3
Cow’s milk is another staple of the American diet. Cereal and milk are served at most breakfast tables. That standard school cafeteria lunch—the one that caused my son’s distress in elementary school—comes with milk. Almost all baked goods contain—you guessed it—milk. If you suffer from multiple food allergies, the problem is compounded. The most common replacement for cow’s milk is soy milk, but that’s not an option for those with a soy allergy. Soy milk is also used in some dairy-free baked goods, but less so in recent years as more alternatives to milk have become available and more food vendors aim to eliminate the top allergens from their products. You can also find non-dairy milk made from nuts (including almonds and hazelnuts), but these aren’t options for those allergic to tree nuts. Even with cow’s milk, soy milk, and nut milks off the table, there are still plenty of non-dairy milk alternatives readily available at your local store.
Most grocery stores have a few shelves dedicated to milk alternatives. Many of the non-dairy milks can be found on a non-refrigerated shelf where you would also find the soy milk. They may be near the breakfast cereals, the baking aisle, or—if your grocery store has a health food or specialty food section—you might find them there. And you might be surprised to see all of the choices you have!
Technically, milk is produced by mammals (including humans, horses, cows, and goats), and while that would make the products I am about to discuss “alternatives to milk” or “milk substitutes,” for simplicity I will refer to them simply as milk(s). These milks are actually made from seeds or grains, which are soaked in water, then pressed and strained to extract the milk. It’s a bit like the process used to create wine from grapes (but without the fermentation and aging). In fact, it’s quite possible (but time-consuming) to make your own milk from seeds and grains.
One big advantage to non-dairy milks is the packaging. They are typically sold in unrefrigerated boxed containers, just as you would find many brands of soy milk or the stock you buy for making soup. A quart-size (32-ounce) non-dairy beverage usually comes in a 7¾ by 3½ by 2¼-inch container. The aseptic packaging techniques allow the milk to remain shelf-stable without refrigeration—and without artificial preservatives. The cartons are easy to store and their shelf life is up to a year. They should be refrigerated once opened, and most will keep for up to ten days in the refrigerator (or even longer). If you use your favorite non-dairy milk on a daily basis, it’s unlikely that you will need to toss it because it has spoiled. Be sure to check the expiration date before you buy.
While you may be longing for something that tastes just like cow’s milk, you won’t find exactly that. Each non-dairy milk has a unique flavor. Most don’t look like cow’s milk, either, but you’ll soon forget that when you start to think of them as a great addition to an allergen-free diet, providing high-quality nutrients and calories. We’ll explore some of the choices you have in more detail below, but first, let’s take a closer look at cow’s milk.
Cow’s milk consists of fat (butterfat), sugar (lactose), and proteins. The two proteins in cow’s milk—casein and whey—are most often responsible for milk allergies. In fact, it is nearly always the proteins in food that trigger allergic reactions. While we commonly consume cow’s milk in its whole form, it is often broken down into components when added to processed food. If you have a milk allergy, you need to steer clear of casein and whey. These ingredients are commonly used in baking mixes, protein shakes, energy bars, and more. As discussed in chapter 1, thanks to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, food labels must now also contain the word milk when the product contains any milk ingredient (see reading labels).
So what about Lactaid, a milk that was developed for the lactose-intolerant? Those of us who are lactose intolerant have an inability to digest the lactose (the sugar) in milk; our bodies lack the enzyme lactase that is required to break down the sugar. Lactaid brand milk (usually found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, next to the cow’s milk) has the lactase enzyme added. That’s great if you only suffer from lactose intolerance, but this milk contains all of the same proteins that cause food allergies and is not an option for those allergic to milk.
Keep in mind that all forms of cow’s milk—reduced-fat milk, low-fat milk, powdered milk, condensed milk, organic milk, raw milk—are still milk, and are not options for the milk-allergic.
You may be tempted to turn to goat’s milk as an alternative to cow’s milk. Here’s what you need to know: The proteins in milk from goats are very similar to the proteins in cow’s milk that cause allergic reactions; clinical studies have shown that up to 92 percent of those allergic to cow’s milk are also allergic to goat’s milk.13 Consult your doctor if you want to try goat’s milk.
Substituting for cow’s milk when baking is simple. With all of the milks discussed here, you will replace cup for cup; if a traditional recipe calls for 1 cup of milk, you may substitute 1 cup of any non-dairy, non-soy, nut-free milk. It’s important to consider the role that milk ingredients play in baking. First and foremost, milk provides liquid to mix with dry ingredients and helps hold your baked goods together. Milk also provides nutrients and taste, which will vary depending on the non-dairy milk you choose. Here are some of the options you have:
Rice milk: Rice milk is the most widely available of the non-dairy and non-soy milk alternatives. It is made from rice grains (usually brown rice) and comes in a variety of flavors. The most popular and widely available rice milk brands include Rice Dream from Imagine Foods (part of the Hain Celestial Group) and Rice non-dairy beverage from Pacific Natural Foods.
Rice Dream milks are available in original (think of this as plain versus flavored), vanilla, and chocolate, as well as a couple of exotic flavors including horchata and carob. In the refrigerated section of the grocery store you will also find Rice Dream milks that are essentially the same as their non-refrigerated cousins—the difference is the packaging. The refrigerated versions come in a traditional milk carton, and stay fresh unopened for forty-five days.
Pacific Natural Foods Rice milks come in low-fat plain and low-fat vanilla varieties. While Pacific Natural Foods calls their product low-fat, most rice milks have a relatively low fat content (between 2 and 3 grams per serving). Both Pacific Natural Foods and Rice Dream’s rice milk products are gluten-free, but you should be aware that most companies that make rice milk also make soy milk, including these two. Always read the label and check with the food vendor for their most recent allergen statement to determine if the product is right for you.
So what does rice milk taste like? Plain rice milk has a light, sweet taste, with a smooth consistency that closely resembles that of cow’s milk. Due to its mild taste, rice milk is very versatile and can easily be substituted for cow’s milk in recipes. The flavored varieties take on the flavor of their name—for example, chocolate rice milk has a chocolate taste. The flavored milks also pack more calories and sugar.
While the calorie content of rice milk and most of the other milks discussed here is similar to that of cow’s milk, the milks vary considerably in nutritional makeup. Rice milk is high in carbohydrates—not surprisingly, as rice is indeed a grain. While the nutritional content of rice milks vary little from vendor to vendor, the newest formulas of these rice milks are enriched with vitamins and minerals. When cow’s milk is eliminated from your diet, your first concern (and rightly so) might be how to get enough calcium and vitamin D. Added calcium and vitamins in some of the enriched versions of these rice milks give them a vitamin profile similar to that of cow’s milk.
Hemp milk: When I suggest to food-allergic families that they try hemp milk, I often get a funny look, and a question like, “What? Hemp? Isn’t hemp the same thing as marijuana?” The answer is no; while both marijuana and hemp are from the same plant genus (Cannabis), marijuana and hemp come from different varieties, with some significant differences. The leaves of the marijuana plant contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive ingredient. But hemp has a very different profile—low in THC and high in cannabidiol (CBD), an antipsychoactive ingredient. Furthermore, hemp milk is made from the seeds of the plant, which contain no THC.
So, why the confusion? The United States Drug Enforcement Agency doesn’t distinguish between varieties of the Cannabis plant. When the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 made it illegal to grow marijuana, growing hemp in the United States was also banned. But hemp is grown (legally) in Canada and most industrialized nations, and it is legal to purchase hemp in the United States. Organizations (including the North American Industrial Hemp Council and Vote Hemp) are working to legalize the production of hemp in the United States. Interestingly, despite the controversy and confusion surrounding it, hemp could be considered a wonder crop: It is an extremely hardy plant, requiring no pesticides or fertilizer and very little water to thrive, and hemp seeds offer terrific nutritional benefits, as you will soon see. I am optimistic that we may see hemp farming legalized in the United States within the next few years; every two years since 2007, Representative Ron Paul has introduced or reintroduced the Industrial Hemp Farming Act,14 which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana.
While hemp is sometimes called a nut and has a rich nutty taste, it’s not a nut; hemp is a seed. Best of all, the seeds have not been known to produce allergic reactions, and the milk formulas are free of all common allergens. Under the brand name Tempt, Living Harvest Foods offers original (plain), vanilla, chocolate, and unsweetened varieties of hemp milk. Manitoba Harvest also offers hemp milk under the brand name Hemp Bliss. Similar to Living Harvest, it comes in original, vanilla, chocolate, and unsweetened varieties. The vanilla and chocolate varieties take on those flavors. These two brands are dedicated to hemp products, making them an ideal choice for those concerned about cross-contamination.
Imagine Foods, which makes the Rice Dream milks discussed earlier, also markets hemp milk under the brand name Hemp Dream. Pacific Natural Foods offers hemp milk in original and vanilla flavors. Manitoba Harvest is a Canadian company, while Living Harvest, Imagine Foods, and Pacific Natural Foods are based in the United States and import hemp seeds from Canada.
One of the reasons hemp milk is a favorite in my family is its nutritional content. Hemp milk is a great source of protein. Because it is a natural source of calcium and vitamins, including vitamin D, it is an ideal alternative to cow’s milk. And it’s a great natural source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids—something none of the other non-dairy milks can claim. Ninety-two percent of the fat content in Tempt hemp milk is omega essential fatty acids and one serving provides 50 percent of your estimated daily value of omega-3 EFAs. Until recently, hemp milk was much more expensive that other non-dairy milks, but costs have come down in the past couple of years.
If you flipped ahead and took a look at the recipes I have created for you, you will have seen that hemp milk is one of my favorites for baking. I love the richness of the milk, and find that the taste complements most baked goods. While I favor original hemp milk for most recipes, I usually choose chocolate hemp milk for chocolate baking recipes.
Coconut milk: As discussed earlier (and despite its misleading name), coconut is not a nut, and most who are allergic to tree nuts will not need to avoid it. (Always check with your doctor, however.) Furthermore, coconuts are rarely processed in the same facilities as milk or soy products are, and coconut is naturally gluten-free. That makes coconut milk another fabulous option for replacing cow’s milk when baking.
There are two different types of coconut milk that you should be aware of. The first is the traditional coconut milk that has been on the grocery store shelves for years. This milk usually comes in a 13- to 14-ounce can, and is often found in the Asian foods or specialty foods section of the store. It is used frequently in Southeast Asian cuisine, but if you’re not a fan of Thai food you may not be familiar with it. Coconut milk in the can is as close to pure coconut milk as you can get; ingredients usually include coconut milk, water, and guar gum. This is very rich milk, and has the fat content to prove it; one cup of coconut milk can contain as much as 42 grams of fat—yikes! But one small can of coconut milk goes a long way. High-quality coconut milk will have a layer of cream on top; I suggest skimming off the cream and reserving it for making Whipped Coconut Cream. What’s left can be mixed with water (1 to 1) to make a lighter version of coconut milk. If you choose to use the coconut milk in its richest form, be sure to mix it well.
There are also “light” versions of coconut milk in the can that more closely resemble the “coconut milk beverages” that have recently hit the grocery store shelves. These lighter beverages start with the same coconut milk you find in the can, with added water, sweeteners, and vitamins. They also contain considerably less fat—approximately 5 grams per cup. One such beverage is Turtle Mountain So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage; it’s dairy-free and comes in original, unsweetened, and vanilla flavors in refrigerated containers, and more varieties (including chocolate) in shelf-stable containers. The latter can usually be found next to the hemp milk and rice milk. Both types of coconut milk are great options for baking.
Oat milk: As discussed earlier, while oats are gluten-free (and oats are not wheat), the processes used to manufacture oats lend themselves to cross-contamination. Oats are frequently manufactured on the same equipment and in the same facilities as wheat. Although gluten-free oats can now be found on the market, as of the writing of this book, there is no widely available gluten-free oat milk. If someone in your family is allergic to wheat or is gluten-intolerant, then oat milk is not the right choice for you today, but I am confident that we will see gluten-free oat milk for sale over time.
Oat milk has a full body and a thick appearance, and is a little bit sweet. Unlike rice milk, which is white in color, oat milk has a bit of a tan or beige hue to it. The same is true for hemp milk, but don’t worry; these milks simply take on the natural color of the grains or seeds used to produce them.
Pacific Natural Foods’ oat milk is widely available in stores in the United States, in both plain and vanilla varieties. Like rice milk, oat milk is high in carbohydrates, but is also a good source of protein. Like Rice Dream, Pacific Foods’ product is fortified with calcium and vitamins to mimic the nutritional qualities of cow’s milk.
You may find great uses for all of these milks, or you may choose to stock your pantry with just a couple of favorites. In either case, I recommend trying a few different options to see what works for your family. Because they don’t spoil quickly when unopened, it’s practical to keep a variety of non-dairy milks on hand. Also keep in mind that all of these milks have a tendency to separate. Always shake them well before using.
When I’m creating recipes, I usually opt for hemp milk or coconut milk beverage. While each has a unique taste, I find that can work to my advantage. I love the taste of coconut paired with banana (see Banana Bread), or hemp paired with chocolate (see Triple-Play Chocolate Cake). If you prefer a milder taste, you may be more comfortable with rice milk. Feel free to substitute any milk that is safe for your family for the milks used in the recipes in this book. While your choice of milk will change the flavor of your baked goods, it will have little impact on the texture of your muffins or cakes.
There’s one more option we should discuss for replacing cow’s milk: water. Water can be substituted 1 to 1 for cow’s milk, just like the non-dairy milks discussed here. That’s right—while water doesn’t provide any additional nutritional value or flavor, it will perform the most important function that milk provides when baking: It brings structure to the baked goods by holding ingredients together. Keep in mind that most of the liquid will evaporate during baking.
When most of us think of milk, we think of the milk we put on our cereal, drink with dinner, and, yes, use in baking. But milk is much more than that. Butter is milk. Cream, cheeses of all types, and cream cheese are milk. Buttermilk, sour cream, and most yogurts are milk. Nearly all margarines contain milk, in addition to other fats. While we commonly refer to all of these products within the milk family as dairy, the term dairy creates its own confusion. There are some who believe that eggs are dairy, while most definitions of the word dairy do not include eggs. Conversely, others don’t recognize that milk or dairy also includes butter, cheese, and cream. In fact, confusion over what is milk and what is dairy is so common that my food-allergic son and I routinely list butter and cheese (in addition to milk) in reciting my son’s food allergies when eating out. This extra caution helps to ensure that a chef doesn’t slather a steak with butter, even though he was notified of a milk allergy.
While the term milk is listed by the FDA as a top food allergen, and must be clearly called out on food labels (see reading labels), there is no regulated use of the terms dairy or dairy-free. Even those with the best intentions can be thrown off by them. Recently at a restaurant, after being notified of my son’s allergies to wheat, milk, and eggs, the waiter served my son a roll and assured us it was safe for him. Being a baker, I took one look at the roll and recognized that it must have been made with eggs. After rechecking ingredients, the chef found that the roll, while wheat-free and milk-free, was made with eggs. His confusion was that the bakery down the street (where the rolls were made) labeled them gluten-free and dairy-free. Mistakenly believing that dairy included eggs, he sent the roll out to the table. The crisis was averted, but we learned an important lesson: You can never be too clear or ask too many questions.
Most often you’ll just need to replace milk in your recipes, but some recipes require other milk ingredients and you will need options for replacing them, too. Let’s take a look at buttermilk, yogurt, and creams.
Traditional buttermilk is the slightly soured milk that is left after butter has been churned from milk. It is used in baking to bring a tangy taste to a pastry or bread. The taste of buttermilk is easy to simulate with non-dairy milk by adding an acid. To create one cup of non-dairy buttermilk, start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon of apple cider or rice vinegar). Fill the remainder of the measuring cup with your choice of non-dairy milk, and mix well.
While buttermilk brings a unique taste to baked goods, when replacing creams and yogurt, there is yet another factor to consider—texture. If you substitute milk for cream, you will have a thinner batter and a lighter taste. When making cakes, muffins, and quick breads, you can compensate for this by baking them longer, but there are better options. Let’s explore coconut cream.
So Delicious, discussed earlier, also makes a coconut milk creamer. This is a thickened version of the brand’s coconut beverage, intended to replace the milk-based cream you would use in your coffee. It does a great job for that purpose and for replacing cream while baking. Substitute it 1 to 1 as a replacement in your recipes. Note that this non-dairy creamer is not suitable to make whipped cream.
Pure coconut cream is the only real choice I have found when it comes to making whipped cream. That’s where we turn to canned coconut milk. You’ll be using the cream that you skimmed off the top of the coconut milk to make whipped cream, but first take a look at the nutrition label on your can of coconut milk. Coconut milks have different amounts of coconut and water. Some canned coconut milks that are labeled “coconut cream” have no more cream in them than do the cans labeled “coconut milk.” When making whipped cream, look for coconut milk that has a high fat content; choose a product where coconut milk (rather than water) is the first ingredient, and avoid products that are labeled “light,” “lite,” or “low-fat.” If you’ve already skimmed off the cream from the coconut milk, refrigerate it overnight; otherwise refrigerate the entire can of coconut milk overnight. Freeze or refrigerate the mixing bowl for at least an hour prior to whipping the cream.
The process you use to make whipped cream from coconut cream is very similar to that of making traditional whipped cream, but the whipping time will be much shorter, and instead of thickening as you whip longer, coconut cream will break down if you whip it too long. This is the only recipe in this book where you should use an attachment other than the beater blade on your stand mixer. Follow this simple recipe for making whipped coconut cream:
Whipped Coconut Cream
Makes about 1½ cups of whipped cream
1 (14-ounce) can whole-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
Drain the coconut milk from the bottom of the can (the cream will have risen to the top). Save the coconut milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a later baking project. Scoop the cream into a chilled mixing bowl. Use the whipping attachment on your mixer, and mix on low for about 10 seconds to soften the cream. Turn the mixer up to high, and whip for about 20 seconds, until the cream is fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and whip for about 20 seconds longer. Refrigerate and use within 24 hours.
Try this whipped cream with Eggless Chocolate Mousse.
Traditional sour cream and yogurt are similar in that they are both fermented versions of cow’s cream or milk, with the sour cream having a higher fat content. When yogurt or sour cream is used in a baking recipe, it is usually to provide some thickness (as well as nutrients) to the product. The best non-dairy non-soy yogurt I have found is once again So Delicious, from Turtle Mountain; this company’s plain (no flavor added) yogurt can be substituted 1 to 1 in recipes calling for dairy yogurt. Coconut milk yogurt can also be used to replace sour cream, but if you want to keep the same consistency, mix 1 part coconut cream (the skimmed-off cream from a can of coconut milk) to 3 parts coconut yogurt.
Another option to replace either yogurt or sour cream in recipes is a blend of non-dairy milk with applesauce. (See more on applesauce and how to make your own.) I like to mix 1 part original hemp milk with 1 part unsweetened applesauce. The result is thickened milk with a denser consistency than the milk alone.
Nearly all traditional baking recipes use some type of fat, and most of the time those fats will be in the form of oil, butter, or margarine. Let’s talk about oils first. As I mentioned in chapter 1, highly refined oils are exempt from food-allergen labeling laws. Oils derived from common food allergens include nut oils and soybean oil. The key question is, are they safe to consume if you have a food allergy?
Most food allergies are to the proteins in the food. Refined oils have been processed so that impurities (including the protein) have been removed and just the fat remains. Reactions to the non-protein components in food are more commonly associated with intolerances (e.g., lactose intolerance to milk). However, if you are concerned or your doctor has told you to avoid a particular oil, then you must avoid that oil. Choose an appropriate substitute from the options below. While oils do provide taste, any oil can be substituted 1 to 1 in recipes.
What about peanut oil? The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) notes that studies have shown that most allergic individuals can safely eat (highly refined) peanut oil,15 and a 2008 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry16 supports that. No proteins were detected in the refined oils they studied (including soy and peanut oil). The researchers did find protein content in some of the unrefined oils. Nevertheless, peanut oil remains controversial—I believe that is because allergic reactions to peanut tend to be severe and not all peanut oils are highly refined. For that reason, I recommend avoiding peanut oil if you have a peanut allergy. In my own home (with allergies to peanut and soy) we avoid peanut oil, but have deemed soybean oil okay when it’s included in a list of product ingredients.
When baking, the best choice, of course, is to choose an oil that doesn’t require you to question whether there’s a chance of an allergic reaction. My favorites, which you will see used in my recipes, include:
Grapeseed oil: Grapeseed oil does indeed come from grapes; it’s a by-product of the winemaking process. While it’s not great for cooking due to a low smoke point, it has a nice light taste, and complements most baked goods.
Sunflower oil: Extracted from the sunflower, this oil has a slightly nutty taste.
Safflower oil: Safflower oil comes from the safflower plant, and is essentially flavorless.
Hemp seed oil: From my favorite crop—hemp, of course. This oil with a nutty taste has the added benefit of being a great source of omega 3 and 6, but it is harder to find, and can be pricey. If you can get your hands on some, I recommend trying it as a substitute in any of the recipes.
All four of these oils are low in saturated fat and trans fat. All of these oils are great choices when baking.
One more healthy oil is occasionally used in the recipes in this book: olive oil, which, of course, comes from olives. In baking, I reserve this oil for use with some breads, where the taste of the oil will provide a benefit. If you are avoiding saturated fats, substitute one of the four previously mentioned oils.
You may notice that my recipes do not use canola oil. Canola oil, also known as rapeseed oil (not to be confused with grapeseed oil), comes from a pretty yellow flowering plant called rapeseed. Most canola oil comes from crops that have been grown in the northern United States and Canada from genetically modified seeds. It is simply my choice to use non-GMO products when I can. If you prefer canola oil, however, it can be substituted 1 to 1 in any of these recipes.
Another consideration when choosing oil is the method used to extract the oil from the seed, flower, or fruit. If you are using oil from a food source that could be an allergen (such as soy), you already know that you must choose a highly refined oil, but many methods are used to refine the oil. It’s common to find oils that have been chemically extracted, using a solvent such as hexane, which is evaporated during the cleaning process prior to packaging for sale. Many companies are now turning to expeller pressing—extracting the oil mechanically, using a machine press—to make their oil products. The yield from expeller-pressed oils is lower, making these oils more expensive for you and me. However, these highly refined oils are considered high quality, and I opt for them when I can.
While there are no standards in the United States around the use of the following term, oils that are labeled “cold-pressed” are most likely unrefined oils.
I also use coconut oil and palm oil when baking, most frequently in place of butter or shortening. Which brings us to the next topic.
Butter, butter, butter. It’s not just Julia Child who favored butter in her cookies; top bakers across the world use butter liberally, especially in crusts and doughs. Because of its appealing taste and ability to be cut into flour, butter does the job extremely well, but it is a solid form of milk and clearly not an option for the milk-allergic. Replacing butter is one of the most difficult tasks for an allergen-free baker, second only to replacing eggs. The most important factor to consider when replacing butter is form; the challenge is to find a product that is solid when chilled (and remains solid at room temperature), and tastes great. Butter substitutes will not taste like butter any more than milk substitutes taste like cow’s milk, but the right choice can definitely enhance the flavor of your pie crust. Shortening is what we will turn to most often to replace butter.
What exactly is shortening? The term is used to describe any combination of fats or oils used to make a crust or dough. The generic term includes margarine, but most margarines include milk products (e.g., whey and buttermilk), so let’s turn our focus to oil-based shortenings. When using a single oil, you can pick the one that’s right for you. When choosing a shortening to replace butter you’re often buying packaged products that use a combination of oils, and one of the most common oils in non-dairy shortening is soybean oil. If you and your doctor agree that soybean oil is safe for you, you will have more options to choose from. If it’s not for you, don’t fret—there are still great products that you can use. Note that the first two options below contain soybean oil:
Earth Balance Natural Shortening: This shortening is vegan, made from expeller-pressed non-GMO oils, and comes in stick form. It is a blend of palm fruit, soybean, canola, and olive oils. After trying many options for replacing butter, this is my top choice for baking; it holds its form even in warm temperatures, making it a perfect choice for cutting into dough. Note that Earth Balance makes a variety of shortenings. Don’t confuse this product with Earth Balance Natural Buttery Sticks; the buttery sticks contain soy protein, and are not acceptable for the soy-allergic.
Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening: Yes, this is the stuff in the blue can that you may have remembered your parents or grandparents using (and yes, it is still available at the grocery store). It’s made from soybean and palm oils and is another choice to replace butter.
Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening: While the name of this product would lead you to believe that it’s a combination of oils, this shortening contains only one ingredient—palm oil. Palm oil (sometimes referred to as palm fruit oil) comes from the fruit of the palm tree. This product is unusual because it’s one of the few shortenings sold in a tub that truly remains solid. Palm oil needs very high temperatures (around 95°F) to melt, which is one reason why it’s included in so many margarines, and why it’s a good choice for replacing butter or other shortening when baking. A frosting made with palm oil will not need to be refrigerated, and (short of the warmest climates and record-breaking temperature days) a cake frosted with a palm oil–based frosting will be able to sit out at the family picnic. If you require a shortening without soybean oil, this is a great choice.
Earth Balance Soy Free Natural Buttery Spread: While I am not a fan of most products labeled “spreads,” this is one I wanted to mention because it contains no soy fats (oils), in addition to no soy proteins. This product contains palm fruit, canola, safflower, and olive oils. It also contains a number of other ingredients, including pea protein (an uncommon allergen), and flavor derived from corn (another potential allergen). Some allergen-free bakers tout this as a soy-free alternative to the Earth Balance Natural Buttery Sticks, but I find that it softens quickly, making it difficult to work with when preparing crusts and doughs. If you choose to use this product (or need to, so as to avoid soybean oil), I recommend keeping it refrigerated as long as possible, and freeze (rather than refrigerate) your dough before rolling it out.
Coconut oil: I have been using many of the products in this book for ten years or more, but coconut oil is a recent discovery for me, and I am fascinated by it. As more coconut products have appeared on the market catering to the vegan community, those of us in the allergen-free community have benefited as well. In the past two years I have experimented with coconut oil, and have been delighted with the results. Unlike the shortenings we have discussed so far, which are mostly tasteless, unrefined coconut oil has a distinctive odor and flavor that lets you know it is coconut. Refined coconut oils are sometimes considered odorless or unscented; in my experience there is no such thing as a truly unscented coconut oil, but the highly refined versions will have a milder taste than the unrefined ones do. Both can work equally well when baking. The reason you can use coconut oil as a shortening is that it remains solid to 76°F. If you live in Arizona, your coconut oil may always be liquid. In the northeastern United States, where I live, my coconut oil is solid most of the year. If coconut oil melts, refrigerate it to bring it back to a solid. If you’re making pies on a warm day, keep the coconut oil in the fridge until you are ready to use it, and double the chilling time before rolling out your crust.
Notice that I have made a distinction between shortening and oil based on the form the product holds at room temperature: Oils are liquids at room temperature, whereas shortenings are solids. When you choose oil or shortening, consider what you plan to use the product for. If you intend to melt shortening to make cupcakes, you are using it as an oil. When you use palm or coconut oil to make cookies, you are using it as a shortening; the same recipe made with liquid oil will result in dough that doesn’t hold together. When modifying recipes, you may replace oil with a melted shortening, but not vice versa.
In my recipes, I most frequently use Earth Balance Natural Shortening and coconut oil where butter would be used in traditional recipes.
I have highlighted just a few products here, but there are dozens of shortenings you can choose from. These can be substituted 1 to 1 in recipes that call for shortening. As you evaluate new options, keep these guidelines in mind:
Although you won’t use them directly in baking, it’s good to know that non-dairy frozen desserts are available from many of the non-dairy milk manufacturers, in the frozen food section. Two that food-allergy families may like are Living Harvest Foods Tempt frozen desserts made with hemp milk, and So Delicious frozen desserts made with coconut milk. If you need an alternative to ice cream to serve with Vanilla Pound Cake, try So Delicious brand Cookie Dough (yes, the cookie dough is gluten-free!) or Cherry Amaretto frozen dessert. Tempt Chocolate Fudge Frozen Dessert served with Chocolate Glaze makes a great summer afternoon treat, whether or not you have food allergies.
