Is there a substitute for butter in recipes?

i mean, i know you can add like apple sauce to cakes in place of the fats.


but in something like a cream puff, to make the dough where it's just butter, water, and flour. would there be anything to replace the butter?


i mean, i just hate how bad butter is for you, with all the calories and all that junk.





there hasssss to be something you can use instead of it,


i don't care if taste is sacrificed.Is there a substitute for butter in recipes?
For pate a choux (puff pastry dough) I wouldn't trade butter for margarine. You are adding an uncontrolled amount of salt to the recipe if you do.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton鈥?/a>





There are places in baking where margarine is preferred, but - natural food geek that I am - I would prefer butter to margarine overall as it is a more natural product. As far as I am concerned, margarine is more of a health hazard than eating a controlled amount of butter.





I too have done the applesauce for fat thing (great in brownies, but you lose the shiny top which is a result of a chemical reaction between the fat and sugar). I have also made more than passable quiches using egg substitute and Kashi for the filling instead of custard and rice for the crust to create really low-fat recipes.





If you are determined to make a cream puff without fat you'll have to think outside the box. I would make a meringue cup and fill it with whatever you desire (do so at the last minute to keep it crisp). The meringues can be made ahead of time and held unlike the puffs.





Meringue cup recipe 1:


http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Shamr鈥?/a>Is there a substitute for butter in recipes?
I know it is not good for you, but it's not like you are going to eat the whole recipe.





How about margarine with canola spread?