Types of Coconut Milk

• Before you add liquid coconut to your baking, determine what type you're holding.

  Canned coconut milk is derived from fresh, shredded coconut meat that has been simmered in water and strained. The resulting liquid is rich and creamy, with a distinct separation between the top layer of fat -- usually, solid at room temperature -- and the watery liquid underneath. "Light" coconut milk simply means that the proportion of cream to water has been reduced, and will not separate to give you coconut cream.

  Coconut milk intended as a beverage is often packed in aseptic containers and stocked in the shelf-stable milk section of the grocery store -- often, neighbor to shelf-stable versions of other dairy-free milk, such as hemp, oat, rice and soy. It can also be found in the refrigerated section. Coconut milk beverage can be used as a substitute for dairy milk in any recipe in a one-to-one ratio.

Simulate a Better Butter

• Coconut milk is useful far beyond a simple one-to-one liquid dairy substitution: it can make coconut butter behave more like dairy butter in your recipes. Since dairy butter is composed of only 80 percent fat and coconut oil is almost 100 percent fat, the two fats behave differently in baking. Use coconut milk to adjust solid coconut butter's fat-to-liquid ratio, making the vegan "butter" a closer match to the dairy it's replacing.

  To create better vegan pastries, whip together 1 part coconut milk to 3 parts coconut oil, whisking thoroughly at room temperature until the oil re-solidifies. The result, which resembles whipped butter, can act just as dairy butter does: it can be creamed together with sugar for lighter baked goods, or cut into a flour mixture to create fluffy pastry. For a more buttery, less-tropical flavor, use unflavored coconut products add a pinch of sea salt to the mix.

Powdered Coconut Milk

• If you aren't a casein-sensitive vegan, powdered coconut milk can be a baking powerhouse: it's shelf-stable, versatile and easy to store. The powder can, of course, be used to replace powdered dairy milk in bread-maker recipes -- or mixed into a milk or cream consistency and used as a direct substitute for liquid dairy. The powder can also be mixed with confectioner's sugar and a milk substitute to create a buttery glaze, which hardens nicely on doughnuts and other baked goods. It can also be sprinkled on baked treats to add a velvety finish.

Freeze for Later

• Unlike dairy milk, coconut milk freezes well. If your recipe only calls for a small amount, freeze leftover coconut milk in ice cube trays in 2-tablespoon portions. The pre-measured cubes of milk will make your next baking project that much more convenient.