Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no one ever
says what it does.

Is it purely for texture and moisture, or is there some other purpose?

"Yukon Cornelius" > wrote in message
...
> Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no one
ever
> says what it does.
>
> Is it purely for texture and moisture, or is there some other purpose?

Ingredients for baked goods are often divided into two categories:
structure producers and tenderizers. Shortenings inhibit the proteins that
form gluten from joining into long, tough networks. That is why they are
called "shortenings." The fat makes the baked good more tender, improved
the "mouth feel" by making it seem moist, influences the way some baked
goods like cookies spread, influence browning, and carries fat soluble
flavors and/or contributes its own flavor.

Yukon Cornelius wrote:

> Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no one ever
> says what it does.
>
> Is it purely for texture and moisture, or is there some other purpose?


It's a cheaper substitute for butter...

~john!

--
What was it like to see - the face of your own stability - suddenly look
away...

"levelwave" > wrote in message
...
> Yukon Cornelius wrote:
>
> > Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no
one ever
> > says what it does.
> >
> > Is it purely for texture and moisture, or is there some other purpose?
>
>
> It's a cheaper substitute for butter...
>
> ~john!
>

Butter is a type of shortening.

Yukon Cornelius wrote:

> Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no one ever
> says what it does.
>
> Is it purely for texture and moisture, or is there some other purpose?

It's what makes pastry good. If you doubt that, cook up a batch of flour and
water so that you can see the difference.

(Yukon Cornelius) writes:
>
>Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no one
>ever says what it does.

Shortening shrortens... duh. Never substitute Crisco for KY jelly.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

>Ingredients for baked goods are often divided into two categories:
>structure producers and tenderizers. Shortenings inhibit the proteins that
>form gluten from joining into long, tough networks. That is why they are
>called "shortenings." The fat makes the baked good more tender, improved
>the "mouth feel" by making it seem moist, influences the way some baked
>goods like cookies spread, influence browning, and carries fat soluble
>flavors and/or contributes its own flavor.

That would explain why shortening ruins pizza crust.

"Yukon Cornelius" > wrote in message
...
> >Ingredients for baked goods are often divided into two categories:
> >structure producers and tenderizers. Shortenings inhibit the proteins
that
> >form gluten from joining into long, tough networks. That is why they are
> >called "shortenings." The fat makes the baked good more tender, improved
> >the "mouth feel" by making it seem moist, influences the way some baked
> >goods like cookies spread, influence browning, and carries fat soluble
> >flavors and/or contributes its own flavor.
>
> That would explain why shortening ruins pizza crust.

Exactly. I do add a tablespoon of olive oil to my pizza dough, but that's
not much and if you add it late in the mixing it has less of a shortening
effect.

ode (Yukon Cornelius) wrote in
:

> Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no
> one ever says what it does.
>
> Is it purely for texture and moisture, or is there some other purpose?
>

Isn't that enough?

at Tue, 21 Oct 2003 00:10:12 GMT in <EP_kb.79124$uJ2.32062
@fe3.columbus.rr.com>, (Vox Humana) wrote :

>
>"levelwave" > wrote in message
...
>> Yukon Cornelius wrote:
>>
>> > Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no
>one ever
>> > says what it does.
>> ...
>> It's a cheaper substitute for butter...
>>
>Butter is a type of shortening.

Technically, yes, if you're using "shortening" in the generic sense, that
is, any fat that shortens dough (generally the fats that remain solid at
room temperature.

However, in the USA, at least, the term "shortening" has come to mean
specificially the hardened, deodourized vegetable fats produced through
hydrogenation, especially Crisco, the most common retail brand. Certainly
that's what most people think of. If you were to make a recipe that called
for "shortening", expecting the users to choose whatever fat of, say, lard,
butter, and Crisco, that they pleased, you'd probably end up with the vast
majority (possibly 80% if not higher), using Crisco, not mostly because it
was the cheapest, but because they assumed that's what the recipe called
for, and most people aren't going to tinker with a recipe by substituting
fats that they didn't think the recipe allowed.

Personally I think this is a bit of a shame, because I'd like to see more
recipes say, in spite of the longer verbiage, "lard, butter, or vegetable
shortening" so that people could choose the tradeoff that best suited their
purpose: lard for best texture, butter for best flavour, vegetable
shortening for lowest cost.

It's also important to note, (as VH undoubtedly knows but the OP may not),
that lard, butter, and vegetable shortening are NOT 1-for-1
interchangeable. Butter is more challenging to use in pie crusts, yields
crisper results in cookies, denser, richer cakes, etc. Lard makes almost
foolproof pie crusts, rather fragile, crumbly cookies, *extremely* delicate
but strange-tasting cakes, etc. Shortening makes good but a bit pasty and
bland pie crust, puffy, soft cookies, tall, light, springy cakes, etc. And
you need to adjust the exact proportions of each fat somewhat.

--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Alex Rast) writes:

>Vox Humana) wrote :
>>"levelwave" wrote:
>>> Yukon Cornelius wrote:
>>>
>>> > Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no
>>one ever
>>> > says what it does.
>>> ...
>>> It's a cheaper substitute for butter...
>>>
>>Butter is a type of shortening.
>
>Technically, yes, if you're using "shortening" in the generic sense, that
>is, any fat that shortens dough (generally the fats that remain solid at
>room temperature.
>
>However, in the USA, at least, the term "shortening" has come to mean
>specificially the hardened, deodourized vegetable fats produced through
>hydrogenation, especially Crisco, the most common retail brand.

<perverse verboseness snipped, however your dumb ass>

When refering to baking ANY FAT can be considered shortening[period]

Whaddidya think, baking didn't exist prior to the invention of hydrogenated
vegetable shortening...duh. Friggin' lard brained idiot.



---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

PENMART01 wrote:

> Whaddidya think, baking didn't exist prior to the invention of hydrogenated
> vegetable shortening...duh. Friggin' lard brained idiot.

That's not what he said. He said that in the USA it has become common
to use the term "shortening" when referring to vegetable shortening.
Whether that's a good thing or not is another issue, but it's a fact.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Reg writes:

>PENMART01 wrote:
>
>> Whaddidya think, baking didn't exist prior to the invention of hydrogenated
>> vegetable shortening...duh. Friggin' lard brained idiot.
>
>That's not what he said. He said that in the USA it has become common
>to use the term "shortening" when referring to vegetable shortening.

Are you ****ing retarded? Can't you follow the thread? The OP asked about WHY
the term shortening, you ****ing nincompoop.

So what. That doesn't preclude all other fats from being called shortening...
and in fact in commercial bakeries Crisco (hydogenated vegetable shortening -
solid 'vegetable' shortening as averse to solid 'animal' shortening) is rarely
used in baking anymore (was a WW thingie when solid animal fats were in short
supply... usta be lotsa brands but not anymore), in bakeries it's used mostly
for icings... instead lard, butter, and generic vegetable oil (liquid) are the
default shortenings of professional bakers. Just because Crisco is called
shortening means nothing, it's rarely used as shortening per se, mostly it's
used for frying... when the Crisco folks realized people were using the product
for frying they came out with Crisco oil. Shortening is a baking term, and in
culinary parlance shortening means one and ONLY one thing, ANY fat used to
shorten gluten strands.

M-W

short·en·ing

Function: noun
Date: 1538
1 : the action or process of making or becoming short; specifically : the
dropping of the latter part of a word so as to produce a new and shorter word
of the same meaning
<STRONG>2 : an edible fat used to shorten baked goods</STRONG>
---



---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

PENMART01 wrote:

> Reg writes:
>
>
>>PENMART01 wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Whaddidya think, baking didn't exist prior to the invention of hydrogenated
>>>vegetable shortening...duh. Friggin' lard brained idiot.
>>
>>That's not what he said. He said that in the USA it has become common
>>to use the term "shortening" when referring to vegetable shortening.
>
>
> So what. That doesn't preclude all other fats from being called shortening...

No one said it did, fool. Try reading what I said again.
Slowly this time.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

On 21 Oct 2003 21:02:35 GMT, (PENMART01) wrote:

>Alex Rast) writes:
>
>>Vox Humana) wrote :
>>>"levelwave" wrote:
>>>> Yukon Cornelius wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But no
>>>one ever
>>>> > says what it does.
>>>> ...
>>>> It's a cheaper substitute for butter...
>>>>
>>>Butter is a type of shortening.
>>
>>Technically, yes, if you're using "shortening" in the generic sense, that
>>is, any fat that shortens dough (generally the fats that remain solid at
>>room temperature.
>>
>>However, in the USA, at least, the term "shortening" has come to mean
>>specificially the hardened, deodourized vegetable fats produced through
>>hydrogenation, especially Crisco, the most common retail brand.
>
><perverse verboseness snipped, however your dumb ass>
>
>When refering to baking ANY FAT can be considered shortening[period]
>
>Whaddidya think, baking didn't exist prior to the invention of hydrogenated
>vegetable shortening...duh. Friggin' lard brained idiot.
>

Yes, Sheldon. When it comes to reading comprehension you should be in
the textbooks.

......Alan.


--
Curiosity killed the cat -
lack of it is killing mankind.

PENMART01 wrote:

> Reg writes:
>=20
>=20
>>PENMART01 wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Whaddidya think, baking didn't exist prior to the invention of hydroge=
nated
>>>vegetable shortening...duh. Friggin' lard brained idiot.
>>
>>That's not what he said. He said that in the USA it has become common
>>to use the term "shortening" when referring to vegetable shortening.
>=20
>=20
> Are you ****ing retarded? Can't you follow the thread? The OP asked a=
bout WHY
> the term shortening, you ****ing nincompoop.

Excuse me, you ****ing nincompoop. Just read the subject line. It'll=20
tell you what the original question was. It wasn't about the term=20
shortening, it was about the purpose for shortening.

HTH

Pastorio

> So what. That doesn't preclude all other fats from being called shorte=
ning...
> and in fact in commercial bakeries Crisco (hydogenated vegetable shorte=
ning -
> solid 'vegetable' shortening as averse to solid 'animal' shortening) is=
rarely
> used in baking anymore (was a WW thingie when solid animal fats were in=
short
> supply... usta be lotsa brands but not anymore), in bakeries it's used =
mostly
> for icings... instead lard, butter, and generic vegetable oil (liquid) =
are the
> default shortenings of professional bakers. Just because Crisco is cal=
led
> shortening means nothing, it's rarely used as shortening per se, mostly=
it's
> used for frying... when the Crisco folks realized people were using the=
product
> for frying they came out with Crisco oil. Shortening is a baking term,=
and in
> culinary parlance shortening means one and ONLY one thing, ANY fat used=
to
> shorten gluten strands.
>=20
> M-W
>=20
> short=B7en=B7ing
>=20
> Function: noun
> Date: 1538
> 1 : the action or process of making or becoming short; specifically : t=
he
> dropping of the latter part of a word so as to produce a new and shorte=
r word
> of the same meaning=20
> <STRONG>2 : an edible fat used to shorten baked goods</STRONG>
> ---
>=20
>=20
>=20
> ---=3D BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =3D---
> ---=3D Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =3D---
> Sheldon =20
> ````````````
> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
> =20

at Tue, 21 Oct 2003 21:02:35 GMT in
>,
(PENMART01) wrote :

>Alex Rast) writes:
>
>>Vox Humana) wrote :
>>>"levelwave" wrote:
>>>> Yukon Cornelius wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > Most recipes for baked goods include some kind of shortening. But
>>>> > no
>>>one ever
>>>> > says what it does.
>>>> ...
>>>> It's a cheaper substitute for butter...
>>>>
>>>Butter is a type of shortening.
>>
>>Technically, yes, if you're using "shortening" in the generic sense,
>>that is, any fat that shortens dough (generally the fats that remain
>>solid at room temperature.
>>
>>However, in the USA, at least, the term "shortening" has come to mean
>>specificially the hardened, deodourized vegetable fats produced through
>>hydrogenation, especially Crisco, the most common retail brand.
>
><perverse verboseness snipped, however your dumb ass>
>
>When refering to baking ANY FAT can be considered shortening[period]

In theory, yes. And as I implied, I think it's unfortunate that in the USA
the colloquial usage has come to be that "shortening" implies Crisco. But
the respondent's comment:

"It's a cheaper substitute for butter..."

implies that in his mind, shortening can be equated with Crisco or a
similar product because he uses the term butter in a context that excludes
it from "shortening" as he is using it. Now, the OP doesn't imply this:

"include some kind of shortening."

but the fact that a respondent has become used to the common usage of the
term as a synonym for Crisco suggests a more detailed response than the
terse, probably confusing response:

"Butter is a type of shortening."

Brevity may be the soul of wit, but when they're too short and addressed to
people with assumptions that are too far away from the person being brief,
they're not very illuminating.

>Whaddidya think, baking didn't exist prior to the invention of
>hydrogenated vegetable shortening...duh. Friggin' lard brained idiot.

You'll note that I tend to agree that the narrowing of the term in the
popular use to meaning Crisco or similar products is inappropriate:

"Personally I think this is a bit of a shame,"

and clearly I'm aware that baking must be possible without it, indeed, IMHO
preferable in most respects:

"I'd like to see more
recipes say, in spite of the longer verbiage, 'lard, butter, or vegetable
shortening'"

But wishing that the common usage hasn't transformed the meaning of
"shortening" from "any fat solid at room temperature that will shorten
pastry" to "white, more-or-less odourless and flavourless hydrogenated
vegetable fat" won't make it so, and therefore it would seem to me that it
is necessary to use more words to say the same thing. Reminds me of the
absurdity of political correctness, where the nice compact generic pronoun
"he" gets replaced with he/she (are we headed in the direction of he/she/it
in future?).


--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)