regain out how to substitute butter for shortening when you ’re in a baking exigency , with tips from the BHG Test Kitchen .
When it ’s metre for abaking therapysession , but you ’re short of the shortening needed to make theclassic peanut butter cookiesyou’re craving , now what ? Can you substitute butter for shortening in a tinge ? OurBetter Homes & GardensTest Kitchen has tested hundreds of recipes usingbaking ingredient substitutionslike this . Here ’s what we larn about using butter instead of shortening when bake , and how to do it successfully .
BHG / Ana Cadena
Credit:BHG / Ana Cadena
What Is Shortening?
Technically , shortening is any type of fat used for bake that is self-coloured at room temperature . The shortening available at grocery stores is usually made ofhydrogenated veg oils . It ’s promise shortening because the fatty shortens chain of gluten in flour - base baked trade good , resulting in a crumbly , outlandish texture ( think pie insolence ) .
Can You Replace Shortening with Butter?
Yes , you cansubstitute butterfor reduce in your scorched goods . you’re able to also use shortening as a stand-in for butter in cooky if you want to . These fat and oils tote up flavor and add to parched goods ' texture , but they do ferment a bit otherwise . Understanding their difference will avail you swap them out with each other effectively .
How to Substitute Butter for Shortening
Substitute butter for shortening at a 1:1 ratio . So if your recipe needs a cupful of shortening , practice a cup of butter . However , make this substitution may alter the texture of your baked goods a little . Why ? Shortening is upstanding , 100 percent fat . Butter is about 80 percent fat and 20 percentage water . This additional liquid will probably change the consistency of the dessert you bake .
tryout Kitchen Tip : Margarine and buttery spreadhead bear varying amounts of water , reduce the fat in your recipe . Using margarine as a substitute for shortening or butter may not yield desirable results .
Baking Differences with Butter vs. Shortening
When comparing recipes side by side in our Test Kitchen , here are the main differences we noticed when using butter instead of expurgate for different types of adust goodness :
Cookies
Cakes and Breads
Pie Crusts
How to Substitute Shortening for Butter
Shortening with a piffling salinity makes an fantabulous fat substitution if you’verun out of butter . Adding the optional salinity will give you more of a salted butter result than unsalted butter . Of course if your formula calls for unseasoned butter , skip adding salt to the shortening .
If a recipe call for :
Test Kitchen Tip : If you ’ve got clear packet of both shortening and butter , you could utilise a combining of the two in your baking . Just combine to measure the amount called for in your recipe .
Credit:BHG / Ana Cadena
base on our Test Kitchen results , you’re able to fill in butter for shortening , and vice versa , with decent results for most baked goods . So whenmaking Christmas cookiesor a Proto-Indo European crust from scratch , you may keep calm and broil on even if you flow out of shortening or butter .
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes , you canswap out veggie oil for shorteningin most baking recipes , especially those that call for melted shortening . Both the oil colour and shortening are 100 % fat , but the flavor and texture of the resulting broil good may be different than you ’re used to .
Shortening is usually made from hydrogenated vegetable oil so it is suitable for vegetarian and vegan formula . Lard is animate being fat ( normally from pigs ) . Both fats are solid at room temperature . Shortening has a neutral flavor , while lard does add some flavor to food for thought .
Credit:BHG / Ana Cadena
