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What would be the difference in texture to use 12 Tbsp of shortening vs. 12 Tbsp butter in a cookie
- Thread starter deb-in-mi
- Start date
the "facts"
Which One Should I Use in Cookies?
Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening.
Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren't as flavorful.
Can Butter and Shortening Be Used Interchangeably in Cookies?
Butter and shortening can generally be substituted for each other in cookie recipes if you keep a few things in mind: Since butter does contain water and less fat than shortening, you'll need to use more of it as a substitution. Also keep in the mind that the textures and shapes of the cookies will be different due to moisture content and melting points.
Which One Should I Use in Cookies?
Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening.
Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren't as flavorful.
Can Butter and Shortening Be Used Interchangeably in Cookies?
Butter and shortening can generally be substituted for each other in cookie recipes if you keep a few things in mind: Since butter does contain water and less fat than shortening, you'll need to use more of it as a substitution. Also keep in the mind that the textures and shapes of the cookies will be different due to moisture content and melting points.
melissa-dallas
Well-known member
Shortening makes things soft & chewy versus "short" & crumbly or crisp.
Chocolate chip cookies made with all butter tend to be thin & crisp. If I make them with 1/2 butter & 1/2 shortening they are thicker, chewier & softer.
Chocolate chip cookies made with all butter tend to be thin & crisp. If I make them with 1/2 butter & 1/2 shortening they are thicker, chewier & softer.
Also, be careful if using the *sticks* of shortening. They are NOT
4 oz as a stick of butter is. Each Crisco stick is 6.67 oz, and the packaging states each stick is = 1 C of shortening.
If your recipe called for 1 C of butter (8 oz) , it would NOT be equal to 1 stick of Crisco.
Just fair warning. I ran into that problem with my oatmeal cookies.
4 oz as a stick of butter is. Each Crisco stick is 6.67 oz, and the packaging states each stick is = 1 C of shortening.
If your recipe called for 1 C of butter (8 oz) , it would NOT be equal to 1 stick of Crisco.
Just fair warning. I ran into that problem with my oatmeal cookies.
Here's a link explaining the difference
http://www.thekitchn.com/shortening-vs-butter-in-cookies-whats-the-difference-213812
http://www.thekitchn.com/shortening-vs-butter-in-cookies-whats-the-difference-213812
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
I am perplexed.
The crisp butter vs. soft shortening.
My grandma made her cookies with shortening.
In my hedonist gourmet adult world, I made cookies with butter.
They were never the same.
This year, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies using Grandma's shortening. They were dead on (except for Nestle's changing the recipe on the chocolate chips), and they were thin, crisp, and exactly as I remembered.
My experience is that butter is soft and chewy and shortening is crisp. The element that was missing from my chocolate chip cookies that I missed from my grandmother's cookies.
The crisp butter vs. soft shortening.
My grandma made her cookies with shortening.
In my hedonist gourmet adult world, I made cookies with butter.
They were never the same.
This year, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies using Grandma's shortening. They were dead on (except for Nestle's changing the recipe on the chocolate chips), and they were thin, crisp, and exactly as I remembered.
My experience is that butter is soft and chewy and shortening is crisp. The element that was missing from my chocolate chip cookies that I missed from my grandmother's cookies.
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
I concur. If I make my fav chocolate chip cookies with butter, they spread more and...
...are softer. Using shortening, they are crisp on the outside and just a tiny bit soft in the middle -just how I like them.
On a side note, a mom at our school was complaining that her chocolate chip cookie recipe was too soft and she didn't know why. I asked a few questions and found out she was trying to make them healthier by subbing butter for the shortening and using all brown sugar instead of part white sugar.
Mystery solved, eh?
Michael
...are softer. Using shortening, they are crisp on the outside and just a tiny bit soft in the middle -just how I like them.
On a side note, a mom at our school was complaining that her chocolate chip cookie recipe was too soft and she didn't know why. I asked a few questions and found out she was trying to make them healthier by subbing butter for the shortening and using all brown sugar instead of part white sugar.
Mystery solved, eh?
Michael