Butter.

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korbo, Nov 22, 6:36am
With butter such a price, I am thinking of useing table spread/marg for some baking.
Would you use the same measurement.?
Does anyone always use marg instead of butter.thanks
melford, Nov 22, 7:23am
I use Olivani and I works well in most things. Always use real butter in fruit cakes though.
harrislucinda, Nov 22, 7:43am
yes use same amount But i dont use marg as that is oils i use the spread that is made with butter milk
Just made my own butter today as had enough cream
nauru, Nov 22, 7:59am
I always use margarine for all my baking, have done for years. Use same measurement as normal. I only use butter to make shortbread for Christmas, the one recipe that margarine doesn't seem to do it I'm afraid.
marcs, Nov 22, 11:30am
I live in Australia and butter price is $5.15 per 500g block so I am thinking the same thing. The same butter 6 months ago was $3.60. I can find cooking margerine in the supermarkets so thinking along the same lines for my Christmas baking. Not sure what shortbreads and pastry will turn out like. Also thinking may be substitute a little butter with Lard in the pastry but unsure how this will turn out too.
uli, Nov 22, 10:04pm
If you use margarine or other spreads make sure to check if it is made with water. Some of them are to make them softer and that means it is less fat in the same amount of weight than butter.

I often use olive oil in my cakes as I am too lazy to melt butter. Even though it is extra virgin and strong smelling no-one ever commented on the taste - except that the cake is very good :)
cottagerose, Nov 23, 1:56am
k

Which margarine do you use as I notice some people say some have too much water in. Thankyou
korbo, Nov 23, 3:04am
I used the cheapest table spread (value $1.49) this morning in a packet mix, and it tastes just fine. Also used it in the icing, where I hve always used butter.
dibble35, Nov 23, 4:14am
I wont eat margarine any more, personal choice but i think its horrible stuff. So i've cut way back on baking - hardly do any now a days which is probably a good thing, (dont need to get any fatter.) And I make my own spreadable butter but find i have cut way back on that as well.
scruff71, Nov 23, 4:29am
Westgold 400gm $5.50 Club card Countdown - and the taste is far superior to Anchor. Stretch it out with whatever oil is in cupboard and hot water.
snapperheadrkp, Nov 23, 9:34pm
Westgold 400gm $5.50 Club card Countdown - and the taste is far superior to Anchor. Stretch it out with whatever oil is in cupboard and hot water.

The price above equates to $6.87 for 500 gms. Pams tried this 400gm trick a couple of years ago. I picked up 2 blocks thinking they were cheap and only noticed they were missing 100gms when I went to use one a week or so later.
I complained to the owner of our local New World and he admitted they had had dozens of complaints. He gave me another pack. A few months later the Pams 400gm packs were discontinued. The 400gm Westgold are just a scam from Westland Dairy.(Kiwi's ripping off Kiwi;s)
uli, Nov 23, 9:57pm
Why is it a rip-off? The 400g weight is clearly advertised on the butter packet AND on the shelf price tag.
buzzy110, Nov 23, 10:10pm
Probably because it costs more per 100grams than the 500gram block. By a simple quirk in our psyche, we tend to see that as a "rip off" or something very similar. Or like me, the poster probably thinks it is over priced. Which is what I feel about smaller blocks of cheese. The smaller the pack the higher the per 100gram price. My highly attuned sense of frugality, combined with a deep seated desire to go to my grave having spent a lifetime eating good quality food and not junk like chemical pretend butter, is offended by what I view as underhanded marketing ploys.

I just try to remain alert and vigilant when grocery shopping.
davidt4, Nov 23, 10:13pm
It's not a scam; as Uli says, the weight is clearly shown on the front of the label (on a red background for extra impact). Westgold is very good butter too.
scruff71, Nov 23, 10:54pm
We can thank globalisation for these prices!
I am happy to currently pay $4.50 for 400gm Westgold butter rather than $5.50-plus for 500gm Anchor, purely based on quality, even on a low single income. However, the price has reduced my baking effort to one item fortnightly.
kay141, Nov 23, 11:43pm
Westgold was $3.99 at the local New World this morning.
buzzy110, Nov 24, 11:12am
OK. Rereading your original post you quoted $5.50 for the Westgold butter which put it just 39c less than the 500gram butter, making it much more expensive. $4.50 puts a different spin on the subject.
oopie, Nov 25, 4:29am
Us too. There's no margarine in our supermarkets, it's all table spread - and I wouldn't eat either.
retired, Nov 25, 5:36am
When I married in 1954 we all cooked with margarine, Stork and then later Blue Band. Baking turned out well. Think I still have my Stork Recipe Book somewhere!
scruff71, Nov 25, 5:57am
Sorry, blinked! Its back to $5.50 today at my Countdown! It's a bit like the petrol prices.
I'm for stretching out quality butter so when Westgold is on special I buy a packet. Nothing nicer than warm toasted ciabatta with a serving of Westgold, washed down with Moccona Indulgence coffee and Puhoi Valley Colombian Expresso milk. pure decadence on a budget, I say.
P.S. Sacrifices are made to enjoy these simple pleasures!
nauru, Nov 25, 6:22am
I remember the block stork and then blue band margarines. As far as I can remember Mum only used those for all her baking and it always turned out well. She only used butter for her Scottish shortbread which was just an occasional treat. She also used butter for her Christmas and any celebration cakes. I used to have a stork recipe book too, sadly mislaid it during one of our house moves. I still have my much used Be-ro book though which is now looking rather tatty, a kind friend just informed me this week that she is sending me the latest copy.
nauru, Nov 25, 6:24am
I find that Country Soft is good and I have used cheap HB table spread in the past with success.
anne1955, Nov 25, 9:38pm
Yes I got sucked in by that the other day I was/am rope-able granted I should have read sign and should know better. and worse its for Xmas Cakes I make for Hospice as a gift.
I am interested in reading about using cheap spreads When ever I have tried using them they don't melt like butter, I used them in icing some time back and they seem to just sit in/on the water bit yuck when I look at it and ask myself why doesn't it melt? Ok I know its not butter . even when it ends up in sink still just sits I reckon rather than break down.
Use oil in muffins and as a keen baker I have been looking at lard and other things must keep this post up where I can find it. not let it melt away :)
fifie, Nov 25, 10:04pm
I know longer bake. Have a factory shop where we can get yummy goodies if we want. They sell small rolls pastry made with marg real cheap, I don’t like it, it’s to soft and flakey. Still like my butter pastry, and keep a block in the fridge so it’s there if I need it. There is a recipe around to make a spreadable butter, they used years ago might help the bakers.
moparpete, Nov 26, 12:11am
I exactly do that too and yes shortbread is the only thing that butter adds an extra layer of flavour that can't be achieved by using margarine.Learnt it from trying to make a batch out of margarine and it didn't taste the same. I use margarine for Christmas cake too and it turns out welltoo.