As an avid cook, vegetarian cookbook author and cooking instructor, I've tried many butter-substitutes/margarines over the years. A spread to use on toast in the morning is one thing. But when it comes to baking, it takes a winner to stand up to the challenge of being just as good as regular dairy butter for flavour, texture and consistent excellent results. Let's face it, butter IS a tough act to follow. If you prefer a non-dairy choice for health, ethical or other reasons and still want to turn out great tasting baked goods, Earth Balance Buttery Spread is definitely a good alternative to try.
From Earth Balance website: "As deliciously satisfying on morning toast as it is a baking ingredient, our Earth Balance® Natural Buttery Spread is an excellent all-around butter alternative. It was the 2010 Winner of the American Tasting Institute award for best tasting natural buttery spread, and all you have to do is taste its smooth flavor and creamy, silky consistency to see why."
Stop by their website for a fun browse and links to ingredients for all their products, they've got quite a few including various types of spreads and some new beverage options. There are also recipes, reader's community options, contests etc...Check it out if you are looking for more information or inspiration for perhaps healthier food options for you and your family when it comes to these types of staple products.The kind of food choices that most of us make on a daily basis so the implications to our health are considerable too.
Speaking of inspiration, how's this?
These delicious Bread-Machine Rosemary Flax Buns (click link for recipe) from my cookbook: Not Just for Vegetarians are a perfect example of a recipe I've made many, many times with Earth Balance Original and always with consistently good results.
I also use Earth Balance when baking: pie crusts,cookies,breads, scones, muffins etc...and of course it tastes great on toast too!
Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.
Updated rating as of Feb. 12 (see my comment below) Good. 3 out of 5.
I'll take it from you! I am a butter lovin' gal, too!
ReplyDeleteThese buns are delicious and Earth Balance is a very good product.
ReplyDeleteHi SandyC, Earth Balance is a very good sub. for butter and it's especially good in baking. Margarine often falls short (of butter) when it comes to cooking and baking, but not Earth Balance. As I wrote, consistently excellent results. A great product. They have a lot of different types to chose from too, in addition to the Original.
ReplyDeleteHi Joe, I agree, on both counts!
I have to say I'm love Earth Balance, but I'm disappointed they use Palm Oil as one of their ingredients. Nothing green about Palm Oil. It is killing off the habitat of & our closest DNA relatives the orangutan. (not even to mention the loss or rainforest is the loss of the planet's ability to offset greenhouse gases). We need to be Palm oil free.. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2092722/Pregnant-orang-utan-hugs-daughter-bounty-hunters-Borneo-in.html
ReplyDeleteKind Regards,
Maureen
Thanks for your comment Maureen. I was not aware of these issues with Palm Oil, I will have to read more about this. I would also prefer this being an organic product only (I believe they do have one available but we don't locally). More and more, I am looking for organic and sometimes forgoing products completely, if they aren't. G
ReplyDeletePS: I now use Earth Balance Organic for all my baking/cooking needs, instead of the regular non-organic type. I have had very good results! :<)
ReplyDelete