Butter vs. Margarine

[Painless Cooking]

I tested a Flourless Cookie Recipe with butter and the exact same recipe with margarine. The recipe I used Flourless cookies .
I found the butter recipe produced a prettier formed cookie and a much better flavor. Have you noticed a difference in your baking using butter vs. margarine?

 

[JamesS]

Depending on the recipe, there can be a pretty huge difference between butter and margarine, and even between different brands of margarine.

 

[jet]

Depending on the recipe, there can be a pretty huge difference between butter and margarine, and even between different brands of margarine.

That's why my sister uses only a specific brand of margarine for her sugar cookies.

 

[Andy M.]

That's why my sister uses only a specific brand of margarine for her sugar cookies.

That's why I always use butter.

 

[DaveSoMD]

I never substitue as there can be a difference in the final product if you do.

 

[froggythefrog]

Yeah, margarine is definitely not just one thing -- it can vary a lot! As an example, there are only three completely vegan brands of margarine that I really know about: Smart Balance Light, Earth Balance, and Nucoa. Smart Balance Light has a lot of water in it -- it becomes obvious right away that you just have a spread rather than anything to cook with, which is how I suspect most "light" margarines are.
Earth Balance can be used both as a spread and for cooking. I think one of the major differences between sticks and the tub is the water content. Earth Balance uses these vegetable oils as a mixture: soybean palm fruit, canola and olive.
Nucoa is probably the richest tasting vegan margarine and I've only ever had it in stick form. However, it is not as healthy as Earth Balance is. The vegetable oils it uses are Liquid Soybean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil.

Butter, on the other hand, while varying in quality, is just that: milk fat that's been separated from milk.

 

[Andy M.]

...Butter, on the other hand, while varying in quality, is just that: milk fat that's been separated from milk.

Butter in the US is almost always 80% fat, almost 20% water and a small amount of milk solids. The milk solids are what causes butter to go rancid.

 

[mrsound]

It depends on the food you are baking. And just follow what the recipe is telling you. If it's butter, then it's butter. If it's margarine, then use margarine. Butter and Margarine are two different ingredients. Never substitute them.

 

[Vanilla Bean]

I find that cookies turn out flatter with margarine. That is just my experience. I only cook with butter. I use margarine for toast, english muffins, etc...only because it spreads easily.

 

[Gennie32]

cookies are good better with butter

 

[FrankZ]

I use margarine for toast, english muffins, etc...only because it spreads easily.

Get a butter bell and ditch the margarine.

 

[ChefJune]

That's why I always use butter.

Me, too. If y ou read what's in margarine, you might change your mind about making anything with it.

 

[CookLikeJulia]

Butter is better than margain because it had many ingredient than margain alone thats why got the best result.
Butter also contains a number of anti-oxidants that protect against the kind of free radical damage that weakens the arteries. Vitamin A and vitamin E found in butter both play a strong anti-oxidant role. Butter is a very rich source of selenium, a vital anti-oxidant--containing more per gram than herring or wheat germ.
Butter is also a good dietary source cholesterol is a potent anti-oxidant that is flooded into the blood when we take in too many harmful free-radicals usually from damaged and rancid fats in margarine and highly processed vegetable oils.A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine.

 

[skidi]

Cookies and cakes are usually softer if you use margarine. I prefer a more solid consistency so I mostly use butter except I am cooking according to a recipy.