Buttermilk is usually the acid ingredient in a chocolate cake and the acid ingredient is absolutely necessary. You need to use a dairy alternative PLUS an acid. For instance, if you want to use almond or rice milk add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice per 1-cup of the milk alternative. -Grainlady

Another useful substitute for shortening is (non-hydrogenated) coconut oil, and you can often reduce the amount by 20-25-percent and get the same results. I purchase LouAna brand in the cooking oil/shortening section at Wal-Mart and our Kroger affiliated Dillons stores. This particular brand doesn't have any coconut flavor or odor - so is neutral in taste. It is solid like shortening, but as the temperature goes up, it will get soft and start to liquefy at 76-77-degrees F. That's how you know it wasn't hydrogenated. I make a whole wheat angel biscuit recipe and after I roll the dough out I cut the biscuits with a pizza cutter into square biscuits. This method is faster and will prevent "second cuts". That's the dough remaining after you cut round biscuits and you rework it to cut more biscuits. The problem with second cuts is that the dough is over-worked, developing the gluten in the flour even more, and you get tough biscuits from second cuts. Then I place the cut biscuits on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and quick-freeze the biscuits, and store them in the freezer in plastic containers, freezer bag, or vacuum-sealed in a FoodSaver bag. Bake a few in your toaster oven when needed, or larger amounts in your oven - 400-degrees F for 10-12-minutes. -Grainlady

Try this one, it's rich, but good! Flourless Chocolate Cake with Cassis ________________________________________ URL: http://www.RecipeCottage.com/cakes-chocolate/flourless-chocolate06.html ________________________________________ Flourless Chocolate Cassis cake with Creme Anglaise Serves 12 2 c half and half 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 1/3 c sugar 4 large egg yolks 10 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate 3/4 c unsalted butter 1/2 c creme de cassis 1/2 c cocoa powder 5 large eggs 1 c sugar 1/4 c whipping cream 6 tb plus 3/4 c creme de cassis liqueur 8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Whisk sugar and yolks in bowl. Gradually whisk in half and half mixture. Return to saucepan; stir over medium low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes. (Do not boil) Strain sauce. Cover, Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350. Butter 9 inch springform pan with 2 3/4 inch high sides. Line bottom with parchment, Dust pan with flour, tap out excess. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly, whisk in cocoa and cassis. Using electric mixer beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until mixture lightens and triples in volume, about 6 minutes. Add chocolate-butter mixture and fold together. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until top forms crust and tester comes out with very moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Press down on crusty portion of cake to even. Release pan sides from cake. Turn out cake onto rack. Peel off parchment and cool completely. Icing Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Add chocolate and 6 tb cassis; Whisk until smooth. Let icing stand until cool but still spreadable, about 15 minutes. Place cake on plate. Ice top and sides. Chill 1 hour. Simmer 3/4 c cassis in heavy small saucepan until reduced to generous 1/2 c, about 5 minutes. Cool. Spoon creme anglaise onto plates forming pool. Spoon reduced cassis decoratively atop sauce and swirl with knife. Place 1 slice in center of each plate. Here's another one that we like, super easy too! Passover Flourless Chocolate Torte Makes 10 servings: 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semi\-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used chips) 1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted kosher for Passover pareve (non\-dairy) margarine BUTTER IS FINE 8 large egg yolks 1 C. plus 1/3 C. sugar 5 large egg whites paper doily fresh raspberries (optional) raspberry sauce (see recipe) Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Line bottom of 9 inch springform pan w/ 2 3/4 inch high sides with parchment or wax paper. Stir chocolate and margarine in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool until lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until pale and very thick, about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture in 2 additions and beat until well blended. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake torte until crust forms on top and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter and some moist crumbs still attached, about 55 minutes (top may crack). Run small sharp knife around torte to loosen. Cool in pan on rack (torte will fall and crack). Remove pan sides. Invert torte onto platter. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead and covered with cake dome and stored at room temperature.) Grind 1/3 cup sugar in blender until fine powder forms. Place doily atop torte. Sift ground sugar over doily; gently remove doily. Garnish torte with raspberries, if desired. Serve with raspberry sauce. ( I sprinkled powdered sugar over top instead of grinding my own.) Raspberry Sauce: 2 12oz. packages frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed with juices 1 C. sugar Puree raspberries with juices and sugar in processor until smooth. Transfer mixture to strainer set over bowl; press on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids in strainer. (can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated)

This recipe is moist AND a little healthier than the usual Banana Bread recipe: 1/4 cup light margarine 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 medium) 2 eggs, lightly beaten (I used Egg Beaters; fine!) 1 egg white, lightly beaten 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used reconstituted from powder) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1-3/4 cups unbl or all-p flour 1-1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional; I opted for NONE) 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9"x5" pan with non-stick spray. 2. In a large bowl, combine margarine and sugar. Add the bananas, eggs and egg white. Mix until well blended. Add the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the banana mixture. Stir just until the flour mixture is moistened. That's where you add the nuts, if using. 3. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 55 min, or till a toothpick in the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Set the bread on the rack and allow to cool completely before cutting. Makes 16 servings. Nutritionals, per serving: 132 calories, 4 g fat, 34 mg cholesterol, 233 mg sodium, 22 g carbs, 3 g protein. (Nothing on the fiber, but with bananas, I'd think there would be at least a gram of fiber in each serving.) From Jeanne Jones' Homestyle Cooking Made Healthy (Love this cookbook - found it at the library and liked it, then found it at the Friends of the Library bookstore for $3 almost brand new. I haven't found a recipe yet that we haven't liked!) DonnaR/CA