Okay, so I’ve been trying to cut down on butter lately, you know, for health reasons and all that jazz. But I’ve got a major sweet tooth, and I just can’t give up desserts. So, I started messing around in the kitchen to see if I could come up with some good stuff that doesn’t use any butter. It was a bit of a challenge, honestly, but kinda fun!
The First Try: Brownies
First off, I tried making brownies. I figured, how hard could it be, right? I found this recipe online that used oil instead of butter. I got all the ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, oil, the whole nine yards. Mixing it all up was easy enough. I just dumped everything into a bowl and stirred it until it looked like brownie batter. I poured it into a pan and popped it in the oven.
The waiting was the hardest part. I kept checking every few minutes, poking it with a toothpick. Finally, it was done! I pulled it out, let it cool, and cut myself a piece. It looked pretty good, but the taste? Not so much. It was kinda dry and just didn’t have that rich, buttery flavor I love. Still edible, but definitely not my best work.
Applesauce to the Rescue
Then I remembered someone told me about using applesauce in baking. I thought, why not give it a shot? I found another recipe, this time for cookies, that used applesauce instead of butter. I was excited to try this one, I gathered up the stuff I needed. This time, I made sure to measure everything out carefully. I mixed the wet ingredients first – applesauce, sugar, an egg, and some vanilla. Then, in a separate bowl, I whisked together the dry stuff – flour, baking soda, and some spices.
Slowly, I added the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mixing until it was just combined. The dough looked a bit different than usual, kinda softer. I dropped spoonfuls of it onto a baking sheet and baked them. When they came out, they were soft and chewy! I was surprised. They actually tasted pretty good! Not exactly like traditional cookies, but still a solid treat.
Experimenting with Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Getting Ingredients: Got my usual cookie stuff—flour, sugar (both white and brown), eggs, baking soda, salt, and of course, chocolate chips. The twist? No butter.
- Mixing the Wet Ingredients: Instead of butter, I used vegetable oil. I mixed the oil with the sugars first. It felt weird, not like creaming butter and sugar. Then, I cracked in the eggs and added some vanilla extract.
- Adding the Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, I whisked the flour, baking soda, and salt. I gradually added this to the wet mix, stirring until just combined. I was careful not to overmix.
- Chocolate Chips Time: Dumped in a whole bag of chocolate chips and mixed them in. Who doesn’t love a lot of chocolate, right?
- Baking: I dropped spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet, leaving some space between them. They went into the oven, which I had preheated to 375°F (190°C).
- The Wait: This was tough. I kept peeking into the oven. After about 10 minutes, they started to look golden around the edges.
- Cooling and Tasting: Took them out and let them cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then moved them to a wire rack. They were soft and chewy. They definitely tasted different from the usual butter cookies, but hey, they were still good!
I started adding a little bit of oil to the mix to bring back some moisture, and bam, it made the cookies even better. So now, these applesauce cookies are my go-to when I want something sweet but butter-free.
The Result: A Sweet Success
So, yeah, it took some experimenting, but I found out you can totally make desserts without butter. They might not taste exactly the same, but they can still be super yummy. Plus, it’s kinda cool to find new ways to bake. I’m thinking of trying a butter-free cake next. It feels good to satisfy my sweet tooth without feeling too guilty about it. This whole thing turned out to be a sweet success!
