dairy-free people - best fat for baking cookies?

[wapiti]

So ds is having a dairy-free trial. I do a lot of baking. I picked up some sticks of Fleishman's unsalted (some sort of margarine? yuck), that has no whey in it. The cookies in the oven do not look right, LOL. (The batter is GF also, so this is all kinds of wrong, LOL. I tasted the batter and it isn't sitting right with me.)

 

Would it be better to clarify large amounts of butter? If I clarified a bunch of butter (aside from the obvious issue of whey contamination, but assuming that's not a problem), how would I keep it - just in a bowl-style container and measure by scooping out?

 

I'd try coconut oil if my other ds isn't allergic to coconut, though he had a positive skin test, so I don't want to mess around (even though he has eaten it without reaction; he has IgA deficiency however). I don't care for Spectrum though it's been a long time since I used it.

 

What do y'all think? I haven't tried Earth Balance sticks yet - have to go to Whole Foods for those.

 

Eta, ewww, the Fleishman's is a fail for baking cookies. As gross as Butter flavor Crisco is, at least the structure would have been right. So, tips for clarifying butter?

[ocelotmom]

Shortening?

 

I wouldn't do clarified butter during a trial so you can be sure your results are accurate and not being thrown off by contamination issues.

[stripe]

Aren't there some non-dairy margarines? In fact, I'm sure there are because people who keep kosher use them a lot. They're marked pareve.

This looks like a promising dairy-free baking site

http://www.couldntbeparve.com/

 

ETA: Ooops, I misread the original post, I thought it said the margarine had whey. Sorry.

[kewb]

I found it easier just to make chocolate chip meringue for my gluten and dairy free dh.

2 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

6 oz chocolate chips (or a bit more if you like a lot of chocolate)

 

preheat oven to 325

 

beat egg whites until stiff peaks begin to form. add sugar 2 tbl at a time, beat well after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheets.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  

 

 

I have used coconut oil and shortening as substitutes but nothing tastes or bakes like butter. 

[shukriyya]

 (The batter is GF also, so this is all kinds of wrong, LOL.

 

 

:lol:

 

Lard is tried and true for the past century...

 

1.    Many people don’t realize that lard is mostly unsaturated fat (the kind that is better for you) while butter is mostly saturated fat.

2.    Lard isn’t just any animal fat – its specific to pork. 

3.    The best-rendered lard comes from the area around the pig’s kidneys, and is termed “leaf lard.†Lard is a fat of choice because of its depth of flavor – it adds a savoryness that bakes into other ingredients making the good more complex.  

4.    Biscuits baked with lard are better.  You will always get the best flake from lard.   It’ll add an ultra tender, gentle element to biscuits, and they’ll turn out as though you made them with such care.  These won’t be crumbly. If you do like yours ultra crumbly, use butter instead.  Try with ham and mustard.

5.    Chocolate Chip Cookies made with lard are better.  It goes without saying that sweet and savory are perfect partners.  Do you add sea salt to the tops of your chocolate chip cookies?  Do you like it when the pancake levy breaks free and syrup soups around your bacon?  Try substituting half the butter in your cookie recipe with lard.  Lard will keep the cookies a bit softer and will add a depth that only a wise pig can offer.

6.    Piecrusts made with lard are better. You might’ve heard this one before, and yes, it’s true.  Pork butter bakes a beautifully constructed piecrust that’s tender and shatteringly flaky.  Make sure it’s very cold before working with it – lard tends to soften faster than butter.  The best way to cut the fat into flour is manually.  Doing your own dirty work makes a proud baker.  Oven aromas will breathe sweet, nutty whiffs. The smell is just the first inclination of difference.

 

Tip:

 

Do not buy the dusty bricks you see at the grocery store. Lard straight from a butcher is the only kind you’ll want to use in baking. The store-bought stuff houses loads of preservatives and its texture, smell, and gamey taste will not be something you want in your pastry. Hand-rendered pork fat will have a milder flavor and silkier texture (opposed to store bought kinds). You’ll want a high quality leaf lard, preferably from a heritage pig. Any reputable butcher will have some for sale and farmer’s Markets are a good place to check as well.

[ChristyB in TN]

I have used Earth Balance for years and it is great for baking. Coconut oil has worked well, too. I'm vegan and won't touch lard with a ten foot pole, dairy makes me incredibly ill. 

[Crimson Wife]

Uncooked GF batter tastes nasty- something about baking it gets rid of the metallic aftertaste that is present in the uncooked batter. So if you're going to stay GF, you'll need to say goodbye to the practice of licking the bowl. Sorry!

 

I typically use Earth Balance sticks for cookies and canola oil for cakes/brownies/etc. The texture of GFCF baked goods is different, and there is just no way around that.

[ChristyB in TN]

I have never tried the Earth Balance sticks, I'm sure they're great for baking though. 

[zoobie]

Shortening. You can buy "healthy" tubs at WF if you don't want to do Crisco.

[Nemom]

We've had great success with Fleishman's Unsalted in cookies. Sorry to hear it did not work for you.

[Dana]

Earth Balance sticks here too.

 

We have a Kroger nearby that carries them.

 

Enjoy Life does safe chocolate chips.

 

I wouldn't do clarified butter. I'd be surprised if that eliminated the milk protein.

[MyLittleWonders]

We use Earth Balance (the yellow organic tub; I've never bought the sticks) or Palm kernel shortening.

 

For the GF part, I tend to use Pamela's Products artisan flour blend (in the dark blue packaging front), King Arthur GF flour, and in an absolute pinch, Trader Joe's GF flour blend. I gave up on figuring out the chemistry myself. Pamela's also has a pretty good oatmeal cookie and chocolate chunk cookie mix for times when you want to whip up something quickly or when the kids want to bake GF/CF. (Some Pamela's Products items contain dairy so you have to read the packages carefully. Their pancake mix, which was really good, had dairy so it's no go here.)

[Harriet Vane]

Do not do clarified butter. Then it will not truly be a dairy-free trial.

[ocelotmom]

Do not buy the dusty bricks you see at the grocery store. Lard straight from a butcher is the only kind you’ll want to use in baking. The store-bought stuff houses loads of preservatives and its texture, smell, and gamey taste will not be something you want in your pastry. Hand-rendered pork fat will have a milder flavor and silkier texture (opposed to store bought kinds). You’ll want a high quality leaf lard, preferably from a heritage pig. Any reputable butcher will have some for sale and farmer’s Markets are a good place to check as well.

 

And if you can be really picky and get it from a pig that was raised with good access to the outdoors, it's also a good source of vitamin D.

[chocolatechip]

I use coconut oil. It's a little "greasier" feeling than butter, but it is healthy and works fine. It might help if you use a little less than you would butter.

 

ETA: Whoops, I missed where you said your son was allergic to coconut. :blushing: In that case I'd go with Earth Balance sticks. I'm also intrigued about what others said about lard, though. . .

[Kathy in Richmond]

Earth Balance sticks work here.

[wapiti]

I think I'll try a combination of Earth Balance sticks and shortening, next time!

[shukriyya]

And if you can be really picky and get it from a pig that was raised with good access to the outdoors, it's also a good source of vitamin D.

 

Yep, pigs are the only other creature apart from humans that can synthesize vitamin D from sunlight so the more sunlight they have access to the higher the levels of D they contain.

 

[umsami]

I've had the best success with Earth Balance.

[wapiti]

You’ll want a high quality leaf lard, preferably from a heritage pig. Any reputable butcher will have some for sale and farmer’s Markets are a good place to check as well.

 

My great-grandmother used a combination of lard and butter for cookies.  The only lard I've ever tried is the kind from the grocery store in the box and it has a yucky smell.  Does the kind from the butcher have a smell?

[shukriyya]

My great-grandmother used a combination of lard and butter for cookies.  The only lard I've ever tried is the kind from the grocery store in the box and it has a yucky smell.  Does the kind from the butcher have a smell?

 

No it doesn't. I get it from a little, local artisan store that gets their lard from local, happy pigs who can forage to their heart's content. It's a pure ivory color, smooth and tasteless. I also get duck fat from them...the best fat for making fries IMO.

[Slartibartfast]

I use earth balance for cookies. They turn out great.

[Hannahs4]

There is organic non hydrogenated shortening, and it works just like crisco.

[ElizabethB]

Spectrum organic shortening works well for me.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Organic-Shortening----24/dp/B004WOMWWE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408668405&sr=8-1&keywords=Organic+shortening

 

Many grocery stores and most health food stores carry it. It does not have a strong taste. You can melt it and then use it, or corn oil if you need a melted fat.

[Ravin]

Lard. You can get pork fat from most butcher's (including Whole Foods) for next to nothing. You can render it in a crock pot and the result is free of trans fats. (Regular store bought lard is partially hydrogenated).

[mamaraby]

I've made cookies with both the earth balance sticks and with the Spectrum palm shortening and while my family didn't notice a difference I didn't think they tasted all that great. The Spectrum was the better of the two. My favorite dairy free chocolate chip cookies are Isa's ones made with vegetable oil (PPK). I think your best bet is to look for vegan GF recipes (and there are lots out there). You can always sub eggs back in.

 

ETA: this one uses coconut oil (http://www.sarahbakesgfree.com/2014/02/the-perfect-gluten-free-vegan-chocolate.html). If you want to include an egg, drop the 1/4 c of coconut milk.

[lexi]

Uncooked GF batter tastes nasty- something about baking it gets rid of the metallic aftertaste that is present in the uncooked batter. So if you're going to stay GF, you'll need to say goodbye to the practice of licking the bowl. Sorry!

 

I typically use Earth Balance sticks for cookies and canola oil for cakes/brownies/etc. The texture of GFCF baked goods is different, and there is just no way around that.

We are GF and DF and egg free. I lick the bowl all the time. Some batters are yummy! I don't use blends with fava bean flour in it. Yucky!

 

I use Earth Balance and have had success. You can see some of our recipes on my blog Hives in the Kitchen.

 

My non allergic friends like our cookies. I don't think they taste that different.

[Ali in OR]

Lard can be hard to find, depending on where you live. I tried and failed at rendering it myself a couple of years ago. I wish I could just buy it! I've found another source for leaf lard (the fat--I have to render it) and she assures me the crockpot is the way to go, so when I have some free time (hah!) I will probably give it another go.

 

[kitten18]

No it doesn't. I get it from a little, local artisan store that gets their lard from local, happy pigs who can forage to their heart's content. It's a pure ivory color, smooth and tasteless. I also get duck fat from them...the best fat for making fries IMO.

If I could find a source like that I would use lard for nearly everything.