I am trying to find a really good recipe for rolled cookies. Like a sugar cookie that my daughter and I could cut out together. She has an allergy to the dairy protiens Casein and Whey. Most recipes call for butter, does anyone know if I can just substitute the ‘Fleischmann’s’ margarine for the butter?

Thanks,
Janice

matwogirls - 03 February 2008 01:42 PM

She has an allergy to the dairy protiens Casein and Whey.

I have a “niece” that’s allergic to dairy.  Her mother uses Earth Balance (from the same manufacturer as Smart Balance, but no dairy) in place of butter for baking.  I’ve used it in Mousseline Buttercream with good results (see my “First Wedding Cake” thread in Show and Tell)—I know her mother has used it in pie crusts and other baked goods with much success.  FWIW, it’s organic, totally non-GMO and vegan.

I know Whole Foods carries it and I’ve seen it at Trader Joe’s.

I don’t use margarine, but I know if you use it in place of butter in a recipe, it’s suggested that you use “stick” margarine, not the tub varieties.

Some brands of margarine do contain some dairy ingredients, so please be careful and read the labels!

You could try substituting vegetable shortening cup for cup, but you’d probably have to add a bit of water since butter is only 80% fat. (Vegetable shortening is 100% fat - with air whipped in - and weighs less per cup than butter.) You’d probably have to add about 2-3 tablespoons of water to the recipe for every cup of butter called for. There’s still the problem of taste, though. Maybe you could try a spice or gingerbread cookie? A “plain butter” cookie is going to be pretty tasteless without butter.

Since I have an intolerance for milk products [casein, anything that has lactic or lactose in it] I have been happy with Earth Balance. Beware, some shortenings also have a bit of dairy in them.  The unfortunate thing is if ingredients are less than a certain percentage [not sure what %] they don’t have to be listed. For those for whom a trace amt. can cause problems [inflammation, etc., not anaphylactic shock] it’s a real nuisance. But I can vouch for Earth Balance. It’s in some supermarkets now too.
Mary

Dan O’B - 03 February 2008 04:03 PM

matwogirls - 03 February 2008 01:42 PM

She has an allergy to the dairy protiens Casein and Whey.

I have a “niece” that’s allergic to dairy.  Her mother uses Earth Balance (from the same manufacturer as Smart Balance, but no dairy) in place of butter for baking.  I’ve used it in Mousseline Buttercream with good results (see my “First Wedding Cake” thread in Show and Tell)—I know her mother has used it in pie crusts and other baked goods with much success.  FWIW, it’s organic, totally non-GMO and vegan.

I know Whole Foods carries it and I’ve seen it at Trader Joe’s.

I am curious which type of the earth balance margarine you’ve used for the mousseline butter cream? I have a potential client right now who needs 5 dozen wedding cupcakes.. they can’t eat eggs and are lactose intolerant but she said that she can eat the whites of eggs so mousseline is really the only one I can think of that would be suitable. So I pretty much have to make everything like it was vegan friendly. She said that the eggs in the cupcakes is fine i’m assuming because it’s cooked maybe? I have no idea! I may not even take this client on. Of all things she wants orange cream cupcakes! She said the frosting has to be light with no grittiness. She also said the ones she’s had in the past have been really light and fluffy but I just couldn’t think of what type she’s had that doesn’t use egg or dairy! Maybe she is just being a pain in the butt? lol! Anyhow, could you tell me the specific type of earth balance you’ve used? I have seen that they make like 4 different types to choose from.  Any specifics would be a great help to me.

cakejunky - 20 April 2008 01:01 AM

Dan O’B - 03 February 2008 04:03 PM

matwogirls - 03 February 2008 01:42 PM

She has an allergy to the dairy protiens Casein and Whey.

I have a “niece” that’s allergic to dairy.  Her mother uses Earth Balance (from the same manufacturer as Smart Balance, but no dairy) in place of butter for baking.  I’ve used it in Mousseline Buttercream with good results (see my “First Wedding Cake” thread in Show and Tell)—I know her mother has used it in pie crusts and other baked goods with much success.  FWIW, it’s organic, totally non-GMO and vegan.

I know Whole Foods carries it and I’ve seen it at Trader Joe’s.

I am curious which type of the earth balance margarine you’ve used for the mousseline butter cream? I have a potential client right now who needs 5 dozen wedding cupcakes.. they can’t eat eggs and are lactose intolerant but she said that she can eat the whites of eggs so mousseline is really the only one I can think of that would be suitable. So I pretty much have to make everything like it was vegan friendly. She said that the eggs in the cupcakes is fine i’m assuming because it’s cooked maybe? I have no idea! I may not even take this client on. Of all things she wants orange cream cupcakes! She said the frosting has to be light with no grittiness. She also said the ones she’s had in the past have been really light and fluffy but I just couldn’t think of what type she’s had that doesn’t use egg or dairy! Maybe she is just being a pain in the butt? lol! Anyhow, could you tell me the specific type of earth balance you’ve used? I have seen that they make like 4 different types to choose from.  Any specifics would be a great help to me.

Why do you have to make all the cupcakes according to her food allergy?  I doubt she’s planning on eating all 60 of them herself so why doesn’t she let you make your regular recipe for her guests, who I’m sure would greatly appreciate eating real dairy laden regular cupcakes.  (some brides think only about themselves)

Your kind for even considering this client - she’s sounds like a big pain in the cupcake to me; I’d send her elsewhere.

LOL! That is true! I didn’t even think about that. That would be a much simpler plan. I will suggest that to her and thank you for suggesting the idea to me. Patrincia your cakes look beautiful! You are a blessing to this forum! If it wasn’t for you sr members out there i’m sure rose would never get a chance to sleep :D I have a hard enough time pulling myself away from the forums to give my eyes a break from all the reading lol!

cakejunky - 20 April 2008 01:01 AM

I am curious which type of the earth balance margarine you’ve used for the mousseline butter cream?

It’s the Earth Balance Margarine Natural Buttery Spread—the 3rd one down the page of the link I sent (above).  I have to say I really did get surprisingly good results and taste. 

I’d also make the suggestion you might want to increase the amount of sugar in the buttercream.  I’d have to go back to my wedding cake thread and see who made the suggestion, but I’ve been using either 1/4 or 1/3 more sugar than Rose’s recipe when making mousseline buttercream to avoid regular complaints from friends and family about the frosting being “too buttery.” (I know, Patrincia—you’re preaching to the choir.)  I divide the “extra” sugar between the syrup and the egg whites and increase the water for the syrup proportionately.  (I can give you complete details and amounts via e-mail if you want.  I’m totally wiped out/hung over from my cousin’s wedding last night and the 9 hours in the car driving back from MA to Northern VA.)

cakejunky - 20 April 2008 03:33 PM

LOL! That is true! I didn’t even think about that. That would be a much simpler plan. I will suggest that to her and thank you for suggesting the idea to me. Patrincia your cakes look beautiful! You are a blessing to this forum! If it wasn’t for you sr members out there i’m sure rose would never get a chance to sleep :D I have a hard enough time pulling myself away from the forums to give my eyes a break from all the reading lol!

Your too kind!  I know what you mean about this site - it can quickly turn the non-addictive personality into a total addict…. the same can be said for Rose’s recipes . 

So, if you take the order, how will you display the cupcakes?

Why don’t you experiment with using coconut oil in place of the butter? I’ve done a completely pareve cake (no dairy) by subsituting coconut oil for the butter, both in the cake and in the frosting. I’ve gotten wonderful results from it.

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature—even more solid than butter. I melt it in order to incorporate it with the other ingredients.

That’s an interesting idea… did you make this substitution with Rose’s recipes?  If so, which ones?  Also, how does the coconut oil affect the finished flavors?  When I use coconut oil to make popcorn, it imparts a very distinct flavor.

I used coconut oil in place of butter for the yellow cake recipe from “Cake Bible.” I melted the coconut oil, then beat it with the dry ingredients as per the recipe. I also used an equivalent amount of whole eggs for the egg yolks, because I was worried about how the structure of the cake would be affected if I only used yolks in combination with the coconut oil.

For the frosting, I used a Betty Crocker recipe that calls for butter, melted baker’s chocolate, powdered sugar, and cow’s milk. I substituted coconut oil for the butter (melted, of course), and full-fat coconut milk for the cow’s milk. The frosting came out fudgy and dense and old-fashioned—just the kind of thing I loved when I was a kid!

As for the flavor, I have to say it was fantastic. The texture was wonderful. I could not tell I was eating coconut ingredients, because the other flavors (vanilla and chocolate) took center stage. My husband does not normally like coconut, but he was eating this cake all day. Everybody who tried it loved it.

I developed this recipe because some of my friends keep strict kosher, and will not eat a dairy dessert after a meat or chicken meal. I wanted a voluptuous cake that I could serve after such a meal, and make it so good, people didn’t feel like they were being cheated out of the rich deliciousness of butter.

I went on the internet to see why coconut oil isn’t used more often. It turns out it used to be a very common ingredient in baked goods, cheap to produce, and profitable for third-world economies where coconuts grow best. But sometime in the 1970’s or 1980’s (I forget exactly when), the so-called scientific establishment started waiving red flags about saturated fats, and coconut oil was one of the ingredients on their hit list. So, commercial bakers switched to other products, such as hydrogenated oils, which turn out to be not so good either. (I am now very skeptical of dietary experts and their fashionable pronouncements). Ironically, I see a homeopathic MD who recommends incorporating coconut milk into my diet. She says it has great health benefits. All I know is that it tastes good.

Janice, I know I’m a latecomer to this thread, but i wanted to mention the “gluten free pantry” It’s company that specializes in gluten and casein free products—including baking mixes.

they are online just google the name and it will pop up.

jen