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UK Mum
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| Posted: Aug 19 2008 at 9:46am | IP Logged
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Hello! I am having trouble with some recipes i have found online. Could someone please explain the following?
what is 1/2 & 1/2?
what is shortening? is it a kind of vegetable fat?
what is all purpose flour? here in the UK we have plain flour & self raising flour.
Thank you!
Lynn
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Mary G
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| Posted: Aug 19 2008 at 10:02am | IP Logged
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OK, let's try and translate:
Half-and-half is Half-and-half is half milk and half cream
shortening is usually referring to a solid vegetable fat
all-purpose flour is the same as UK's "plain" ...
It's very confusing isn't it? When we moved to Austria, I had recipes from the states but none of the proper measuring devices ... and ingredients had to be substituted. But, we survived and enjoyed some of our better cooking adventures!
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MaryG
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UK Mum
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| Posted: Aug 19 2008 at 10:23am | IP Logged
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ah! thank you Mary! that has headed off some baking disasters 
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Carole N.
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| Posted: Aug 19 2008 at 11:27am | IP Logged
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Lynn, I use all vegetable suet that you can find in the baking section at Tesco or Asda. And for the half-n-half I would use single cream. Baking is very different over here.
Can anyone tell me what to use for semi-sweet chocolate chips or unsweetened chocolate? I cannot seem to locate them in the store (or online).
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 Carole ... in Wales
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Mary G
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Carole -- we used the bittersweet "baking" chocolate bars in Austria (my nephew was in Heaven when he found the "hausschokolade" was only a euro and it was so BIGGGGG  )
We'd put some in a baggie, wrap it in a towel and bang with a hammer .. got out a lot of agressions! Some folks just loaded up on Nestles when they'd come home (or try to find someone with connections to a DOD base exchange!
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MaryG
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nissag
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Oh, boy... Thanks a lot Mary. Now I'm craving Jakob's coffee. Can't get that off base here. 
I remember going out to buy a food scale when we moved to England. Thank goodness I still have it, because I simply couldn't resist buying cookery books while we were there.
Then there was the quandary about single cream and double cream. And self-rising flour was a whole new thing to me - my family had never used it, so I didn't know what it was. A miracle substance!
Happy baking, Lynn!
Blessings,
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stefoodie
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| Posted: Aug 19 2008 at 12:55pm | IP Logged
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here's a handy list of substitutions
I regularly use European chocolate in baking here. If I need chips I just chop up some bittersweet (usually Lindt) or whatever I've got (right now some dark chocolates hubby brought home from Italy).
Can you get Callebaut where you are, Carole? Look for their "callets".
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UK Mum
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Stef, that is a great link, thank you.
Nissa, I do like US recipes, it is so much easier to use cups, rather than weigh everything!
Carole, thank you for the tip about single cream. Where abouts in Wales are you, btw? We are off camping in Snowdonia next weekend. It is such a beautiful place.
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Carole N.
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Thanks, ladies for this wealth of information! I should have checked here before instead of wringing my hands in despair.
Mary, I will have to check for bittersweet chocolate ... my dh keeps bringing me different varieties trying to achieve the perfect brownie recipe (which calls for unsweetened chocolate ... they really love American brownies over here)! I have not even attempted chocolate chip cookies at this point. 
Nissa, I remember getting a scale at my wedding shower from one of the ladies in my hometown. I thought, "what am I ever going to use this for?"  It is without a doubt, one of the best gifts I have ever received!
Stef, thanks for the list of substitutions.  I learn something new everyday. I checked out the Callebaut site and will see if I can find that chocolate here. There are some links on their site to individuals in the UK.
Lynn, I live in Pembrokeshire, home of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi (I only found out about this recently).  My dh has told me about Snowdonia and we are tentatively planning a trip there (and Ireland, Lourdes, Italy, Spain, etc. Did I mention that part of the reason we moved here was to travel)?
I like measuring in cups as well, but find that my scale has served me well. Converting from ounces to grams has been ever so much easier. Like I said, what a great gift!
Well, I am off in search of a cat from my dd. I will remember you ladies next time I have a cooking question!
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Carole ... in Wales
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Baking Q's
