UK term |
US term |
| baking sheet | cookie sheet, sheet pan |
| beetroot | beet |
| bicarbonate of soda | baking soda |
| bitter almond extract | almond extract/essence. All almond extract and essence is made from bitter almonds whether it is labelled “bitter” or not |
| caster (or castor) sugar | superfine sugar |
| clingfilm | Saran wrap/plastic wrap |
| coriander | Cilantro |
| cornflour | cornstarch (the thickening agent, a white powder) |
| custard powder (Birds) | main ingredients are cornflour/cornstarch and vanilla flavouring. If you can’t find any, just use cornstarch and vanilla extract. Some other flan powders may be a substitute but Birds is gluten free, other brands may not be. |
| demerara sugar | raw or turbinado sugar |
| dessicated coconut | flaked coconut |
| double cream | heavy cream (48% butterfat) |
| glacé | Candied |
| fan oven | convection oven |
| Golden Syrup (Tate & Lyle) | nearest equivalent in consistency is corn syrup. Depending on recipe, for a closer taste to golden syrup than corn syrup provides, you could maybe substitute light-brown sugar. |
| greaseproof paper | baking parchment |
| ground almonds | almond flour, almond meal |
| icing sugar | powdered, 10X, or confectioner’s sugar |
| muscovado sugar | dark brown sugar |
| rosewater | some brands labelled rosewater are in fact essence. My rose macarons require rosewater made from water with added essence no more than about 6%. Use stronger rosewaters accordingly in smaller amounts than recipes state. |
| single cream | light cream |
| smoothie | blended/liquidised fresh fruit drink (not frozen) |
| tomato purée | tomato paste |
| unsalted butter | don’t assume butter labelled “sweet butter” is unsalted. Check the ingredients list on the packaging. Also, only use 100% butter, not whipped butter or low-fat spreads. |
| whipping cream (only one in UK) | light whipping cream (30–36% butterfat), heavy whipping cream (36 – 40% butterfat). Choose light whipping cream where whipping cream is indicated in these recipes. |
| whisk (verb) | beat, whip |
| whole milk | full-fat (full-cream) milk, not skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. UK and US whole milk has the same butterfat content. |
UK/US Cooking Terms
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"Mad about Macarons! Make Macarons like the French"
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