Question:

I'm wondering if you could help me with some low-fat baking options. If I'm using butter, margarine, or shortening, I've heard that some other options are yogurt or applesauce. I've even heard that you can use fat-free mayo. Is this true? Can these substitutions be made without ruining the recipe?
Dayal Santosuosso

Answer:

Some recipes and diet gurus do suggest using low-fat alternatives to high-fat ingredients like butter and eggs. But baking is a science, and an artfully balanced one at that. The liquid and leaveners and fat in a recipe all play different but related roles in the baking process. When you adjust one component, it affects everything else. Low-fat substitutions can occasionally work wonderfully. But often a recipe that's been put on a diet will flop. So it becomes difficult — if not impossible — to give a simple substitution that applies to all recipes.

You could try substituting applesauce or yogurt for up to half of the butter and see what happens. Or you could try a recipe that already calls for some sort of fat substitute in conjunction with butter or oil and hope for the best since at least one other person in the world made it and was pleased with it!

One last thing to consider: Even if the results of your baking adventure are not a disaster, sometimes the flavor and texture often bear little resemblance to the original recipe. If that's the case, ask yourself whether the modified recipe is really satisfying. If the answer is no, consider having a slightly smaller-than-normal portion of the regular recipe. (And if midnight snacking is problematic for anyone in your household, immediately pack up the leftovers and distribute them to friends, neighbors, or coworkers).

Renee Schettler
Food Editor