How to choose ingredients

MILK: The plant-based milk used in all the Vegan Pastry Club recipes is soy milk, in particular the Alpro brand. In most recipes it is possible to use the plant-based milk you prefer. However, soy milk, thanks to its composition and protein content, also helps with emulsions and generally gives better results in preparations such as creams, sponge cakes, mousses and other desserts. As an alternative I mainly recommend oat milk. I would instead avoid milks such as rice milk because they have a very different composition and may significantly change the texture, structure and final result of the recipe. In recipes containing X58 pectin, which activates in the presence of calcium, it is recommended to use the same type of milk indicated in the recipe or a milk with a similar calcium content in order to achieve the same final result. CREAM: in all the recipes inside the Vegan Pastry Club, cooking cream is never used, only vegetable whipping cream. In Italy I mainly use Hoplà (the fuchsia package), Professional Cream (the blue package) and Flora Plant. These are all long-life soy-based whipping creams that can be whipped and are among the most stable options currently available in Italy. The most important thing when looking for a similar cream in your country is to check the fat percentage, especially saturated fats, since this greatly affects whipping stability and texture. The creams I use usually contain around: • 20% fat → Professional Cream • 27% fat → Hoplà • around 31% fat → Flora Plant Try to look for plant-based whipping creams with similar fat percentages and a similar nutritional profile, especially regarding saturated fats. Soy-based creams are generally the most stable for pastry recipes. Vegetable whipping cream is usually sold at room temperature because it is shelf-stable, but it must be refrigerated before whipping. Place it in the fridge the day before using it. VEGAN BUTTER - MARGARINE: in all the recipes inside the Vegan Pastry Club, spreadable margarine is never used, only block margarine (If not specified otherwise). This means margarines with a fat percentage of around 80%, which are firmer and more suitable for pastry recipes. Vegetable butter and margarine are, in fact, the same type of product, because both are simply an emulsion of water and vegetable fats. Alternatively, you can use the homemade margarine recipe available inside the Club. LECITHIN: in all the recipes in the Vegan Pastry Club soy lecithin is used, either powder or granular is fine, however being an allergen it can be replaced with sunflower lecithin. AGAR AGAR: For agar agar it is not recommended to use the sachets found in supermarkets but to buy a good quality agar, as sometimes different strengths are found. POTATO PROTEIN: potato protein is a plant-based protein extracted from potatoes and is mainly used in vegan pastry as an egg white replacement for whipping and creating stable foams, meringues and mousses. For potato protein it is recommended to use the Sosa brand as it is the most stable, whips better and also holds up better with the addition of fat. IOTA: Iota is a powdered gelling agent derived from red algae and is mainly used to create soft, elastic and creamy textures in desserts, creams and gel preparations. It can usually be found online under the name Carrageenan Iota. KAPPA: KKappa is a powdered gelling agent derived from red algae and is mainly used to create firmer and more stable textures in desserts and gel preparations. It can usually be found online under the name Carrageenan Kappa. PECTIN NH: ere are many different types of pectins, so it is important to purchase the one with the exact same wording for the success of the recipe. Each pectin activates differently and creates a different type of gel, therefore they all have different characteristics and are not interchangeable. Pectin NH is a professional type of pectin and is therefore usually not found in supermarkets. The recommended brands are Sosa and Louis François, but other similar professional pastry brands are also suitable. PECTIN X58: there are many different types of pectins, so it is important to purchase the one with the exact same wording for the success of the recipe. Each pectin activates differently and creates a different type of gel, therefore they all have different characteristics and are not interchangeable. Pectin X58 is a professional type of pectin and is therefore usually not found in supermarkets. The recommended brands are Sosa and Louis François, but other similar professional pastry brands are also suitable. INULIN: inulin is a white powder derived from chicory root and can easily be found online. In vegan pastry it helps create a creamier and fattier mouthfeel, therefore partly replacing one of the characteristics of egg yolk. FRUIT PUREES: the ready-made fruit purees used in the Vegan Pastry Club are from the Ravifruit brand, they contain 10% added sugar so if you want to use fresh fruit and blend it you will need to add the missing portion of sugar.