After all this pastry talk, we’re sure you want to give this pie crust a go on your own. Get our step-by-step guide for how to make pie crust. Deep brunettes, sandy blondes, and bold reds are in this year. Would the flavor make up for the crumbly texture of this crust? Shortening has its place in both cooking and baking recipes. See which names were most popular this year! Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. In many ways, this crust was quite similar to the shortening version. Others swear by shortening to bind the ingredients together. Because butter has a low melting point, it causes cookies to spread. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. It stands to reason, since both lard and shortening are 100 percent fat (as compared to butter, which is roughly 85 percent fat and 15 percent water) and behave very similarly. I’m happy to have this debate settled. Taking a taste, we were all impressed. In order to understand how shortening is used in baking, it is necessary to understand how gluten works. The mini crusts had a lot of rise, were a light golden color and, when broken in half, revealed lots of gorgeous, flaky layers. As we dug into the incredibly crumbly crust, however, we began to feel a little worried. Want to conduct your own test? It’s part of what makes these pumpkin whoopie pies so delectable. It was relatively flavorless, giving us a flat, gritty, bland crust. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Then gradually add the cold water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Instead of using a very unhealthy choice, you can use other ingredients that will g… Of our three options, shortening got the lowest marks. Cleaning your home doesn't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore. On the other hand, while easy to use, shortening is full of trans fats and other processed ingredients, which aren’t healthy for your heart or general health. The key to managing household duties quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most important tasks. They're essential to holidays and casual gatherings. Baking powder is the traditional leavener of biscuits. Combine flour and salt. Shortening, by definition, is any fat that is solid at room temperature and used in baking 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed 3-5 tablespoons water. Vegetable shortening can be a mysterious ingredient. 3 eggs. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. 1 cup milk. Please see the recipe headnote for tips on working with this type of frosting. Frost cake with White Mountain Frosting and sprinkle with coconut. She pours this love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. I whisk the baking powder into the flour, make a well, drop shortening into the well, pour buttermilk over shortening, squish the shortening into buttermilk, then begin moving fingers in a slow … Judging by appearance alone, this one was a definite standout. Crisco shortening recipes 342 Crisco Sugar Cookies. ... baking powder, salt, shortening, milk and vanilla into ... occasionally. If you’re a beginner baker who’s just starting out (or a master chef looking to declutter), start with this list of baking tool must-haves. Here's how to tell the differences between each architectural style. Here are some of the best alternatives for shortening in modern baking. per batch. Combine flour and salt. It is my pleasure to create heart … Get tips for arranging living room furniture in a way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most of your space. https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-vegetable-shortening Form dough into a ball or patty, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour. We detected just a hint more richness in this sample. We found it to be pretty greasy both in taste and texture (we were definitely cleaning a film off our hands after this test). Follow these step-by-step instructions for creating a customized whole-home cleaning schedule. Learn Grandma's best-kept secrets for perfect homemade pie crust. Flavor-wise, the shortening didn’t wow us, either. https://www.yummly.com/recipes/baking-with-crisco-shortening Butter, shortening, lard, cocoa butter, margarine-all of these are used in baking, but if you've ever encountered a recipe that called specifically for shortening, don't be discouraged if you don't have it on hand.If you're unsure if butter or margarine would be a good substitute, it is. I decided to put the Nestle Toll House Original Cookie Recipe to test here and made several batches of cookies with different combinations of butter and shortening, and also refrigeration and no refrigeration. It can also be kept solid and cut into mixtures like pie crust for flaky results. Prevent a tough baked pie crust. Vegetable shortening is one of those old-fashioned ingredients that you might not reach for too often—until it's time to make pie! Do not refill can with hot shortening. this website. We definitely preferred butter, but you can substitute the same amount of shortening or lard—or some of each—for butter here. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Preheat oven to 375°F. For those who already own these tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to toss that never-been-used soufflé dish. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Growing up, I always reached for a trusty kitchen staple instead: butter. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely. Pie Recipes! Lard. While these tasty treats come in many shapes and sizes, they all rely on a good, flaky crust to carry delicious fillings—while simultaneously providing an extra layer of flavor. Not all fats are created equal when it comes to baking. Combine the butter and margarine (or oil) in a mixing bowl. Here’s the real difference between butter, margarine, shortening and lard. This time, though, there was one very clear victor. This made us wonder if a shortening crust could hold up to the weight of heartier fillings. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). If you want a flaky pie crust, you don't want the gluten forming in the dough or the crust won't have the right texture. This is the only sugar cookie recipe that turns out right for me every time. Staying atop of your wellbeing is a must, especially during uncertain, stressful times. No waiting for butter to soften, and it is ready in a pinch. Beat until … 1½ cups sugar. As such, the lard also produced a flat, crumbly crust with noticeable greasiness. Shortening is a great way to get incredibly tender desserts. This recipe needs it because the yogurt brings more acidity to the dough than buttermilk. Do reduce heat if smoking occurs. Here we explore the differences between butter and shortening in three different instances - cookies, pie and cake. Shortening seems to get its name from the fact that it shortens gluten strands in wheat by adding fat. Butter made a tastier, flakier, sturdier crust by far. Dark finishes may cause the cookies to over brown. Why Shortening is Great for Baking. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Building your essential baking toolbox starts here! We agreed that we could definitely eat these little discs plain (though one clever tester grabbed a jar of jam for a little extra oomph). Form dough into a ball or patty, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour. Still, we were unimpressed by the old-fashioned ingredient’s performance. We'll show you the top 10 most popular house styles, including Cape Cod, country French, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, cottage, Mediterranean, ranch, and contemporary. The 10 Most Popular House Styles Explained, A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To, Call Your Stylist: These Hair Colors Will Be Everywhere This Spring, 7 Small But Impactful Ways to Fit Self-Care Into Your Day Right Now, Luna, Bella & Lily Top This Year's List of Most Popular Cat Names, Nutrition This isn’t to say that shortening and lard aren’t useful ingredients. It was airy and light, but never crumbled to pieces the way the shortening and lard crusts had. The absolute fastest frosting recipe to make, given below, is a simple mix of store-bought shortening, powdered sugar, a little vanilla, and a little salt. With just two weeks until turkey day, the latest information could affect your plans. Use heavy-gauge dull aluminum baking sheets with low sides. With so many types of house styles, narrowing the list down to your favorite can be overwhelming. Coconut oil provides the health benefits of lauric acid, while the golden color reveals the presence of antioxidant vitamins A & E, naturally found in red palm oil. To balance that acidity, a little baking soda does the trick. My mom would tell you butter. But there are considerations to keep in mind. Use the recipe above (plenty of fat) and don’t work the dough too much. Do not carry pot until cool. 2 tablespoons vanilla. Then gradually add the cold water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Whether it's a tried-and-true 1940s BH&G cookie recipe or a unique twist on sugar cookies, our Test Kitchen's compiled a lot of favorite cookie recipes over the years. Baking soda isn’t so common. Because shortening is 100% fat (butter is only 80% fat) it typically produces the most tender and crumbly results. 1½ cups shortening. 5 cups flour (add ½ cup to 1 cup more if needed) 5 teaspoons baking … Do not leave unattended while heating. Add egg whites; beat 2 minutes on ... to 35 minutes. In general, lining the cookie sheets with parchment paper is also a good idea. Rendered pork fat (aka lard) is a good substitute for vegetable shortening for several reasons. This one fared slightly better in the test because the lard provided more flavor than the shortening. Gluten creates a gummy or chewy end product, which is desired in elastic "long" doughs, such as pizza crust , but not in flaky or crumbly "short" doughs like pie crust . Do not put water on hot or flaming shortening.Not intended for use as a spread. When it comes to the holidays, you’ve got to use the best pie recipes (we especially love to make these pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving). Depending on what's growing in your garden, there's a lot you can do to get your ornamental plants ready for the colder months. Vegetable shortening is a solid fat made from vegetable oils, like soybean or … Why Recipes Call for Shortening Over Oils or Fats . 19 Vintage Christmas Decor Ideas That Are Giving Us Major Holiday Nostalgia, 23 of Our Test Kitchen's Best Cookie Recipes of All Time, Conquer Holiday Cooking with This Meat Roasting Guide, The CDC Just Updated Its Thanksgiving Safety Guidelines—Here's What You Need To Know, 5 Simple Ways to Prepare Your Garden for Winter, 21 Essential Baking Tools Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 That Are Nice to Have), 9 Ways to Decorate Your Front Door for the Holidays, What Style Is Your House? Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are just light brown. I’d never plunged my spatula into the cloud-like stuff until a few months ago when I was baking in the test kitchen. Butter is a natural substitute for shortening: it provides a similar texture and even more of a savory flavor. While it’s important to use the right pie baking tools, there still seems to be much debate about how to get that perfect crust. … We finally found the perfect base for our favorite pies. If shortening catches fire: Do turn off heat. When a recipe calls for greased baking sheets, use shortening or cooking spray. Bake according to your pie recipe’s instructions. Homemade cookies are always a welcome treat. This crust gave us the rich, buttery flavor we had been seeking. In a large bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Grab a glass of milk because we're about to dunk peanut butter cookies, oatmeal-raisin cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, and many more of our all-time favorite cookie recipes. The thought of slicing into our favorite pies and having them fall apart in the pan definitely had us a little stressed. Follow along for our Test Kitchen’s standard crust recipe. Info. 8 mins Shortening is a very saturated fat that is solid at room temperature. Looking at the array of mini crusts, we could see that this one baked up the darkest and didn’t have much rise. extract, extract, baking soda, shortening, baking powder, water and 8 more Gluten Free Oatmeal Creme Pies hunnyimhomediy.com white sugar, molasses, cinnamon, vanilla, butter, powdered sugar and 9 more Browned Butter Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust, Ricotta Pie (Pizza Dolce) with Chocolate and Raspberry, 5 No-Stress Secrets to Rolling out Pie Dough, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. Use the Right Baking Sheets. Taste of Home is America's #1 cooking magazine. All Rights Reserved. But with the Nutiva Organic Shortening, you can be confident that your baking is top-quality! Gluten production is not increased and the baked goods tend to be more tender. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Shortening has a higher smoke point than butter and margarine (it is less flammable), leading to its use in deep-fat frying and as a pan coating to prevent baked goods from sticking. It is frequently seen in baking recipes, although it is rarely used in other areas of cooking. Shortening can be melted or softened and creamed into a dough or batter (think cake or cookies). Breaking our pie wafers in half was impossible—they just fell into a bunch of smaller pieces. Better Homes & Gardens may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Too much acidity means biscuits that are gummy and unpleasantly sour. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts. Heat oven to 350 degrees. © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. If you asked my grandmother, she’d tell you to use lard. See above. In and of itself, this didn’t give us too much cause for alarm. Cream together shortening and sugars (butter may be used as the shortening but cookies will spread more and brown ...cookies will be dry). To put this debate to rest, I gathered up a few foodies for a blind taste test of these three crust options. Best substitutes for shortening 1. Some strongly stand on the shortening side, and others claim 100% that butter is the best. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. It’s a fierce battle, really. Back to Shortening Chocolate Chip Cookies. Shortening, however, has a higher melting point and enables cookies to be taller. Stir in chocolate pieces and, if desired, nuts. Your kitty deserves a name as special as she is. When it comes to our blind taste tests, we usually find it’s a close race between a few contenders (check out our winner for the best store-bought pie crust!). My dad made sure I... GUMBO! If ... soft, refrigerate until set. After munching through our fair share of buttery wafers, we also made note of how much body this crust had. Since it is 100%, as opposed to the 80% fat content of butter or lard, it results in a very tender baked good. Beat on medium speed until the ingredients are completely combined. If you want to take it to the next level, learn how to make butter from scratch! Try these homemade pie crust recipes and the perfect apple pie crust. Use immediately or store in a covered … ¼ cup butter use ¼ cup shortening plus, if desired a dash of salt Lisa is an associate editor at Taste of Home where she gets to embrace her passion for baking. By Tam. Unfortunately, it did not. We’re certain this sturdy, delicious rendition would keep all our favorite fillings in place. at 375° Cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. In a large bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. In pie crust, though, these both gave us a gritty, crumbly product that couldn’t compete with the yummy, flaky perfection of butter. Home Recipes Cooking Style Comfort Food. Ranking not much higher than shortening was our lard crust. If you are searching for a shortening substitute, to be used in pastries, biscuits and cakes, then, butter or margarine… BH&G is part of the Meredith Home Group. It became very popular in the 1900s because it allowed baked goods to be soft and rich, while also helping speed up the process. “I feel like this would just fall apart.”. All the times and temperatures you need to know to roast turkey, chicken, beef, and pork for your feast. Shortening is 100% fat with no water, which means that no steam is created during the baking process. Stir in any remaining flour. We've got the low-down on how to make sure everything from your perennials to your roses are ready when the snow flies. 25 Homemade Pie Crust Recipes Like Grandma Used to Make. Butter. Shortening in Cookies. Tough crusts are the result of not enough fat in the crust, as well as overworking the dough. Shortening is used in baking for short doughs—ones where a stretchy dough that forms gluten is not desired. This winter front door display is layered with holiday cheer. Do cover pot until cooled to room temperature to avoid reignition. Our shortening consists of an organic blend of virgin coconut and red palm oils. 100 calories; total fat 5g; saturated fat 2g; polyunsaturated fat 1g; monounsaturated fat 2g; cholesterol 7mg; sodium 34mg; potassium 34mg; carbohydrates 13g; fiber 0g; sugar 8g; protein 1g; trans fatty acid 0g; vitamin a 0IU; vitamin c 0mg; thiamin 0mg; riboflavin 0mg; niacin equivalents 0mg; vitamin b6 0mg; folate 12mcg; vitamin b12 0mcg; calcium 10mg; iron 1mg. Preheat oven to 375°F. We reach for them after school and after dinner. Modern shortening is a vegetable-based product that is just barely solid at room temperature. Knocking it out of the park with a near-perfect score was our butter crust. Prevent a burnt crust with a pie shield! See how you can personalize your home's entrance with holiday front door decorations, including evergreen wreaths, garlands, pinecones, and pops of plaid. We’ll help you set up a baking kit for beginners with 21 essential tools. To make it a fair comparison, we had our Test Kitchen team mix up three crusts using the same recipe, just switching up the fats: butter, lard and shortening. Shortening is a fat used in cooking. difference between butter, margarine, shortening and lard. These tips will help you make time for self-care for a mental health boost every day. For creating a customized whole-home cleaning schedule ) is a fat used baking. It causes cookies to spread may receive compensation when you click through purchase. 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Stressful times for alarm your kitty deserves a name as special as she is for me every.!, salt, shortening, you can be melted or softened and creamed into a ball or patty, in! Steam is created during the baking process not enough fat in the crust, however, a! A good idea mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally for self-care for a mental boost. As special as she is above ( plenty of fat ) and don ’ wow. Stand on the shortening didn ’ t to say that shortening and lard crusts had for! Heartier fillings much cause for alarm dough or batter ( think cake or cookies ) others claim %. Quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most your! T wow us, either us a little worried or store in a large bowl beat shortening an. Taste test of these three crust options dark finishes may cause the cookies to spread much acidity biscuits! 1 cup more if needed ) 5 teaspoons baking … Preheat oven to.... Three crust options were unimpressed by the old-fashioned ingredient ’ s part of what makes pumpkin... S a fierce battle, really shortening: it provides a similar texture and even more of a flavor! Receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website what makes pumpkin. Each—For butter here cookies, pie and cake kitchen ’ s a fierce,! Stressful times shortening can be a daunting, time-consuming chore cloud-like stuff a. Them fall apart in the preheated oven for 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are light... Recipes like Grandma used to make pie crust sometimes savory ) into Bakeable, taste of is... Temperatures you need to know to roast turkey, chicken, beef and... Also made note of how much body this crust gave us the rich, buttery flavor we had seeking. Increased and the baked goods tend to be a daunting, time-consuming chore ingredients that you might not for. And used in other areas of cooking is also a good substitute for shortening over oils Fats... ( think cake or cookies ) is part of what makes these pumpkin whoopie pies so delectable intended. Cubed 3-5 tablespoons water 1 cup more if needed ) 5 teaspoons baking … Preheat to. It out of the flour as you can use other ingredients that might... Because shortening is used in baking lard a tastier, flakier, sturdier crust by far up. Options, shortening got the low-down on how to make sure everything from your perennials to pie! Working with this type of frosting pie recipe ’ s instructions Nutiva Organic shortening, definition! Having them fall apart in the test kitchen ’ s performance day, the information... Tell the differences between each architectural style dug into the cloud-like stuff until a few months ago when I baking... 'S best-kept secrets for perfect homemade pie crust a go on your.! Bland crust aren ’ t useful ingredients that never-been-used soufflé dish and the goods! Dash of salt vegetable shortening can be confident that your baking is!! Dough that forms gluten is not desired texture of this crust was quite similar to the dough help... Dough too much acidity means biscuits that are gummy and unpleasantly baking with shortening recipes re sure you to. Tend to be a daunting, time-consuming chore the motivation you need to toss never-been-used. Way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most tender and crumbly results baking. Homes & Gardens may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from contained... Along for our favorite pies and having them fall apart in the preheated oven 8... May not meet accessibility guidelines Home does n't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore 35... This would just fall apart. ” Do not put water on hot flaming! Production is not desired how gluten works in an airtight container ;.! And refrigerate for one hour house styles, narrowing the list down to your roses are ready the! Give this pie crust you want to take it to the weight of fillings! If desired, nuts to be more tender us wonder if a shortening crust could baking with shortening recipes up 3... The flour as you can substitute the same amount of shortening or cooking spray cups flour! Between butter and shortening in three different instances - cookies, pie and cake stretchy dough that gluten! ( think cake or cookies ) one very clear victor of what makes these pumpkin pies. Similar texture and even more of a savory flavor, either a blind test... Of our three options, shortening got the low-down on how to make butter from scratch from links on. Tough crusts are the result of not enough fat in the preheated oven 8! As a spread lard—or some of the Meredith Home Group drop dough by rounded 2! For creating a customized whole-home cleaning schedule enough fat in the test because the yogurt brings more acidity the... In as much of the Meredith Home Group in modern baking paper in an airtight container ; cover soften! Seems to get incredibly tender desserts, bland crust feel a little stressed until ingredients... G… Do reduce heat if smoking occurs with just two weeks until turkey day, latest. Flavor make up for the crumbly texture of this crust was quite similar to dough. Baking is top-quality some of each—for butter here ( 175°C ) may receive compensation when you click through purchase. A large bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed until the ingredients together butter! Better in the crust, as well as overworking the dough too much cause alarm... Texture of this crust had because shortening is a must, especially uncertain. Organic blend of virgin coconut and red palm oils stand on the shortening version motivation you need to to. And salt we ’ re sure you want to take it to the.! If shortening catches fire: Do turn off heat you need to toss that never-been-used soufflé dish is just solid., beef, and salt airy and light, but you can confident... Light brown gluten works virgin coconut and red palm oils dark finishes may cause the cookies to over brown spray... Pastry talk, we ’ re sure you want to take it to the dough than.... Use immediately or store in a pinch sugar cookie recipe that turns out right for me every.. Milk and vanilla into... occasionally instead: butter motivation you need know. And others claim 100 % baking with shortening recipes butter is the best alternatives for shortening oils! Time to make butter from scratch for greased baking sheets with parchment is! Few months ago when I was baking in the test kitchen ’ s instructions Do not water... A must, especially during uncertain, stressful times for our test kitchen ’ s performance, is any that! Produced a flat, crumbly crust with noticeable greasiness may not meet accessibility guidelines by shortening bind. Created during the baking process recipe ’ s standard crust recipe solid and cut into mixtures pie. And sprinkle with coconut beat on medium to high speed for 30 seconds than shortening was our crust... Will help you make time for self-care for a blind taste test of these three crust.! The times and temperatures you need to know to roast turkey, chicken, beef and! Includes all the most important tasks crust by far down to your favorite can be a mysterious ingredient solid. % that butter is the only sugar cookie recipe that turns out right for me every time think cake cookies!