A number of brands sell baking powder that does not contain aluminium, and these products are often clearly labelled as being free of the metal. 

Schwartz, for example, offer a clearly-labelled, aluminium-free baking powder (available on Amazon.co.uk here). 

Other brands you can find on Amazon and other online stores offering aluminium-free baking powder include Gefen and Doves Farm Baking Powder. 

I also took a quick look at some baking powder labels from supermarkets and other brands. 

Dr. Oetker Baking Powder does not contain E521 or E541 (aluminium additives) on the label, but it does have E500 (which are rising agents made from sodium carbonates, not aluminium).

According to Dr. Oetker, neither aluminium nor aluminium compounds are added intentionally during the manufacturing process of their baking powder. Any aluminium content would be naturally occuring and would be at levels less than 200 ppm (parts per million).

I also did not find E521 or E541, or any other aluminium names, on the following: 

• Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients Baking Powder
• Asda Baking Powder
• Sainsbury’s Baking Powder

What Does it Mean When Baking Powder Is Aluminium Free?

When baking powder is labelled as being aluminium free, it simply means that the powder does not contain aluminium. 

Aluminium in food is usually labelled as an e-number called E541, or sodium aluminium phosphate. It can also be labelled as E521, or aluminium sodium sulphate/sodium aluminium sulphate.

Why Is Aluminium Added to Baking Powder?

Aluminium in the form of sodium aluminium phosphate is added to baking powder to cause the rising product to activate as soon as it has come into contact with heat.

This means that the bread dough (or whatever you are making) will start to rise when you put it in the oven or another hot environment. 

Baking powders that do not contain aluminium are not heat activated. Instead, they are moisture or liquid activated. Because of this, aluminium-free baking powder requires faster hands. It activates and gets to work, releasing the gases and starting the rising process, as soon as you add any kind of moisture with it. 

Aluminium-free baking powder is often called fast-acting baking powder. 

Baking powder that contains aluminium is often referred to as slow-acting baking powder. 

Is Aluminium in Baking Powder Bad for You?

There seems to be a rather hot debate on whether or not aluminium in baking powder (and other food/health products) is bad for you.

Some believe that aluminium in food and other products, such as antiperspirants, can increase your chances of suffering with medical conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. However, since the amounts of aluminium you are exposed to from these products is so small, it’s not clear that they pose a serious danger.

The quantities of aluminium in food and other products are often incredibly minimal. It can be found, in various forms, in all sorts of food products that you may not know about. This includes certain food additives, medications you’d take to treat heartburn and indigestion, hot chocolate and other hot drinks, self-raising flour (and other types of flour), and even some cheeses and cheese products. 

Saucepans and frying pans, and other food containers and tins, can cause trace elements of aluminium to be left in your food. 

Antiperspirant and deodorant can also cause the body to come into contact with aluminium. 

Even fruits and vegetables that come straight from the ground have trace elements on aluminium in them. It is a naturally occurring metal that is found in and on the planet itself. 

It is thought that you would need to come in contact with large quantities of aluminium on a regular basis to experience side effects typical with aluminium exposure. As with most things in life, if you have a healthy and balanced diet, eating things in moderation, you shouldn’t experience any problems. 

The UK Food Standards Agency have E541 (Sodium aluminium phosphate) and E521 (Aluminium sodium sulphate) on the approved (and safe) list of additives and E-numbers.

There is nothing to stop you from avoiding baking powder and other products that contain aluminium, however. That is a personal choice that you can make. 

Can You Taste Aluminium in Baking Powder?

Some people can’t taste the difference between baked goods made with aluminium-free baking powder and those made with baking powder that contains aluminium. 

Other people, on the other hand, can taste a metallic twang in cakes and other baked goods. It can leave reportedly infuse a mildly unpleasant, almost-bitter taste into food. 

Some people have complained that the aluminium in baking powder also alters the colour of finished baked products, turning them a light grey or purplish shade. 

Does Double-Acting Baking Powder Contain Aluminium?

Yes, double-acting baking powder is likely to contain aluminium. 

As previously mentioned, baking powder products with aluminium are slower-acting. They activate with heat. Baking powder products without aluminium are faster-acting. They activate with moisture or liquid.

Double-acting baking powder contains both – heat-activating and moisture/liquid-activate compounds. Because it is heat-activating, it is likely to contain sodium aluminium sulphate.

However, some brands of double-acting baking powder do not contain aluminium. Schwartz All Natural Baking Powder, available on Amazon, is a prime example of this. 

If you want my advice: always check the label! 

How to Tell if Baking Powder Contains Aluminium

Baking powder that does not contain aluminium is usually labelled as such. That’s not always the case, however. Checking the label can give you more information. 

If you see the following ingredients or E-numbers in the ingredient list, the baking powder does contain aluminium: 

• E541
• Sodium aluminium phosphate
• E521
• Aluminium sodium sulphate
• Sodium aluminium sulphate

How to Make Your Own Aluminium-Free Baking Powder

You can easily make your own baking powder at home, with a few simple ingredients, ensuring that it is aluminium-free.

The Spruce Eats has an easy homemade baking powder recipe. 

You will need the following: 

• Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) – 1 part
• Cream of tartar – 2 parts
• Corn starch – 1 part (for longevity/optional)

You simply mix the three ingredients together well. You may also wish to pass the ingredients through a sieve, to get out any lumps or bumps. 

If you are planning on using all of your baking powder in one go (and not storing it the leftovers) you will not need to add corn starch. It is added for safe storage, preventing waste. 

You can keep your homemade, aluminium-free baking powder for approximate four to six weeks, in an airtight container, in a cool and dark place. After this point, the mix will not rise well during cooking.

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post Which Baking Powder Is Aluminium Free in the UK? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

I’ve done it myself once or twice. Sadly, it doesn’t look as though you can get the actual American canned biscuit dough in the UK, the most common brand of which is Pillsbury.

You can buy other Pillsbury-branded American products from specialist stores that import into the UK, but the actual biscuit dough itself, that comes in a tube or can and is kept in the fridge, seems almost impossible to buy on this side of the pond.

There is good news on the horizon, though!

You can easily make your own canned biscuit dough at home, with a few ingredients that you’ve probably already got stashed away in the cupboards.

Not only that, there are similar products on the UK shelves you can buy and use, depending on the recipe you wish to try.

What Is Canned Biscuit Dough?

Canned biscuit dough is usually made from a couple of simple ingredients: flour, plus some sort of fat, and a leavening agent. They are commonly referred to as “buttermilk biscuits” because, traditionally, they were made using buttermilk.

Different regions in the US have different variations of the traditional biscuit. The buttermilk-based biscuit is sometimes referred to as the “southern biscuit”, with north and north-east regions switching out buttermilk for eggs, cream, or other similar ingredients.

Canned biscuit dough usually makes biscuits that are similar to that of buttermilk biscuits.

The northern/north-eastern biscuits made from eggs, cream, or other similar ingredients are more like what British people like to call ‘scones’. Imagine the British scone as a savoury treat rather than a sweet one and you have about the right idea. They are also sometimes called “cream biscuits” in the US.

Canned biscuit dough, when cooked, results in round (albeit roughly), fluffy-textured, multi-layered small buns, similar to the traditional UK scone.

They have a rather plain flavour, so they can be dipped into soups and casseroles You can also eat them on their own, with butter on top; and they can even be turned into sweet treats, with the help of jam and cream.

Can You Buy Canned Biscuit Dough in the UK?

From my own personal investigations, I’m going to say: no, you cannot get canned biscuit dough in the UK.

There are other types of American biscuit dough mixes available on the internet, especially on sites like Amazon and eBay. These are usually dried and need to be mixed with water (or similar) to make the dough itself, however.

What Can I Use Instead of Canned Biscuit Dough?

Biscuit dough requires a rising ingredient, also known as a chemical leavening agent, to enable it to grow and rise when you bake it. The refrigerated, canned variety uses baking powder.

If you are unable to get refrigerated or canned biscuit dough, you can make your own homemade biscuit dough.

You can also use other types of “quick” dough. Quick dough refers to dough types that do not require time to rise before they are baked (and usually contain baking powder rather than yeast).

How to Make Biscuit Dough

You can make both flaky buttermilk biscuits and heavier cream biscuits at home, with a few simple ingredients. Both of these are great substitutions for canned biscuit dough. Adding a little extra butter and working it into layers is the best way to achieve that flaky, soft finish.

Buttermilk biscuits are made with fridge-chilled buttermilk, freezer-chilled unsalted butter, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and all-purpose flour. The latter is known as plain flour in the UK.

You will find a great recipe for buttermilk biscuits on All Recipes.

Heavier and less-flaky cream biscuits (the ones that are more like UK scones) are made with melted butter, heavy or whipping cream, salt, sugar, baking powder, and all-purpose (plain) flour. The missing ingredient that sets it aside from the British scone is egg.

The Spruce Eats has a great recipe for US-style cream biscuits.

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post What Is the Equivalent of Canned Biscuit Dough in the UK? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

Sold in tubs and manufactured by Kraft Foods, it was once quite difficult to get hold of elsewhere in the world, but it is now readily available in the UK and across Europe, albeit at a higher price because of the high cost of importing it. 

The condiment was first created back in the early 1930s and was marketed as a mayonnaise-like condiment or sauce, with a slightly cheaper price tag. 

A mix of salad dressing, more than twenty different herbs and spices, and blended mayonnaise, Miracle Whip is a lower-calorie alternative to mayonnaise, though it’s not necessarily healthier as it contains other ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

It only contains around half the fat content of mayonnaise, but it also contains a higher sugar content. It also has a higher water content and contains more additives and refined ingredients, which have been linked to obesity and a host of medical issues, such as fatty liver disease. 

What Can I Use if I Can’t Get Miracle Whip in the UK?

If you’re trying to following a North American recipe that calls for Miracle Whip, you have a couple of alternatives available to you. 

Option 1: Use mayonnaise

Th first option is a straight-swap, substituting Miracle Whip for mayonnaise.

You can also use a mix of mayonnaise, vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar) and sugar. 

Some people find that lower-fat mayonnaise makes a better substitute for Miracle Whip than full-fat varieties.

Olive oil-based mayonnaise varieties get closer to the taste than ones made from other oils. 

Option 2: Make a homemade Miracle Whip alternative

You can make your own Miracle Whip at home, with a few ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen cupboards or fridge: 

• Egg yolks
• Salt
• Sugar
• Lemon juice
• Apple cider vinegar
• Water
• Mustard
• Corn starch
• Oil

There are various recipes available online such as this one from Top Secret Recipes.

It is best to create homemade Miracle Whip with an electric mixer or, preferably, a blender. 

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post What Is the UK Equivalent of Miracle Whip? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

You can also use a slightly different product—”baking and greaseproof paper”. This is available from most UK supermarkets as well as a number of online stores.

Is Greaseproof Paper the Same as Parchment Paper?  

Greaseproof paper is a type of collective name for a number of different types of cooking paper that are, as the name suggests, greaseproof.

This includes:  

• Parchment paper, also known as bakery or baker paper 
• Wax paper, also known as waxed paper 
• Butter paper, also known as sandwich paper 

Parchment paper is a type of greaseproof paper – but not all greaseproof papers are the same.  

Butter or sandwich paper, for example, doesn’t boast the same non-stick properties as parchment paper. It is best suited to wrapping sandwiches and other similar food products, as the name, “sandwich paper” suggests.  

Wax or waxed paper doesn’t behave well in the oven. The wax melts, and it can also give off smoke.

This can then alter the taste and colour of your food. It is best used for wrapping food items that are cold, such as deli meat, cheese, and pastries.

Parchment or baking/baker paper is perfect for use with a number of cooking techniques and styles, both in the oven and out of it.  

In the UK, greaseproof paper and parchment paper (or baking paper) is sometimes sold as the same product, and people use the names interchangeably. If you take a look at almost all of the well-known UK supermarkets, you’ll often see a product called “baking and greaseproof paper”.  

Baking and greaseproof paper, sometimes just called either baking and/or greaseproof paper, can be used for oven cooking and similar techniques with certain precautions. These include avoiding naked flames (as the paper is flammable) and also making sure it doesn’t touch the hot sides of the inside of the oven.  

 
What Is a Good Substitute for Parchment Paper?

If you are unable to get parchment paper, you can use what is marketed simply as ‘greaseproof paper’ in the UK, but you will need to add a layer of oil or grease, much in the same way as you would with a baking pan or tin.  
You should ensure that your ‘greaseproof’ paper is suitable for baking and oven cooking, if that is what you plan to do with it.  

What Is Parchment Paper Used For?

Parchment paper is used in a number of ways during cooking and baking. One way that it is commonly used is to eliminate the cleaning associated with wiping pans and similar cooking containers and tins with butter, oil, or lard, to prevent things from sticking.

You would lay a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray before then adding cookie dough, for example. The paper itself has non-stick properties thus eliminating the need for messy greasing.

Parchment paper can also be used when cooking vegetables and similar things on a flat pan (also known as a sheet pan).

It helps to keep things clean. The entire paper sheet can be simply scooped up and disposed of after cooking, and the pan won’t be covered in grease or other mess when you’re done.

Parchment paper can be used in all of the ways that you would use wax paper, but the same statement does not apply the other way around. Wax paper doesn’t behave well when used in the oven, so parchment paper would be the better choice.

Cooking in parchment paper

Parchment is also used as a method of cooking, too. Small envelopes are created with the paper, which food is then cooked in, usually via steaming.

This method is called ‘en papillote’, which is French for “enveloped in paper”, and is used for baking or steaming vegetables, fish, chicken, lamb, and others.  

Parchment paper is popular because of its ability to be composted. The paper itself is cellulose-based.  

Where to Buy Parchment Paper in the UK 

You can buy parchment paper from a number of places in the UK. There are several options available on Amazon.

You can also buy products called “non-stick baking powder” and “greaseproof and baking paper”. These offer the same properties as parchment paper; they are basically the same thing as parchment paper. 

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post What Is the Equivalent of Parchment Paper in the UK?  appeared first on Chef's Pick.

However, you can find the traditional Mexican dough flour in a few other places, including:

• Amazon
• Various other online stores
• Health shops

You can get masa harina in three different varieties: yellow, blue, and white. You are more likely to be able to find the sweeter white type in stores and online.

Yellow and blue are quite rare. Blue is the least popular (and hardest to find) type of the three.

Are Masa and Masa Harina the Same Thing?

Masa and masa harina aren’t the same thing, but they are essentially two stages of the same dish.

Masa harina is the nixtamalized corn flour that, when added to water, becomes masa dough.

Masa dough, when cooked, can become tamales, tortillas, cornbread, empanadas, biscuits, pancakes, and plenty more Mexican/Spanish dishes.

Nixtamalized flour is the name given to types of flour that have been through a specific process. The first part of the process sees the maize kernels given a long soak.

The second part involves a good boil in a fluid that has a high alkali level. The third part is another wash. And then the fourth part requires hulling of the grains. That’s the rather short version of the tale.

Is Masa Harina Gluten-Free Flour?

Traditional masa harina flour is naturally gluten-free, as it’s made from either maize or corn.

You can get masa harina-style mixes these days, usually called something like “tortilla mix”. They are very similar to masa harina but are not always gluten-free.

Unless you are buying traditional masa harina flour—and it clearly states as such on the label—it is best to check the packaging for the ingredient list and health advisories.

Can You Make Masa Harina Flour at Home?

You can make masa at home, if you have masa harina flour.

Masa harina flour is flour that has been through the nixtamalization process. You can do this at home, but it takes some work. For some people, though, making this type of flour at home is the only way to get the blue or yellow varieties.

You will need quite the array of tools if you want to make your own masa harina flour at home, including a dehydrator, a grinder (a corn grinder is best, but you can actually use a salt/coffee grinder or a spice mill in a pinch), pickling lime or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), and, of course, your corn.

You will also need to give yourself enough time to cook the corn, then leave the corn to soak overnight to let the calcium hydroxide do its work.

After it has soaked, you will be left with sludgy water and corn kernels; the former is the outer coating of the corn, which is technically known as pericarp. Once the sludge is removed and you’re left with the sloughed kernels, it’s time for the grinding process.

Once you have done all of that, you are left with masa harina flour.

Honest Food has a great how-to guide for making your own masa harina at home:

The translation of masa harina, from Spanish into English, is, quite literally, “dough flour”. Dough flour is a collective name for a few different, but similar, products in the UK, so make sure you read the packaging/ingredients before buying.

Can You Use Cornmeal Instead of Masa Harina?

You can use cornmeal in place of masa harina, but it’s not recommended for all recipes, and you will sometimes need to add other ingredients, such as flour, which can cause it to lose its gluten-free status.

Cornmeal is definitely not a good flour tool for very moist recipes. The two types of flour are manufactured differently, and they have different absorption capabilities.

Nixtamalized masa harina flour soaks up more fluid than its corn counterpart. Because of this, cornmeal can’t be shaped and positioned in quite the same way that masa harina can, making it unsuitable for recipes such as tortillas.

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post Can You Get Masa Harina in UK Supermarkets? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

This specific variety is available in the UK, marketed under the name “kosher salt”, but it is also known by another name: flaked sea salt. 

What Is Kosher Salt Made Of?

Kosher salt, or flaked sea salt if you’re in the UK, is made from salt, just like regular table or refined salt, and sea salt. The difference between the three is simply how big the individual grains are. 

Sea salt is the bulkiest of the three. It is very coarse, with large grains. 

Table or refined salt, as the name suggests, has been refined, so the individual grains are very small and fine.

Kosher salt sits in the middle of sea salt and table salt. 

Is Kosher Salt Actually Kosher?

The name “kosher salt” wasn’t actually given to the salt because it was kosher, although the Jewish community does lend itself to the origin of this name. 

The Jewish kashering process (also known as koshering or kashrut) requires all blood to be removed from the animal before it can be prepared for food.

The Jewish religion doesn’t permit the consumption of blood in any form, so as well as veins, arteries, and other sections of the blood system being removed, a salt-and-soak process known as dry brining is used to make sure any remaining blood is completely removed. 

Kosher salt was considered to be the best salt for this process, and because it was so commonly used by the Jewish community, it was soon given the name. 

Not all kosher salts are actually kosher, though. 

In order to be given kosher status, also known as kosher-certified, the salt must be examined and then declared kosher by a recognised Jewish institution or rabbi.

Certificates are issued, stating that the salt has been created in a completely kosher way, from the mining process to the packaging process, following all Jewish religious laws and guidelines. 

The same also applies to extra additives that are commonly added to other types of salt, like table or refined salt. Kosher-certified salt doesn’t contain additives or extras, such as iodine or anti-caking agents, making it completely suitable for a kosher diet. 

If the packaging doesn’t state “kosher-certified”, the salt likely isn’t actually kosher. 

What Is the UK Equivalent of Kosher Salt?

You can buy kosher salt in the UK. The term has become more popular here in recent years. 

You can also find it by searching for its UK name: flaked sea salt. 

If you can’t get your hands on flaked sea salt (or kosher salt), you can substitute it with both sea salt and table/refined salt, depending on the recipe and type of dish you’re trying to create. You may need to tweak how much you use, however. 

Can I Use Regular Salt Instead of Kosher Salt?

Yes, you can use regular salt instead of kosher salt when cooking, and vice versa. You will need to bear something very important in mind, however: Kosher salt and regular salt aren’t the same when it comes to size of the individual grains.

Regular salt is also known as refined salt, because it has been refined. The individual grains are very small. 

The individual grains of kosher salt, on the other hand, are quite large. 

If you are measuring the salt by weight, you can use roughly the same amount when substituting. So, for example, if the recipe calls for 5 grams of Kosher salt, you could use 5 grams of regular or refined salt. 

If you are measuring the salt by cup, however, you will need to take into account that the individual grains of Kosher salt are larger. They take up more space. 

Half a cup of table or refined salt is going to contain a lot more of the grains than half a cup of Kosher salt. Because of that, you will want to tweak the amount of salt you use in the recipe, and/or switch to grams (or another weight) instead of measuring by size, such as cups. If you don’t do this, your dish is going to be really bland and in need of extra seasoning… or super-duper salty. 

Is Sea Salt a Good Substitute for Kosher Salt?

Yes, sea salt is a good substitute for kosher salt, and a cheaper one! 

In fact, out of table/refined salt and sea salt, sea salt is the closest to kosher salt in terms of coarseness and flakiness. 

There will be a few differences when you substitute kosher salt with sea salt, though. The latter has a taste that doesn’t come with the former, and this is because extra minerals. One of these is called magnesium chloride. This is what makes sea salt taste differently to other salt types. 

If you add sea salt to a recipe instead of kosher salt, you are adding the taste of sea salt, too. 

Sea salt also has coarser, larger grains than kosher salt, which can alter the texture of whatever you’re cooking. 

Where to Buy Kosher Salt in the UK

You can buy kosher salt from a number of different places in the UK, including supermarkets like Ocado. Online stores, like Amazon, also have a number of different kosher salt products such as Diamond Crystal Pure & Natural Kosher Salt. 

You can also buy kosher-certified salt in the UK, including on Amazon and other online distributers. 

Salts labelled “flaked sea salts” are probably easier to buy, readily available at places such as Waitrose, Ocado, and other online stores. 

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post What Is Kosher Salt Called in the UK? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

These often call for a layer of marzipan to help seal the inside cake, which can often be quite oily (such as Christmas cakes), as well as giving the royal icing or other decorations on top something to adhere to. 

One of the best marzipan substitutes when you want to ice a cake with royal icing is fondant icing, but you may need to tweak the cake preparation process slightly. 

Let’s take a look at your options when it comes to marzipan substitutions when decorating with royal icing… 

How to Ice a Cake with Royal Icing Without Marzipan

You do have a number of different options open to you when you want to ice a cake with traditional royal icing but don’t have (or can’t use) marzipan. 

Why not try some of these alternatives and substitutes:

Option 1: Fondant icing 

You can use fondant icing in the place of marzipan. For the most part, royal icing will adhere nicely to the top.

 You may need to leave fondant icing for a few hours to dry out a little before using it, but you would need to give marzipan sufficient drying time, too.

Option 2: A layer of apricot jam

If your cake or baked good permits, use a layer of apricot jam to do the job that marzipan is supposed to. 

It is recommended that you first heat up the jam, and then force it through a sieve to ensure that has a glue-like consistency and isn’t full of lumps. Once you’ve done that, add an even layer of the smooth jam to effectively seal the cake.

You can then add royal icing over the top, without worrying about the colour bleeding or the high oil content of the cake potentially interacting with the icing. 

Option 3: Add a layer of melted white chocolate

You would use melted chocolate in the same way that you would use apricot jam in place of marzipan: first melt the chocolate, then add it to the cake so that it seals and works as an adhesive for the royal icing over the top. 

In theory, the cake would also work to prevent any colour bleeding, and could be flavoured or coloured (with food-grade colouring) to suit.

Option 4: Use ready-to-roll icing 

You can buy packets of icing that is ready to roll. You unwrap it, roll it or mould it, and then place it on top of the cake as required. 

You can use ready-to-roll icing in much the same way as fondant icing. In some cases, the ready-to-roll icing is literally referred to as ready-to-roll fondant icing. 

Option 5: Use butter icing

Butter icing, also known as frosting or buttercream, can be used as the adhesive and sealant between your royal icing and the cake beneath it.

It is easily made with sugar and butter, and it becomes firmer as it sits, which helps with intricate and more delicate cake decorating styles. 

A thin layer of butter icing can be used as a substitute for marzipan when using royal icing, provided you give the butter icing time to sit and become firmer. 

What Is Royal Icing? 

Christmas cakes are traditionally iced with royal icing. This icing was given the name because it was traditionally reserved for British royalty and royal special events, such as weddings. 

The ingredients for royal icing are: icing sugar, a splash of lime/lemon juice, and egg whites. The latter are beaten, but are then used raw. Because of this, there is a minor risk of salmonella poisoning. 

Royal icing is different from other types of cake icing because it gets harder and ‘sets’ as it cools.

It is commonly used as a glue of sorts, keeping features in place on a cake. You will see royal icing on biscuits, cookies, gingerbread houses, birthday cakes, and wedding cakes alongside Christmas cakes.

With Christmas cakes and similar designs, royal icing is used for decoration, usually on top of another layer to help the colours pop and give the icing a stable, firm surface to land on. This second layer is usually a marzipan layer. 

What Is Marzipan? 

Marzipan, as well as being used to decorate and add flavour to cakes and other baked goods, is also used in a number of other ways. This includes sweets (candy) and chocolates.

One common marzipan treat is chocolate-covered marzipan, and a traditional marzipan-based treat in the UK is Battenberg cake. The usually pink and yellow squares of sponge cake are covered in a layer of marzipan. 

There are lots of different recipes for marzipan these days, but traditionally, the confection is made from honey, finely-ground almonds and sugar. The combination of sweet ingredients gives it a sweetness that makes it perfect for confectionary and sweet baked goods. 

When making marzipan, the ingredients are mixed into a smooth paste, which is easily moulded. This is what makes it great for tasty cake decorations.

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post How to Ice a Cake with Royal Icing without Marzipan appeared first on Chef's Pick.

Known as an “American original” as far as cheese is concerned, it is white, has a unique sweetness to it, and has a rather mild flavour.

Because of this, it is commonly used as the cheese for cheeseburgers, in various cheesy pasta dishes, and also in burritos, quesadillas, and other Mexican-style delights.

It melts well, so makes a great topping for other dishes. 

You may find that Monterey Jack cheese is quite difficult to get your hands on in the UK, and that’s because it is produced in California, United States.

The cheese gets its name from the town in which it is created, Monterey. There are a number of cheeses in the UK that are similar to Monterey Jack, however, and they would make perfect substitutions. 

What Is the Closest Equivalent of Monterey Jack Cheese in the UK?

If you want a cheese that closely mimics both the taste and texture of Monterey Jack cheese, you will want to look at Gouda cheese. 

Gouda cheese is a creamy but semi-hard to hard cheese made from cow’s milk, just like Monterey Jack, and it originates from the Netherlands.

It is more ivory-yellow in colour than Monterey Jack, but it has a similar sweetness to the flavour.

The longer Gouda ages, the darker and bolder the colours and flavours become. The texture changes with age too—it gets harder. It also becomes saltier. 

Monterey Jack cheese is usually aged for approximately 30 days, but you can buy different varieties, just as with Gouda cheese. Some types are left to age for up to six months. 

Is Cheddar Cheese Similar to Monterey Jack Cheese? 

Cheddar is as popular in the United Kingdom is Monterey Jack is in the United States, but they’re not as similar as you first may have thought. 

Cheddar is left to age and mature for a lot longer than Monterey Jack is. On average, Monterey Jack is left to mature for around 30 days, but cheddar can be left from three months to two years. The maturing time will depend very much on the type of cheddar. 

Because cheddar cheese is left to mature for longer than Monterey Jack, the flavour of cheddar is bolder and sharper, and the dish is left with a creamier finish.

The flavours of cheddar are more complex, and the older the cheese gets, the more it turns crumbly and somewhat dry.

Cheddar also doesn’t melt quite as well, so is less suited to pasta dishes, grilled cheese toasties, etc. 

Can I Substitute Monterey Jack with Parmesan Cheese?

Yes, you can use parmesan cheese in place of Monterey cheese, but you will ideally want to pick a variety that hasn’t been aged for a long time.

The longer-matured parmesan types will have very bold flavours and smells that can take over an entire dish, and the cheese also has a habit of getting saltier with age.

Monterey Jack is softer than parmesan cheese. Just as with mature cheddars, the more mature parmesan is, the harder, drier and crumblier it will become. 

Can I Substitute Monterey Jack Cheese with Emmental Cheese?

Although you could if you wanted to (and you preferred Emmental cheese), it actually doesn’t make for a great Monterey Jack substitute. 

This Swiss cheese has a very bold flavour, unlike it’s mild-flavoured Monterey counterpart. It melts well, however. 

What Cheese Can I Use Instead of Monterey Jack?

Although no two cheeses will be exactly the same, there are some types that are easier to get hold of in the UK. 

We have already taken a look at cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese and Emmental cheese. Let’s take a look at a few other Monterey Jack substitutes:

Edam

As well as Gouda cheese, you could also look at Edam, which also originates from the Netherlands. Gouda is from the south of the country, and Edam is from the north. 

If it’s melt-factor you’ re looking for, Edam is similar to Monterey Jack.

It’s also a semi-hard cheese, just like Monterey Jack, and the less-aged varieties will be similar in flavour. The longer Edam matures, the bolder and sharper the taste will get. 

Gruyere

Gruyere matches Monterey Jack in ‘meltability’, and it also has a similar texture (very creamy), and a butter-like flavour. This cheese will have more of a nuttier twang to it than Monterey Jack, however. 

Mozzarella

To use in the same ways that you’d use Monterey Jack, mozzarella cheese in its dried form works as a great substitution.

Unfortunately, the fresh and wet version of the cheese has too high a water content to be able to use it in the same ways. 

As well as being very creamy in texture and simple in flavour, mozzarella melts really well, especially dried mozzarella.

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post What Is the Equivalent of Monterey Jack Cheese in the UK? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

When you think you’ve cooked enough, you haven’t. And when you think you haven’t cooked enough, you’ve accidentally made enough to feed your entire postcode!

I’m going to make things super simple for you. 

Here’s how many mugs of rice you should do per person, including daily recommend amounts from dieticians and medical experts, plus a few instances when you might want to increase or decrease that amount…

What Is the Right Amount of Rice Per Person?

In some ways, this is down to personal preference. Some people like more rice, others prefer less rice.  But how much is the ‘right’ amount per person?

It actually depends on the type of rice you use, the kind of dish you’re putting together, and whether or not the rice part of the dish is a main meal or a starter/accompaniment. 

Expert recommendations

According to the British Dietetic Association, also known as the BDA, the ‘correct’ portion size of rice is 150 grams in cooked weight, or 50 grams in uncooked weight. 

This is approximately two to three tablespoons of uncooked rice, or one-quarter of a cup per person.

The average coffee mug will hold approximately 280 to 300 grams of rice, so you would need one-sixth of a coffee mug’s worth of rice per person. 

Grain type

Long grains absorb a lot of water, which makes them considerably heavier and bulkier when they are cooked.

Shorter grains absorb water also, but in not quite the quantity that long-grain does. Short grain rice is less heavy and bulky when cooked.  

Take jasmine or basmati rice as two examples. They are known to absorb fluids well, which means that the individual grains swell and the entire rice load bulks up.

Long grain rice tends to absorb and bulk out during the cooking process, so you will need a little less of it than you would other varieties, such as shorter or medium grain lengths.

As a general rule, you will end up with roughly double the size of the rice once it absorbs the fluid it has been cooked in.

Dish type

If the rice is a main dish, you will require more of it to make up the bulk than if you were using rice in a side dish, appetiser, etc. 

A side dish would only call for approximately one-quarter to one-third of a cup of rice, whereas a main dish, rice being the majority of it, would call for two-thirds to a full cup of rice. 

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

The post How Many Mugs of Rice Should You Do Per Person? appeared first on Chef's Pick.

American cheese, also sometimes referred to as orange cheddar, is a type of processed cheese that is made in America, just as the name suggests.

It is created using a variety of cheese types, including Colby cheese (similar to cheddar, but has a milder taste), cheddar cheese, other granular cheeses, and others. They are typically mixed with washed cheese curds, giving American cheddar (also known as orange cheddar) its softness, saltiness, and also creaminess.  

If you’re not talking about American cheese, however, you might be talking about British/UK-made cheddar cheese that has had colouring added to it. Generally, ‘natural’ cheddar is creamy-yellow in colour, but this can vary with age and other factors.  

Orange cheddar cheese is simply white/yellow cheddar cheese with additional colouring added and yes, you can buy it in the UK. The taste and texture are not affected with the addition of colourings, but rather by the length of time the cheese is allowed to mature.  

 
What Is the Difference Between White Cheddar and Orange Cheddar?

The difference between white cheddar and orange cheddar is whether or not dye has been added to make it that colour.

Naturally, cheddar cheese is a pale colour – pale yellow, off-white, etc. It used to have more of an orange tint, however. This was due to the cows’ diet.

Back in the seventeenth century, when cheddar cheese was first thought to have been created, the cows that provided the milk consumed a lot of food with a high beta-carotene content.

Beta carotene is found in a lot of plants, and it gives fruits and vegetables, such as peppers, pumpkin, grapefruit, carrots, and apricots their bright colours.  

Because of the beta carotene fed to the cows, cheddar cheese used to have an orange tint to it. 

In this day and age, cows are no longer fed the high beta-carotene diet, so the cheese has returned to its ‘natural’ form, which is the yellow/white/creamy colour it is known for today. 

Orange cheddar cheese (not American cheese) has had dye added to it, to give it the old-fashioned orange colouring. The most common dye comes from the achiote tree, and is called annatto. 

What Is the Equivalent of “Sharp Cheddar Cheese” in the UK? 

Sharp cheddar cheese is cheese that has been aged (or matured) for a longer period of time than mild varieties.

It is often the ageing process itself that causes cheese to have its strong flavour. The longer it has been matured, the sharper or bolder a taste it will have.  

As a general rule, mild cheddar cheeses are matured for approximately three to six months.  

Sharp cheddar cheeses are matured for approximately eight to twelve months. In the UK, these are known as mature cheddar cheeses.  

Extra sharp cheddar cheeses are matured for approximately two years, but there is a wide variation. Some speciality cheeses are left to mature for many, many years – up to five or ten in some cases. These are usually referred to as extra mature cheddar cheese in the UK.  

The equivalent of “sharp cheddar cheese” in the UK would be mature or extra mature cheese. 

Is Red Leicester the Same as American Cheddar?

No, red Leicester cheese is not the same as American cheddar.  

Red Leicester is a crumbly and hard cheese, where American cheddar (or American cheese) is smooth, creamy, and semi-soft.

Regular cheddar is a hard and crumbly cheese, too, but Red Leicester boasts a milder flavour, is much crumblier, and stays moister for longer. Cheddar, on the other hand, has a bolder taste, gets crumblier with age, and is quite dry.  

Red Leicester is made in a similar way to UK-made or traditional cheddar cheese, and it also has annatto dye added to give it the bold orange-red colour it is famed for.

Cheddar takes longer than Red Leicester to mature, and the latter is often sold after being matured for just a couple of months.  

American cheese is processed, has a very mild scent, and has a rather mild flavour, especially when compared to Red Leicester or UK cheddar.

What Is a Substitute for American Cheddar? 

The three best substitutes for when you can’t get your hands on American cheddar (or American cheese) are:  

• Muenster
• Colby
• Cheddar 

American cheese is processed and often created from Colby and cheddar, so those two are the best substitutes in terms of flavour.

You may find that your Colby/cheddar varieties are bolder than their American cousin, however. If you opt for a mild type (one that hasn’t been matured for a long time), you can closely mimic the flavour. Colby is known to be milder than cheddar.  

Muenster is smooth and soft in texture, which makes it more like American cheese in terms of consistency. It also melts well, so it’s the perfect substitute if consistency is important in the recipe.  

There are other cheeses that you could look at, as a substitute for American cheddar or American cheese. Velveeta is a brand of processed cheese that has similar properties, and Monterey Jack is another smooth cheese with a mild flavour. The latter has a more buttery flavour.  

Mozzarella is often put forward as a substitute for American cheddar, but the flavour is incredibly mild, and the texture isn’t quite the same. If you prefer your cheese to be less smelly and mild in taste, it’s not a bad choice, but it won’t offer a lot of additional flavour or texture to your dish. 

Kim

Kim is a writer with more than a decade of experience, and a food enthusiast. When she’s not spending her time writing about her favourite dishes, you can find her in the cake aisle of her local supermarket, or making a mess in the kitchen.

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