Alternative Fats

[cbarre02]

My pastry experience has led me to believe that a recipe can be changed 180 degrees by doing nothing more than change the fat that the recipe calls for. Cakes especially call for large amount of bland, flavor muting vegetable oil. There is nothing wrong with vegetable oil, but sometime we want more flavor (I almost always do).

In a simple carrot cake recipe I exchanged some of the oil called for, for pungent truffle oil. The carrots give a natural sweetness to the cake (not a generic one like to much sugar), and went very well with the earthiness of the truffle oil. I have made mayo with rendered duck fat, one of my all time favorites. Lets not even get started on how good some cakes are with extra virgin olive oil.

I was wondering if any one else has had experiences (or even accidents), with switching fats (or other like ingredients) and has had success.

[uberleet]

Well, I knew a guy who (accidentally) made pie dough with garlic butter but I wouldn't call that a success.

[col klink]

I've tried making a pie crust out of duck fat but it wasn't as successful as the lard/butter combo. If you want pungent, try cooking with rendered venison fat. I like cooking with beef fat but I hear that it's not really that healthy.

[Knicke]

Hmmmm. I hear you about the cakes with EVOO. Certain ones work better than others, I think. The not-so-sweet ones, especially. I tried a recipe for 'Cornmeal Cake w/ Rosemary Syrup' recipe from epicurious.com...had gathered everything, then realized I was out of butter. Not about to traipse back to the store to get some, so I used EVOO instead (having successfully made cornbread that way before). It was yummy. I could seriously taste the EVOO; it really added a depth of flavor that is not always there with butter.

cbarre, I don't think I would have made the truffle oil connection at all, but I am awfully intrigued! I bet walnut oil could work in the same recipe...

So, pie crust: obviously a recipe where the character (not just flavor) of one particular fat is essential. Can anyone think of other substitutions that just don't work?

[McDuff]

Cocktail sauce served as gazpacho.

[KateW]

My nutrition teacher says she uses evoo in everything, even baking.

[Knicke]

Reese Cooking Wine (ugh) as aperitif...

[cbarre02]

Knicke. I was thinking about what you said about the character of butter being the reason for its use in pie dough, and I do agree. However I believe that you can use rendered, strained, and chilled bacon fat for 30 percent of the piecrust (savory pies... or if you are creative sweet ones too.) I have never tried it but I think that this could be a possibility.

I was also thinking that higher gluten flour could be used, and maybe (maybe?) all bacon fat could be used. One may have to add a little water to the mixture, but I won't know till I try. I don't know if this will work or not, but I think it has a chance.

Any thoughts.

[Knicke]

Mmmmmm. Bacon fat.

It certainly seems like a possibility, cbarre. I'm not a big student of pie crust texture, so I can't really make any comments on what MIGHT happen. I have no reason to think it can't be made to work, though. Maybe start, as you suggested, with only part bacon fat and see what it does to the texture? Then, if that produces favorable results, try again with a greater proportion of bacon fat. Perhaps there's something inherent in the character of bacon fat which makes it act wildly different in a pie crust recipe...perhaps not. Hopefully by gradually introducing more of it into the recipe, you can figure out whether or not it acts differently.

I really, really like this idea now. Thinking about all my favorite savory pie recipes, and lots of them would taste good with a 'bacon crust'. Emmm. Can't say how I feel about using it in sweet recipes until I tasted the re-vamped bacon crust. Gut reaction is 'no!', but then again I haven't tasted it and while I like bacon, I'm not as rabid about it as some eGulleters seem to be.

[Katherine]

Mmmmmm. Bacon fat. ...

I really, really like this idea now. Thinking about all my favorite savory pie recipes, and lots of them would taste good with a 'bacon crust'. Emmm. Can't say how I feel about using it in sweet recipes until I tasted the re-vamped bacon crust. Gut reaction is 'no!', but then again I haven't tasted it and while I like bacon, I'm not as rabid about it as some eGulleters seem to be.

I have my doubts about putting bacon fat in anything but a savory pie crust. Have you ever tried a lard crust? I grew up on it, so I like it, but it does taste distinctly porky.

[Knicke]

Yeah, I like lard crusts; grew up on 'em, too. But bacon fat might be even MORE porky...beyond the level of acceptable porkiness for a sweet pie. Hard to tell. I've tasted both fats, of course, but never in large amounts and always with other ingredients...must admit the idea of taste-testing big ol' spoonfuls of lard and bacon fat really icks me out.

[trillium]

Has anyone tried coconut oil in a pastry crust? Two different brands have turned up at my local grocery and I was eyeing them last night wondering how they'd do.

regards,

trillium

[John Braise]

<drooling>

God, a bacon crusted pot pie sounds like the greatest thing ever.