Butter Substitutes

We had some discussion at church about butter substitutes, and I found a few ideas online, especially from a blog called My Year of Living on Food Storage. I recently had another discussion with someone about the subject, and had to do some digging to re-find these ideas, so I am posting the list here so I can find it again. Vicki Sisters, Shelby had asked in RS yesterday about making the butter powder into a spread. I thought I had seen info on that somewhere, so here is what I have found. Although the most common use for butter powder is in baking, it can be made into a spread. It will likely be a little "milkier" than what you are used to, but it will work. Most people recommend using 2 to 2 1/2 parts butter powder to 1 part warm water. Stir well until creamy, then chill. I did find some other suggestions on a blog called My Year of Living on Food Storage (www.eatingfoodstorage.blogspot.com) She tried several substitutes for butter. 1. 1 Tbsp. butter powder 1 scant tsp. water 1 scant tsp. veggie oil pinch of salt or pinch of sugar (she prefered the sugar) 2. Mix the powdered butter with the water, and whip in some butter flavored Crisco for flavor and texture. (She doesn't give amounts) 3. 1 lb. butter flavor Crisco 1/2 tsp. salt 1 2/3 c. evaporated milk OR sweetened condensed milk Whip the shortening and the salt until light, then add the milk a little at a time and blend well. She liked the sweetened condensed milk best, while her kids liked the evaporated milk best. She said it passed the "will it melt on toast" test. 4. Ghee (clarified butter) is available in some stores, and needs no refrigeration, although it has a fairly short shelf-life, maybe around a year. 5. There is also the commercially canned butter, such as Red Feather, although it is quite expensive, but it tastes very good, and has a shelf-life of 15 years. I have not tried any of these except the commercially canned butter, but they may give you a starting point to experiment and see what you like. I hope that helps.

Refrigerator Muffins

A friend was asking for breakfast suggestions. These muffins are the kind that you mix up the batter and keep it in the fridge for a few weeks, baking fresh muffins when you want them. You can bake a few in an oven or toaster oven, or I have had success filling cupcake papers 1/2 full of batter (I usually sit the cupcake papers in a custard cup or microwave safe muffin pan). Microwave until muffin looks dry. I can usually cook 2 for 70-80 seconds. It's a fast way to have a hot, healthy breakfast.

30 Day Bran Muffins
2 c. boiling water
2 c. 100% bran cereal (like All Bran)
1/2-1 cup butter or margarine
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 c. flour
1 Tbsp. salt
5 tsp. baking soda
4 c. bran flakes or raisin bran cereal
1 c. raisins (optional)
Pour the boiling water over the 100% bran cereal and set aside to cool. If desired, you can add a cup of raisins to the mixture to soften. Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and blend well. Stir in buttermilk alternately with dry ingredinets, then stir in bran mixture and bran flakes. Bake in muffin cups at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or til baked, or can be baked in the microwave, about 2 minutes for 6 muffins. Batter may be stored in a covered container in the fridge as long as a month. Do not stir before baking. Makes 5-6 dozen

Refrigerator Oatmeal Muffins
4 cups quick cooking rolled oats
2 1/4 cups boiling water
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (white flour may be substituted)
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking soda
1 c. raisins (optional)
Measure oats into a large bowl. Pour boiling water over oats. If desired, about 1 cup of raisins may be added. Let cool about 10 minutes. Add oil, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk. Beat vigorously about 1 minute. Stir in flours, salt, and baking soda, stirring just until blended. Put into a 12 cup container with a tight lid. Store in refrigerator 2-3 weeks. Makes about 50 muffins. To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with cupcake liners. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Or put cupcake papers in microwave save muffin pan. Fill 1/2 full. Bake in microwave about 2 minutes for 6 muffins, until mufins look dry.

Applesauce Refrigerator Muffins
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
2 cups applesauce
4 c. flour
1 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. allspice
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Cream together margarine and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in applesauce. Combine all dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in chopped nuts, if desired. Can store covered in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Bake in greased muffin pans or muffin pans lined with paper cupcake liners. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, or until browned. Or line microwave safe cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners. Fill 1/2 full of batter. Bake in microwave, about 2 minutes for 6 muffins, or until batter appears dry.

No-Bake Granola Bars

This recipe makes a yummy, chewy granola bar. My kids used to fight over them, LOL! Very easy, popular, and uses some of your food storage staples.

No-Bake Granola Bars
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup coconut (optional)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)
In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Press into a 9" square pan lined with waxed paper. Cool, then cut into 20 bars. Original recipe is from Pillsbury, found in an old newspaper clipping.

Rice-a-Noodles Mix

This is a very inexpensive way to have a rice mix handy, and rotate some of your long-term storage. And it is yummy!

Rice-a-Noodles Mix
For each recipe, use 1 medium and 1 small plastic bag.
In medium bag, put:
1 cup rice
2 oz. vermicelli or spaghetti, broken into 1" pieces (about 1/2 cup of pieces)
In small bag, put:
2 Tbsp. dry onion
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. bouillon granules
To cook:
Put 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine in a pan. Add medium bag (rice and noodles). Saute until lightly browned. Add 2 1/2 cups water and small bag (bouillon mix). Cover and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes or until moisture is absorbed and rice is tender.

Cherry Dump Pudding

Spring is finally here! Soon we will have lots of yummy fresh fruit available. This recipe works well with many different kinds of fruit, just adjust the amount of sugar according to the sweetness of the fruit. This is also an excellent way to use home bottled fruits. With some fruits, I also add a little cinnamon. This is one of the few recipes that works equally well with whole wheat flour or white flour, without any adjustments. The recipe came from a church cookbook in Greeley, Colorado, and has been a family favorite for years. My youngest son loves this made with peaches.

Cherry Dump Pudding
1 cup flour (wheat, white, or a combination)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pitted, tart cherries, or other fruit as desired
1 cup hot water or cherry juice
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and 1/2 cup sugar. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat vigorously with a spoon or mixer. Pour into a greased 8" square pan. Cover with the cherries, then sprinkle with the 1/4-1/2 cup sugar. (If I am using cinnamon, this is where I add it, maybe 1/2-1 tsp.) Over this pour the hot liquid. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm, plain or with whipped cream, cream, or ice cream. Other fruits, such as peaches with a bit of cinnamon, also work well. Adjust amount of sugar to sweetness of fruit.

Ready, Set, Go!

I wanted to start this blog, because I occasionally teach food storage classes, and it drives me nuts trying to decide which recipes to share in a handout. I would really like to write a book-length handout, but that is generally not feasible, so I decided that if I had a blog, I could share all the recipes I want, and you folks can print out the ones you are interested in. I recently did a class for my cousin Eve's LDS ward, and here are the few recipes I gave to them in the handout. I will gradually add more recipes that use food storage ingredients.

The bread recipe is the one I make all the time. If you use white wheat, it will have a milder taste. Most people prefer the white wheat, although I know people who prefer the taste of the red wheat; either one will work fine. And if you have no wheat grinder, try the Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes. That is a great recipe that starts with whole wheat kernels (wheat berries). And no, it won't damage your blender. The egg substitutes I gave you because basic food storage recipes depend on a lot of baking. Most of my recipes call for eggs, and eggs are perishable. You can buy dried eggs, but they don't have a terribly long storage life, and I hate how they smell anyway. These substitutions are cheap, and pretty easy, and will give you a lot more variety from your food storage.
Enjoy!
Vicki


Vicki’s Whole Wheat Bread
2 ½ cups very warm tap water
3 Tbsp. oil
1/3 to ½ cup honey or brown sugar
1 egg (optional)
½ Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. gluten flour (vital wheat gluten) (optional)
1 Tbsp. bottled lemon juice or vinegar (optional, acts as a dough conditioner)
Whole wheat flour (usually around 8 cups)
Mix everything but the flour. Add about 5 cups of flour, and mix well. Add more flour until an oiled finger can touch the dough without sticking. Moister dough makes better bread, don’t add too much flour. Whole wheat flour continues to absorb moisture as it sits. Knead with bread mixer 7-10 minutes, or by hand 10-15 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove dough hook, let raise 25 minutes. If you are in a hurry, you can skip this raising. Oil cutting board or clean counter, and hands. Turn dough onto board, shape into 5 small loaves (2 ¾” x 5 ½”) or 2 large loaves (4 ½” x 8 ½”). Raise 25-45 minutes (freshly ground flour is warm and raises faster ). Put in cold oven, turn oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes
1 cup wheat kernels, uncooked
1 cup milk, or water and add 4 Tbsp. non-instant dry milk
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. oil
Combine wheat and milk in a blender. Blend on high for about 5 minutes. At first it will sound like popping corn, and gradually the popping sound will diminish. Mixture should be smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend. Cook on hot griddle. Serve with favorite topping.

Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cup boiling water
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (optional)
1 cup sugar
2 cups instant or 1 cup non-instant dry milk
Blend very well in blender. May be stored in refrigerator up to 2 weeks or frozen. 1 ¼ cups equals a can of sweetened condensed milk.

Egg Substitutes for use in baking
Before starting recipe for cookies, cake, etc., combine 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin with 3 Tbsp. cold water and 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. boiling water. Allow to stand while preparing other ingredients. This mixture will substitute for 1 egg in a recipe.
or
1 Tbsp. soy flour plus 3 Tbsp. water
Or
1 Tbsp. ground flax seed and 3 Tbsp. water blended together