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Questions tagged [shortening]

24 questions
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4 answers

What would result from not adding fat to pastry dough?

I'm preparing some form of pastry. The usual ingredients: flour, water, and shortening. What would happen if I don't add shortening?
queshawn
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7
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2 answers

How does substituting Butter for Margarine/Shortening affect the Recipe

I know that Margarine / Shortening are usually softer than butter, but what other differences are there? Can I just melt the butter and call it good or will this effect my final Product? I have seen Margarine / Shortening a lot in cookies, but I am…
That One Actor
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4 answers

What exactly is "vegetable shortening"?

I have not heard about this stuff before.. It is not used in Indian cooking..! What exactly is shortening? I read it in a recipe to bake a rose shaped cake and it uses shortening to grease the pan..
Shaima
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6
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1 answer

Why does freezing vegetable shortening alter its appearance?

I got large container of vegetable shortening that I wasn't going to open right away, so I stuck it in bottom of the freezer (-14 F) to keep it from going rancid. I never really needed it, so I ignored it for the next four years. I pulled it out…
mrog
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5
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2 answers

How do I make a flaky croissant?

I found this nice vegan croissant recipe: http://www.sabjimatablog.com/2011/05/17/recipe-vegan-croissants/ I am quite happy with the end result, but I wish I can bake a flakier pastry. I have a feeling that I didn't get the folding quite right. I…
zfranciscus
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2 answers

What can I substitute for vegetable oil in a recipe?

Is there something that I can use as a substitute for vegetable oil in a recipe? I'm actually making cornbread (I think it matters), and normally the recipe calls for 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Unfortunately I just realized that I'm out. Can I use…
Andrew Dunaway
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1 answer

Butter and Butter Flavored Shortening

I have a cookie recipe I am trying for the first time, and it calls for both shortening and butter. I only have butter-flavored shortening on hand for the shortening. Should I reduce the amount of actual butter the recipe calls for? Or should I trek…
Trish S
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4
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2 answers

Can you add water to shortening to use in place of butter?

When I was younger I was in an honor camp for felons taking a culinary program and was taught that you can add water to shortening to make a butter substitute.
Jeremy
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4
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6 answers

How can I keep my buttercream from becomming grainy?

I am making buttercream icing, but the powdered sugar does not dissolve with the butter and shortening. The icing is grainy. How can I prevent this?
Cathy Bui
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4
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2 answers

Greasing a pan with butter vs. with shortening

Is there any reason one should prefer one over the other? I've always used shortening (probably because that's what my mom always did), but my fiancee has always used butter. There's no significant difference I can think of (for this application),…
TJ Ellis
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3
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3 answers

No Shortening and No Refrigeration, Buttercream Frosting

Can anyone tell me what I can add to Buttercream frosting that doesn't include shortening and will still allow me to keep the cake at room temperature? I hate the taste of shortening
user23908
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3 answers

How to substitute butter with combination of butter and shortening in cookie/biscuit making?

Sometimes when I bake cookies, they either come out too soft or they become rock hard. I have read somewhere that baking cookies with butter makes is spreadable in the oven and gives it crispy texture, while using shortening makes it firm in the…
Chandan Soni
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3 answers

How can non-hydrogenated shortening exist?

I'm having a hard time looking up this question, but I have some palm oil shortening and I see some coconut oil shortening that are both non-hydrogenated. I thought the oils would be more liquid than solid at room temperature, if they aren't…
miahelf
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What is the ratio of fat to flour in shortcrust pastry?

What is the ratio of fat to flour in shortcrust pastry? I cannot find anything on the matter, and it said somewhere that it was 4:1 but I've been told differently in the past, so I've come here to ask for different opinions.
Daisy
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2
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3 answers

Soften fats for buttercream

I am trying to make a stable buttercream and I am using butter and shortening [in the UK we call it trex or cookeen]. However, in this cold weather the fats are not getting to room temperature. What is the best to soften them? I don't own a…
jelly46
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