Substitutes will work in a pinch

Dear Heloise: The other day, I needed some sour cream and realized I didn’t have any. I found that if I mixed 1 cup of plain yogurt and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar together, a sour-cream substitute was created! Deidre H., Washington, D.C.

You’re right, Deidre, this will work in a pinch as a substitute for sour cream. Please keep in mind that substitutions may change the texture and flavor. We thought we would share other substitutions that might come in handy:

•No baking powder? For each teaspoon needed, mix 1‚Ñ4 teaspoon baking soda and 1‚Ñ2 teaspoon cream of tartar.

•No cornstarch? For each tablespoon needed, use 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.

•No self-rising flour? For each cup needed, mix 1 cup all-purpose flour, 11‚Ñ2 teaspoons baking powder and 1‚Ñ2 teaspoon table salt.

•No unsweetened baking chocolate? For one square, mix 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon cooking oil or shortening.

Keep these on hand, and you can avoid a trip to the store. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I love cake and brownies. Here is a way to save hundreds of calories. Just substitute applesauce (no sugar added) for the total amount of oil. I use those small 1‚Ñ2-cup serving sizes. It works with any boxed cake or brownies. That’s it! You can’t taste it, and it’s very moist and healthy. Linda, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Linda, applesauce can indeed be used in place of oil in many recipes. Keep in mind that the texture could be different because of the substitution. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I love smoothies, but I always feel guilty about ingesting so many calories. Then I got the idea to divide the smoothie up into small plastic cups with lids and freeze. When you get an urge to have a smoothie, simply defrost one of the cups and enjoy. Tastes delicious! Elizabeth, via e-mail

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate