Baking with less butter

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TMikeR

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North Wales, UK
Love making ginger flapjacks, but don't like the huge amount of butter. Any ideas on sensible replacements that don't add odd flavours? Tried light olive oil, adds a taste and flapjack didn't set.

Making scones, rubbing butter into flour, is there a kitchen implement etc that speeds this up?

Any help, ideas, comment really appreciated!
 
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As for the scones, I imagine you could use a food processor. I always do it by hand ; doesn't take long and I find it therapeutic :D
 
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Second question, definitely the food processor. That used to be a little “best kept secret” a long time ago, but more and more, it’s the recommended way. I admit that I still usually do it the old-fashioned way, even with bad hands, but when I do use the food processor, I think, “Why aren’t I doing it like this all the time?!?!”

This recipe shows the process, it’s literally less than 20 seconds of food processor time:

Scones

Makes you angry to have to clean it after such a short use time. 😉
 
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In the USA a flapjack is a pancake and I think over there it's not the same thing. And I've never made a scone before.

Edited to correct my typo.
 
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TMikeR said:
Love making ginger flapjacks, but don't like the huge amount of butter. Any ideas on sensible replacements that don't add odd flavours? Tried light olive oil, adds a taste and flapjack didn't set.

Making scones, rubbing butter into flour, is there a kitchen implement etc that speeds this up?

Any help, ideas, comment really appreciated!
Click to expand...
Hi

If you remove the butter from flapjacks, as you have found they won't set. The only option would be to replace that butter with another fat that is solid at room temperature. The only options that immediately spring to mind are a solid cooking fat, margarine or coconut oil (which is solid at normal room temperature).

None taste as nice as butter though. I make my own vegan butter due to a dairy allergy. A mixture of a deodorised coconut oil and margarine is the only option.

I guess the best question I have for you is why are you trying to reduce it?

At the end of the day, that mixture of solid fat and oats is what flapjacks are about. It may be better to eat less and enjoy the buttery taste if you can.

Scones. Mixing using a Kenwood chef balloon whisk is what I've always used, moving over to the K beater once I have crumbs. A good processor will do the same but be careful not to overheat the butter and melt it because it doesn't really work as well.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
If you remove the butter from flapjacks, as you have found they won't set. The only option would be to replace that butter with another fat that is solid at room temperature. The only options that immediately spring to mind are a solid cooking fat, margarine or coconut oil (which is solid at normal room temperature).
Click to expand...

I was about to say the same thing. As the flapjack cools the butter returns to its solid state which means the flapjacks 'set'. You have to use a solid fat. Block vegetable margarine is a reasonable substitute if you are catering for vegans or trying to save money. Do not use soft margarine.

For information: Flapjacks in the UK are a 'set' bar (a bit like a granola bar) as opposed to a pancake.

For rubbing butter into flour, you can either use a mixer or a hand held pastry cutter (blender):

Professional Stainless Steel Pastry Blender | Dunelm

Screen Shot 2025-06-23 at 11.12.18.png
 
Thanks very much for ideas and replies!
Last lot i did reduce the amount of butter to the point the flapjack resembles a pile of crumbs! So will increase the amount of butter, but also thought about putting in the fridge for a few hours to let the butter really set before cutting.
Pastry blender looks a good idea!
 
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