The Trex vs. Butter argument.
You may have noticed that in a couple of my posts I have mentioned an ingredient called TREX. Some of you may be fully aware of what this is and how to use it and others may think I have completely lost the plot, so I shall begin by explaining what trex is.
Put simply, Trex is a dairy-free alternative to butter, margarine and lard, made from vegetable fat.
(http://www.trex.co.uk/loved-for-generations/). It retails at £1.28 for 500g. (Tesco, Feb 2014)
You may have noticed that in a couple of my posts I have mentioned an ingredient called TREX. Some of you may be fully aware of what this is and how to use it and others may think I have completely lost the plot, so I shall begin by explaining what trex is.
Put simply, Trex is a dairy-free alternative to butter, margarine and lard, made from vegetable fat.
(http://www.trex.co.uk/loved-for-generations/). It retails at £1.28 for 500g. (Tesco, Feb 2014)
The main reason I first used Trex is because it is lower in saturated
and trans fats than butter, and although I love baking, anything I can use as a
slightly ‘better for you’ alternative, I am more than willing to try. It has no
colours, preservatives or e numbers, which to
me is also a great selling point as unfortunately most things we buy
have within them, hidden nastiness.
Now then, the nitty gritty, what is it like to use? Well, in my experience, it’s not half bad! I have used it so far in a bit of baking and general cooking, and my overall result has been pretty positive.
With any recipe you follow and replace your butter for Trex, you are supposed to use only 80% of what it asks for. This can be a little confusing and annoying to get your head around at first but is very simple to get to grips with. And let’s face it, who follows a recipe to the T? I know mine swap and change slightly every time!
When used to make cakes, biscuits or sponge, I have found that there was absolutely no difference in finished texture or taste; it’s just the mixing which is a little odd. Trex doesn’t cream as well as butter would do, so takes a bit more working. I usually would use it from the fridge, so maybe at room temperature it could be better to work with.
For frying and roasting, I think trex is excellent. I am a massive fan of olive oil, but sometimes find the taste can overpower some flavours. But a small amount of trex does the trick, doesn’t burn as butter does, and is complexly tasteless.
Tomorrow hopefully I shall be trying it with Pastry, so we shall see how that works out.
Now, the negatives.
While it is excellent for a wide variety of cakes and biscuits, I have found anything that you would normally want a rich buttery taste with, butter was far more appropriate. Pretty obvious you may think to yourself, or maybe add some vanilla essence to bring a bit of flavour back in? Tried. Failed.
In my personal opinion, I think some things are best not messed with. Stick to the original and don’t change too much. But there’s still no reason as to why you can’t change it, just a little
Trex can be used just as well alongside butter. ½ and ½ . Then you get some of the beautiful buttery flavours, but with not quite as many calories.
I gave it a go in buttercream, as i thought it would make it whiter, instead of cream coloured. And yes it does, and the flavour is okay. In this instance i would certainly stick to old fashioned butter! But if you are wanting a flavoured frosting, such as chocolate, go for it!!!Now then, the nitty gritty, what is it like to use? Well, in my experience, it’s not half bad! I have used it so far in a bit of baking and general cooking, and my overall result has been pretty positive.
With any recipe you follow and replace your butter for Trex, you are supposed to use only 80% of what it asks for. This can be a little confusing and annoying to get your head around at first but is very simple to get to grips with. And let’s face it, who follows a recipe to the T? I know mine swap and change slightly every time!
When used to make cakes, biscuits or sponge, I have found that there was absolutely no difference in finished texture or taste; it’s just the mixing which is a little odd. Trex doesn’t cream as well as butter would do, so takes a bit more working. I usually would use it from the fridge, so maybe at room temperature it could be better to work with.
For frying and roasting, I think trex is excellent. I am a massive fan of olive oil, but sometimes find the taste can overpower some flavours. But a small amount of trex does the trick, doesn’t burn as butter does, and is complexly tasteless.
Tomorrow hopefully I shall be trying it with Pastry, so we shall see how that works out.
Now, the negatives.
While it is excellent for a wide variety of cakes and biscuits, I have found anything that you would normally want a rich buttery taste with, butter was far more appropriate. Pretty obvious you may think to yourself, or maybe add some vanilla essence to bring a bit of flavour back in? Tried. Failed.
In my personal opinion, I think some things are best not messed with. Stick to the original and don’t change too much. But there’s still no reason as to why you can’t change it, just a little
Trex can be used just as well alongside butter. ½ and ½ . Then you get some of the beautiful buttery flavours, but with not quite as many calories.
All in all, I think it is a pretty cool thing to have in the fridge. Next time you are at the supermarket, pick some up and give it a try. Who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised. Although I wouldn’t recommend it on you toast!
If anyone has any feedback to this, or any further queries or comments, then please do not hesitate to speak up.
No comments:
Post a Comment