Milk Alternatives in Baking

Linda Cicero's Cook's Corner column in the Miami Herald had a solid tip about using soy milk as a substitute for milk in baking.

Q: I recently started using soy milk, and I've gotten used to it in coffee, but don't know if I can use it in my baking or even in something like instant pudding. Do you have suggestions?

S.K.

A: Instant pudding must need dairy proteins to set up properly. I tried using less soy milk than the package calls for -- 1 ½ cups rather than 2 -- and produced a pudding-like consistency.

My vegetarian daughter says she has been making pudding -- though not instant -- with soy milk, rice milk and almond milk for years using recipes that call for cow's milk. The same goes for muffins, cakes and cookies. She notes that rice milk is a bit sweeter and almond adds a bit of flavor. She recommends soy cream, which is thicker (find it near the refrigerated coffee creamers) for sauces like alfredo or scalloped potatoes.