Conversion Cheat-Sheet

Brown sugar: I use dark brown sugar in my recipes. If you only have light brown sugar, for every 100g of brown sugar called for, use 95g of light brown sugar and 5g of molasses. If you are outside the US and can find it, white sugar + molasses (or treacle) is the best substitute. The rule of thumb is: for every 100g of brown sugar called for in a recipe, use 90g of white sugar and 10g of molasses.

Butter: All of my recipes use unsalted butter. If you have salted butter on hand, that's fine; just reduce the salt in the recipe by 1 teaspoon per 100g of butter used.

Chocolate: My recipes usually note what kind of chocolate to use: bittersweet (around 70-80% cocoa), semisweet (around 50-65% cocoa), or milk (around 30-45% cocoa). At grocery stores in the US, the best brand you can buy is Guittard (get the wafers). You may also want to check out the chocolate bar section at a store like Trader Joe’s for more affordable options. Whole Foods sometimes sells blocks of Valrhona chocolate, which I also like. Please do not use chocolate baking chips, as these have stabilizers that will alter the texture and taste of the chocolate.

Corn syrup: If corn syrup is hard to find where you are, substitute with glucose syrup (keep in mind glucose is slightly less sweet, so you should add about 10% extra). You can also use golden syrup.

Eggs: All of my recipes use large eggs, cold from the fridge unless otherwise stated.

Flour: Flours are different in all regions of the world, as different regions grow different wheat. Below are general rules for substituting the American flours I use:

All-purpose flour: If you live in Europe, you are looking for a t55, 0, or 550.
Cake flour: If you live in Europe, you are looking for a t45, 00, or 450.
Bread flour: If you live in Europe, you are looking for a t65, 1, or 650.

Gelatin: In these recipes, I normally use powdered gelatin as sheet gelatin is not commonly found in US grocery stores. If you have sheet gelatin on hand, 1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin (3.3g) is the equivalent of 1 sheet of silver-grade gelatin.

Heavy whipping cream/heavy cream: This dairy product is 36-40% milk fat, which means that when whipped, it will hold a firm peak. In France, a suitable option is crème or crème fleurette, but be sure the cream is at least 35% whipping cream. In the UK, double cream is a great substitute.

Milk: All of my recipes call for whole milk.

Salt: All my recipes use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If the recipe provides a weighted measurement for salt, use the same amount with whatever salt you have on hand. If a spoon measurement is given for salt, please reduce the quantity by 50%. This is a general rule (as Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt has larger crystals), but it is not always accurate.

Vanilla extract vs. vanilla bean paste: They are virtually the same flavor in volume measurements (depending on the brand you purchase), so it is safe to assume they are a 1:1 conversion. Always be sure to taste when converting, and adjust as needed.