Soya flour alternative

[Gathorne]

I'm making mock marzipan tonight and the recipe needs soya flour which I don't have, and i can't get to the shops today. My alternatives are plain or self-raising flour, or cornflour. Which would be best?

[woofgang]

yuck none of those, it'll taste disgusting. You could use ground almonds or try processing any nut finely, perhaps finely crushed biscuit crumbs, semolina is what was used in wartime.

Flour or cornflour won't poison your guests, but it wonk get you any stars for your cookery!!

[nickmo]

I'll second that several times. It certainly wonk!!. Marzipan is marzipan.

If you have to, try this option:

140g / 5oz semolina
140g / 5oz icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp. custard powder
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla essence


Mix together to form a paste, cover with cling film until needed.

Honestly though, unless its for a vegan, or nut allergy sufferer (marzipan is from almond paste), dont, as you wont really be satisfied compared to the real marzipan.

If you are baking a sponge cake, you could use a sugar paste as the base for the icing, but this doesn't work on fruit cakes.

[Gathorne]

Of course I know marzipan tastes best - the mock marzipan is for a cake for someone with nut allergy. More useful comments welcome.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Weirdly enough, yesterday I got the book 'The Food Substitutions Bible' out of the library.

You could try substituting gram, millet, corn, or quinoa ground 'to the texture of flour'.

Or I've just googled Mock Marzipan and come up with

Mock Marzipan
June Care has created a Mock Marzipan as an alternative to a tradional version for Pat Marsh's Show.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 7 mins
Cooking time: nil
Cooking method: No Cook
INGREDIENTS:
5 oz or 140g. Semolina
5 oz or 140g. icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp. custard powder
one egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla essence

METHOD:
1. Mix together to form a paste, cover with cling film until needed.

[woofgang]

ha ha nickmo, you and I know of course that "wonk" is a technical cookery term!!

[nickmo]

Hi woofgang - quite correct - and I think invented by Anthony Bourdain??

Found this definition of wonk by the way- think it fits alright in the kitchen :-

wonk

noun {C} US INFORMAL


a person who works or studies too much, especially someone who learns and knows all the details about something:

e.g.: As the NEC's deputy for domestic policy issues, Sperling has functioned as both policy wonk and political guru.

Have a peachy weekend

[woofgang]

here 's another definition

wonk

[Gathorne]

Will you two please stop wonking around with my terribly important question.