1 stick of butter or margarine in the US

is equal to 1/2 cup (or 4 ounces) of butter or margarine

self-raising flour

all-purpose flour plus 1½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt per cup of flour.

whole wheat flour in the US

is essentially esqual to whole meal flour in the UK

cornstarch in the US

is essentially equal to cornflour in the UK; substitute either with double the amount of flour when using as a thickener

baking powder (2 teaspoons)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda plus 1-1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

shortening

can usually be replaced by lard in most recipes. Or use margarine or butter, although both will give a more buttery taste.

whole milk (1 cup)

1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup of water

buttermilk or cultured milk

1 cup of plain yoghurt; or 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to make one cup (let mixture stand for five minutes)

sweetened condensed milk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powered milk, ¾ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup warm water

heavy cream (1 cup)

1/2 cup butter plus 3/4 cup milk

sour cream (1 cup)

1 cup cottage cheese plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice blended until smooth

1 egg in cake batter

2 tablespoons mayonaise

honey

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup of what er liquid is used in the recipe

corn syrup

corn syrup is not common outside the US but you can usually substitute golden syrup or make sugar syrup by boiling 1 cup of sugar in 1/4 cup of water until syrupy.

superfine sugar in the US is similar to castor sugar in the UK

substitute granulated sugar for superfine or castor sugar, but be aware this is coarser and results may not be exact.

baking chocolate (1 square unsweetened)

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon salad oil (not olive oil) or solid vegetable shortening

dark chocolate

is equivalent to plain chocolate in the UK. Dark chocolate is also called semi-sweet chocolate in the US.

lemon juice (1 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

dried mustard (1 teaspoon)

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

garlic clove

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

red wine for cooking (1/2 cup)

1/2 cranberry juice cocktail plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

white wine for cooking (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup white grape juice plus 1 tablespoon vinegar

Miscellaneous Kitchen Substitutions

Things to use "in a pinch"

drain opener

1 cup each salt and baking soda flushed with a kettle full of boiling water

clamp

spring clothespin; masking tape; pants hanger; partly open drawer; clip-on earring

funnel

plastic bag with corner cut off or rubber glove finger with tip cut off

paper glue

raw egg white

moving dolly

skateboard

packing material

popcorn, marshmallows

wood filler

a little instant coffee mixed with drywall compound or spackle