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Substitutions for common cooking needs.  We all have at one time or another found ourselves lacking in something needed for a recipe with no time left for an emergency trip to the store.  This is our list of substitutions when needed.
Ingredient Amount Substitute
Allspice 1 tsp. • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Baking powder 1 tsp. • 1/3 tsp. baking soda and 5/8 tsp. cream of tartar
Bay leaf 1 whole • 1/4 tsp. crushed
Brown sugar 1 cup • 1 cup sugar plus 1 tsp. molasses
Butter 1 cup • 1 cup margarine
• 7/8 cup shortening and 1/2 tsp. salt
Chives, finely chopped 2 tsp. • 2 tsp. green onion tops finely chopped
Carob 3 tbs. • 3 tbs. cocoa and 1 tbs. shortening
Chocolate chips, semisweet 1 ounce • 1 ounce sweet cooking chocolate chopped
Chocolate, semisweet 1 2/3 ounce 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and 4 tsp. sugar
Chocolate, semisweet chips, melted 6 ounce package • 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, 2 tbs. shortening and 1/2 cup sugar
Chocolate, unsweetened 1 ounce or square • 3 tbs. cocoa and 1 tbs. butter or margarine
Cocoa 1/4 cup or 4 tbs • 1 ounce chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 tbs.)
Coconut cream 1 cup • 1 cup whipping cream
Coconut milk 1 cup • 1 cup whole or 2% milk
Corn syrup 1 cup • 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup liquid
• 1 cup honey
Cornstarch (for thickening) 1 tbs. • 2 tbs. all-purpose flour
Cream, heavy 1 cup • 3/4 cup milk and 1/3 cup butter or margarine (only for use in cooking and baking)
Cream, light 1 cup • 3/4 cup milk and 3 tbs. Butter or margarine (only for use in cooking and baking)
• or 1 cup evaporated milk
Egg 1 whole • 2 1/2 tbs. sifted dry whole egg powder
Egg white 1 white • 2 tsp. sifted dry egg white powder with 2 tbs. water
Flour (for thickening) 1 tbs. • 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch, arrowroot starch, potato starch or rice starch
• 1 tbs. granular tapioca, rice flour, corn flour
•1 1/2 tbs. whole wheat flour
Flour, all purpose 1 cup sifted • 1 cup and 2 tbs. cake flour
• 1 cup minus 2 tbs. unsifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rice flour
Flour, cake 1 cup sifted • 1 cup minus 2 tbs. all purpose flour
Flour, self rising 1 cup • 1 cup minus 2 tsp. all purpose flour and 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt
Flour, whole wheat   • Substitute whole wheat flour for 1/4 to 1/2 of white flour called for in recipe
Garlic 1 clove • 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Herbs, fresh 1 tbs. • 1 tsp. dried herbs
Honey 1 cup • 1 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water
Italian seasonings 1 1/2 tsp. • 1/4 tsp. each dried marjoram, oregano plus basil plues 1/8 tsp. sage
Ketchup (for cooking) 1 cup • 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbs. vinegar
Lemon juice 1 tsp. • 1/2 tsp. vinegar
Lemon peel, dried 1 tsp. • 1-2 tsp. fresh grated lemon peel
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Mayonnaise (for use in salad dressings) 1 cup • 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup cottage cheese pureed in blender
Milk, buttermilk or sour milk 1 cup • 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup whole milk and 1 tbs. lemon juice
Milk, sweetened condensed 1 can • Heat and stir 1/3 cup and 2 tbs. evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar and 3 tbs. butter until sugar has dissolved.
Mustard, dry 1 tsp. • 1 tbs. prepared mustard
Mustard, prepared 1 tbs. • 1/2 tsp. dry mustard and 2 tsp. Vinegar
Saffron 1 tsp. •1 tsp. tumeric
Shortening, melted 1 cup • 1 cup cooking oil
Shortening, solid 1 cup • 1 1/8 cup butter or margarine (decrease salt in recipe by 1/2 tsp.)
Sour cream 1 cup • 1 cup yogurt or 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 tsp. lemon juice and 1/2 cup butter
Soy sauce 1 tbs. • 1 tbs. teriyaki Sauce
Tomato Sauce 1 cup • 6 tbs. tomato paste and 1/2 water
Yeast, active dry 1 tbs. • 1 package active dry yeast
Yogurt, plain 1 cup • 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup cottage cheese blended until smooth
• 1 cup sour cream
Got a substitution we missed?  Let us know and we will add it to the list.