Substitutions To Use When You Must

The flour is measured, the butter softened, the pan greased and the oven heated. And there’s not a drop of buttermilk to be found.

Just about every cook has experienced the sinking feeling of discovering that the cupboard is one ingredient shy of a complete recipe.

Here’s a list of acceptable substitutes for those times when you’re in a pinch.

Allspice, 1 teaspoon ground: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon EACH nutmeg and ground cloves.

Arrowroot, 1-1/2 teaspoons: 1 tablespoon flour.

Baking powder, 1 teaspoon: 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar.

Butter, 1 cup: 1 cup margarine or 7/8 cup (14 tablespoons) solid vegetable shortening.

Buttermilk: Plain yogurt, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar mixed with milk to equal 1 cup.

Chili sauce: Ketchup with prepared horseradish and lemon juice to taste.

Fresh chives: Green onions, including the tops.

Chocolate, unsweetened, 1 ounce: 3 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter.

Chorizo sausage: Hot Italian sausage, seasoned with garlic and ground red pepper.

Chocolate, semisweet, 1 ounce: 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon sugar.

Cornstarch for thickening, 1 tablespoon: 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.

Creme fraiche, 1 cup: 1 cup whipping cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk, mixed in a glass container and allowed to stand at room temperature until thick, 8 to 24 hours. Refrigerate up to 10 days.

Half-and-half: 7/8 cup (14 tablespoons) whole milk plus 1-1/2 tablespoons butter.

Sour cream: Plain yogurt.

Farmers cheese: Dry-curd cottage cheese.

Fish stock: Equal parts clam juice and water.

Dried currants: Chopped dark raisins.

Sifted cake flour, 1 cup: 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour.

Self-rising flour, 1 cup: 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Fines herbes: Equal parts chervil, chives, tarragon and parsley.

Fish sauce, 1 tablespoon: 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 2 mashed anchovies.

Five-spice powder: Equal parts cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechwan peppercorns.

Fresh ginger root, 1 tablespoon: 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.

Graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup: 15 graham crackers, ground in a food processor or 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs.

Fresh herbs, 1 tablespoon minced: 1 teaspoon dried.

Fresh horseradish, 1 tablespoon grated: 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, well-drained.

Hot sauce: Crushed red pepper flakes or ground red pepper.

Italian herb seasoning: Mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary and sage.

Lemon grass, 1 tablespoon minced: 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind.

Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar or cider vinegar.

Molasses: Honey, maple syrup, dark corn syrup, cane syrup or golden syrup.

Mustard, prepared, 1 tablespoon: 1 teaspoon dry mustard mixed with 2 teaspoons wine vinegar, white wine or water.

Pancetta: Cooked, lean bacon.

Pine nuts: Walnuts or almonds.

Prosciutto: Country ham.

Pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon mixed with 1/8 teaspoon EACH ground ginger, nutmeg, mace and cloves.

Sake or rice wine: Dry sherry or dry vermouth.

Shallots: Minced onion with half a small clove of minced garlic.

Light brown sugar, 1 cup: 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon molasses.

Cinnamon sugar, 1 cup: 7/8 cup (14 tablespoons) superfine or granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon.

Superfine sugar: Granulated sugar mixed in the food processor until it is powdery.

Tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon: 1 teaspoon EACH dates, prunes, dried apricots and lemon juice, processed together.

Tomato sauce, 1 cup: 3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) tomato paste and 1/2 cup water.

Chinese black vinegar: Balsamic vinegar.

Seasoned rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon: 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Vanilla bean: 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

White wine for cooking: Dry vermouth

Cake yeast, 5/8-ounce cake: 1 packet active dry yeast.