Butter substitutes

[mm84321]

I am loathe to be asking this, but I've been summined to make two tarts without butter for a client. What might you suggest I use in place of butter for a pate sucree dough? And to emulsify a lemon curd? Thanks? 

[cakewalk]

I use earth balance margarine when I have to be dairy free. It comes in sticks as well as tubs, I use the sticks for baking. 

 

There's an olive oil lemon curd that's supposed to be very good. I think the recipe was formulated to be made with olive oil, it's not used as a substitute. I will try to find the recipe.

[mm84321]

Yes, I was thinking of using olive oil. Would appreciate the recipe. Thanks!

 

so, with the margarine, just substitute equal amounts for butter in the dough? 

[Dave the Cook]

Last time I checked, @Pam R, who's written (I think) three kosher cookbooks, also swears by Earth Balance.

[cakewalk]

17 minutes ago, mm84321 said:

Yes, I was thinking of using olive oil. Would appreciate the recipe. Thanks!

 

so, with the margarine, just substitute equal amounts for butter in the dough? 

I can't seem to find the lemon curd recipe online. It's by  Genevieve Ko in the book Better Baking. I know it's there somewhere!

 

I think it should be one to one margarine for butter. I have used it for cakes and cookies at that ratio. I've never made pie crust with it, but I'm planning to do so for Thanksgiving, so I'll see how that works. But it worked well for cookies, so perhaps it will for pie crust and sables as well. It won't taste the same, of course, but it is still good. 

[MelissaH]

Earth Balance subs in nicely 1:1 for butter, if you can't use dairy. But I wouldn't try to do it for something that's butter-forward such as shortbread—I'd choose to make something else instead. I'd think it would be fine in the lemon curd. And I like the idea of an olive oil crust, especially if the filling will include other ingredients and flavors from areas where olives grow!

[mm84321]

Great. Thanks!

[cakewalk]

Alice Medrich has a book called Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts that has a lemon curd recipe with no fat at all (except the egg yolk), no butter and no oil. I always mean to try it (I'm a big fan of Alice Medrich), but whenever I make lemon curd Sherry Yard's recipe always wins. Anyway, the recipe can be found here:

http://bakingbites.com/2008/04/low-fat-lemon-curd/ except that the original recipe says "beat the egg until light," whereas the link says to "lightly beat the egg." Huge difference. Go with Medrich. Now that I look at it, I see the link completely changes the method, although the ingredients are the same. Here's a paraphrase of what Medrich says:

-Combine zest, juice, sugar in small pan, bring to a simmer. In small bowl beat egg until light.

-Beat some hot lemon mixture into the egg, then add egg mixture back to the saucepan. 

-Cook, stirring constantly, until it just starts to simmer at the edges. Stir & cook 15 seconds, strain into a bowl, add vanilla, cool.