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| Mary S. wants to know: Is there a difference between butter and margarine in cooking and baking? |
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You probably wouldn't be asking if you hadn't thought you had noticed a difference. Your hunch is correct.
Butter is made from animal fat; margarine is made from plant oils (corn or soy, usually) that have been partially hydrogenated to give them various degrees of firmness (think of the difference between soft tub margarine and firmer stick margarine). In an effort to make them more palatable, pure diacetyl, the flavor compound responsible for the "buttery" flavor of butter is also added to many margarines.
Chefs and bakers will always tell you that butter tastes best, and it does. But the differences go beyond just taste. First there is the question of "smoke point", the point at which a fat turns gaseous. Margarine has a lower smoke point than butter because it derives from plant oils which are, obviously, softer than animal fats. When sauteeing with margarine, it will heat, melt and burn much faster than butter. Also, because its fats are "softer" than butter, margarine will not gently thicken a sauce as butter will when swirled in at the end of a cooking period.
Similarly, in baking they behave differently. Because of margarine's relative "softness", it just will not cream and hold air the way butter will when making cookies or cakes. Then there is the question of taste: baked goods made with butter taste better, and will retain their flavor longer than those made with margarine because of the tendency of hydrogenated fats to break down more quickly. We've included our recipe for Chocolate Butter Cake, which not only lets you see how butter can flavor a cake, but also is one of our favorite cakes ever because it is just so very, very good!
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CHOCOLATE BUTTER CAKE |
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2 sticks (8 ounces) room temperature butter
*2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, room temperature*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut circles of baker's parchment to fit bottoms of 2 9" cake pans. Spray sides of cake pans with pan spray and place parchment circles in the bottoms.
2. Place butter in bowl of mixer fitted with the paddle. (* If butter is not at room temperature, place it in the microwave for 30 seconds on 30% power - defrost, usually - no longer and no hotter!) Add sugar and whip until very light and fluffy. stop mixer and scrape down sides and around bottom of bowl. If using a hand-held mixer, do exactly the same process.
3. Crack all the eggs into a plastic container - I use yogurt or sour cream containers. DO NOT whisk them together. Turn mixer on to lowest speed, and tip the plastic container so that one egg slides into the mixer bowl. Allow it to become fully incorporated before adding the next. Continue until all the eggs have been added. THIS IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT ADD THE EGGS ALL AT ONCE! When finished, scrape all around the sides and bottom of the mixer bowl. If using a hand-held mixer, follow exactly the same process.
4. Place a hand-held sieve over a mixing bowl. Measure all the dry ingredients into the sieve, then sift them into the bowl. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Measure the milk (* if not room temp, place in microwave for 30 seconds) and add the vanilla to it. Set next to the mixer.
5. Using a measuring cup to scoop, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl. Turn it on to the lowest speed, and add one half of the milk mixture. Allow flour to become fully incorporated, then stop the mixer. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, turn on the mixer to the lowest speed, and add the remaining milk mixture. Again allow flour to become fully incorporated, then stop the mixer. Add the remaining dry ingredients, turn on the mixer to the lowest speed, and mix until just incorporated. Stop the mixer, scrape all around the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix one last time on lowest speed for one minute. If using a hand-held mixer, follow exactly the same process. I know this is sounding like a lot of hoo-ha, but taking the time to mix correctly will give you a truly great cake!
6. Divide the batter evenly among the two pans. Bake until done, about 25 minutes. When done, allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes. To de-pan, run a paring knife or small spatula around the edges, gently turn over, and your cakes will drop right out! Turn them over and allow to finish cooling.
7. When cool, peel the parchment off the bottoms. Wrap one cake in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze for the next time you need an emergency cake. Cut the other into wedges, dust generously with powdered sugar, and serve warm with your favorite ice cream.
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THE ALMANOR CULINARY ARTS ACADEMY
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FEATHER RIVER COLLEGE
CULINARY ARTS
CLASS SCHEDULE |
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The Almanor Culinary Arts Academy Presents a Trio of Late Session Classes.
All classes will be held at the Almanor Culinary Arts Academy, on Hwy 36, three miles west of Chester. For information or registration please call Chester Campus, 258-3769.
Chester Campus Feather River College is located at 101 Meadowbrook Loop, behind the Northwoods Art Gallery . |
Classes
All classes are through Feather River College, for more information and locations, please visit their website at www.featherrivercollege.org
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The Almanor Culinary Arts Academy
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