Purpose Mayonnaise is mostly egg yolk and oil; so, despite the initial "yuck" factor, mayo is sometimes suggested as a substitution for eggs in …

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Strawberry Rhubarb Fruit Powder

How to Make Fruit Powder and Why You Should Bother

Let's start with the fruit powder basics and then we'll move on to how to make fruit powder. What is Fruit Powder? Fruit powder is dried fruit that's been finely ground. How to …

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pats of vegan butter and the remainder of the stick sitting on a white butter dish

Homemade Vegan Butter

This vegan butter looks, feels, and tastes just like the real thing! I'm not vegan, but I often bake vegan recipes (see the Related Recipes section for …

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Homemade Corn Syrup You Can Use in Place of the Store-Bought Stuff

Every time I discover a way to make a popular commercial product at home, my mind is blown. Homemade corn syrup is not something I had ever considered making, but much like homemade grenadine, …

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What is Mastic?

Mastic is a resin extracted from the trunk of the mastic tree.  The mastic drips out of the mastic tree trunk as if the tree were crying - so the resin is called …

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Hemp Seed – What You Should Know and Tips for Baking With It

Hemp seed is misunderstood. While hemp has been accepted for use as a fabric, hemp products - like hemp seed - have yet to become mainstream in our kitchens. Certain assumptions are made about …

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Don’t Throw Away Your Citrus Rinds – Dry and Save Them For Recipes That Call for Zest

Removing the rinds from citrus fruits you're juicing and preserving the rinds in powder form helps to eliminate food waste and also guarantees that you'll always have citrus flavoring on hand for recipes! …

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Watermelon Syrup and Watermelon Butter

Watermelon Jolly Ranchers do not taste like watermelon. The same applies to watermelon blow pops and watermelon licorice. To me, the flavor of these candies is as close to the taste …

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Carob Mollases

What is Carob Molasses?

I knew I wanted carob in my carob cupcakes. However, I hadn't decided on which form to use. I knew of carob powder and carob chips, but the grocery I was at only had …

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Baking with Multigrain Flour

Baking with multigrain flour wasn't something I had considered until, in 2008, I received a package as part of my share of a local combined community supported agriculture (CCSA) program I participated in. …

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Magic Bullet vs Ordinary Blender: How to Make Nut Butter

Do You Need a Magic Bullet To Make Nut Butters? Several people told me that the best way to do it was to use a Magic Bullet. Luckily, Groom 2.0 owned a Magic Bullet, …

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