Did you know there are entire countries of people allergic to cow's milk?  OK, so there's one.  But cow's milk can be extremely difficult to digest.  The particle size is larger than other milks - say, from a goat or sheep.  Many in my family struggle with the lactose intolerance affliction, which can leave a person feeling bloated and very remorseful for the "taste" of ice cream. 

The good news is there are many alternatives.  I've written about buffalo butter before.  There's also Earth Balance "butter spread," a vegan blend of oils that tastes sort of like butter.  But until last week, I had never tried goat milk butter.  I really dislike goat milk.  I cannot swallow Chevre. I wish I could because I happen to love cheese - cow's milk cheese.  And I pay for it later.  Needless to say, I was highly skeptical of the product.  But Whole Foods was out of the buffalo butter and I needed to bake.  Earth Balance is a great spread and it even does well in sauces, but it simply does not bake like butter.  So I brought home goat milk butter.  And wondered if I'd have to trash the apple tart I'd planned to make.

I was surprised by how nongoaty the butter was.  I mean, it tasted almost like, well, butter.  WIthout the Chevre tang.  I am thrilled to have another alternative, and it's regularly in stock at Whole Foods (in the specialty refrigerator case behind the wine section).  Here's to baking again.