The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [121]
crumb A tender crumb is something to be desired when baking cakes, muffins, and bread. Crumb refers to the internal structure of the baked good. When saying something has a tender crumb, it generally means the item has an even texture, not crumbly or ragged.
custard A cooked mixture of eggs and milk popular as a base for desserts. Although not a true custard, “mock” custard can be made using soft silken tofu without the eggs.
cut in A method of incorporating a fat, such as nonhydrogenated vegan margarine, into dry ingredients by breaking it into small pieces. With heat, moisture is released from the fat, creating a flaky texture.
dash A few drops, usually of a liquid, released by a quick shake of, for example, a bottle of hot sauce.
dollop A spoonful of something creamy and thick, like vegan sour cream or vegan whipped topping.
double boiler A set of two pots designed to nest together, one inside the other, and provide consistent, moist heat for foods that need delicate treatment. The bottom pot holds water (not quite touching the bottom of the top pot); the top pot holds the ingredient you want to heat.
dredge To cover a piece of food with a dry substance such as flour or cornmeal.
drizzle To lightly sprinkle drops of a liquid over food, often as the finishing touch to a dish.
Earth Balance vegan margarine A nonhydrogenated expeller-pressed natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola, and olive oils), with soy protein, soy lecithin, and lactic acid derived from sugar beets. It’s 100 percent vegan and can be used interchangeably in most recipes that call for butter or margarine.
Ener-G Egg Replacer A product made with potato starch, tapioca flour, and leavening agents that can be substituted for eggs in many vegan baked goods.
flaxseed Flaxseeds come in brown or golden, or you can purchase already ground flaxseed meal. The whole seeds can be used raw or toasted for a nutty flavor. Ground flaxseed acts as a binder, taking the place of eggs in certain recipes, while adding a good deal of fiber, too.
Florida Crystals Made from pure sugar cane, organic Florida Crystals have no additives and can be used in most recipes that call for granulated sugar.
flour Grains ground into a meal. Wheat is perhaps the most common flour. Flour is also made from oats, rye, buckwheat, soybeans, etc. See also all-purpose flour; cake flour; whole-wheat flour.
focaccia Similar to pizza, focaccia is a flat, oven-baked bread usually seasoned with olive oil and herbs and sometimes topped with onions, vegetables, cheese, and salt. Before baking, it’s often “docked” by pressing oiled fingers into the dough to create “dimples.” Then more olive oil is brushed on and settles in the dimples. Focaccia can be eaten as is or used to make sandwiches.
fold To combine a dense and light mixture with a circular action from the middle of the bowl.
fructose Sugar naturally found in fruit, slightly sweeter than granulated sugar.
ginger Available in fresh root or dried, ground form, ginger adds a pungent, sweet, and spicy quality to a dish.
glucose The simplest natural sugar.
graham flour A type of wheat flour used in making graham crackers. It’s available in health food stores and most large supermarkets. If you can’t find it, substitute all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour in equal parts.
granulated sugar Most commercial brands of granulated cane sugar are processed using bone char from cattle. Animal bone char is used in the refining process as a whitening filter. Look for organic sugar at the health food store, and read the label to be sure no animal ingredients are used in the processing.
grate To shave into tiny pieces using a sharp rasp or grater.
grease and flour To prepare the baking pan with some sort of fat and flour to produce a nonstick surface. In most cases, we use either nonhydrogenated vegan margarine or a vegan solid shortening such as Crisco and a bit of flour