I've been doing some serious reading in the
baking sections of my cookbooks.
( must be the cooler weather )

Could someone clarify;

Some recipes call for "oil"
Some call for "shortening" ( I assume Crisco )

Why use one or the other ?

Are they interchangeable ?
I notice the cookie recipes are "shortening" users.

Could one substitute butter ? margarine ?

A can of Crisco would probably be a lifetime supply for me...
<rj>

> Some recipes call for "oil"
> Some call for "shortening" ( I assume Crisco )
>
> Why use one or the other ?


You might find this an interesting read...

http://tinyurl.com/upjj

~john!

"" wrote:

> I've been doing some serious reading in the
> baking sections of my cookbooks.
> ( must be the cooler weather )
>
> Could someone clarify;
>
> Some recipes call for "oil"
> Some call for "shortening" ( I assume Crisco )
>
> Why use one or the other ?
>
> Are they interchangeable ?
> I notice the cookie recipes are "shortening" users.
>
> Could one substitute butter ? margarine ?

The recipes call for shortening (Vegetable shortening i.e.
Crisco) because that is the way they were developed for the taste
and texture. You could substitute margarine or butter with a
slight variation in the amount and get similar results. I have
substituted vegetable oil for melted shortening in pancake
recipes, but I would think that you would lose that crispy
texture in the cookie if you used oil.


> A can of Crisco would probably be a lifetime supply for me...

It is more often sold in 1 lb. bricks. The bricks are much
easier to work with because you can slice it into the amount you
need using the guide printed on the top flap. A block of
shortening is about 2 1/8 cups. You simply slice through it with
a sharp knife and unwrap the shortening right into your bowl.
There is no need to unwrap it first, and it is so much easier
than spooning it out into a measuring cup.

"<RJ>" > wrote in message
...
>
> I've been doing some serious reading in the
> baking sections of my cookbooks.
> ( must be the cooler weather )
>
> Could someone clarify;
>
> Some recipes call for "oil"
> Some call for "shortening" ( I assume Crisco )
>
> Why use one or the other ?
>
> Are they interchangeable ?
> I notice the cookie recipes are "shortening" users.
>
> Could one substitute butter ? margarine ?
>
> A can of Crisco would probably be a lifetime supply for me...
> <rj>

Normally in baking, oil and shortening are not interchangeable.

The advantage to shortening is the fact that it is either solid or
semi-solid at room temperature. Of course, butter and pure margarine (not
lite) are interchangeable with a vegetable shortening. The solid or
semi-solid state effects the texture of a dough or batter made with
shortening. Additionally, since "baking" is a complex series of chemical
reactions the time it takes for the dough to melt also effects the finished
product. As example one other reason for using shortening is to suspend
products within the dough (chocolate chips etc.)

Hope this helps,

Dimitri

I hope this helps

"<RJ>" > writes:

>Some recipes call for "oil"
>Some call for "shortening"
>
>Why use one or the other ?

Whoever wrote the recipes is a baking imbecile.

In baking nomenclature ALL fats are shortening... the onus is upon the recipe
writer to indicate *specifically* WHICH fat.. ie. butter, lard, corn oil,
sunflower oil, olive oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, etc. A real baker will
never list "shortening" as an ingredient.


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

"levelwave" > wrote in message
...
>
> > Some recipes call for "oil"
> > Some call for "shortening" ( I assume Crisco )
> >
> > Why use one or the other ?
>
>
> You might find this an interesting read...
>
> http://tinyurl.com/upjj


Doesn't this question, or a variation of it, come up every few weeks or so?

-Mike

Hark! I heard "Mike Pearce" > say:
> "levelwave" > wrote in message
> ...

> > > Some recipes call for "oil"
> > > Some call for "shortening" ( I assume Crisco )
> > >
> > > Why use one or the other ?

> > You might find this an interesting read...
> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/upjj

> Doesn't this question, or a variation of it, come up every few
> weeks or so?

Heck, more often than that. Not only did we have "What is the point
of shortening?" in October, we also had the "Oil questions" thread
just last week:

le.rogers.com>

Ah well, that's the nature of Usenet, I guess... :-)


--
J.J. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!

"J.J. [aka j*ni]" > wrote in message
...

> Hark! I heard "Mike Pearce" > say:

> > Doesn't this question, or a variation of it, come up every few
> > weeks or so?
>
> Heck, more often than that. Not only did we have "What is the point
> of shortening?" in October, we also had the "Oil questions" thread
> just last week:
>

I think we are about due for a list of "spices." Then Sheldon can get to go
through it and point out the herbs.

-Mike

Mike Pearce wrote:

> I think we are about due for a list of "spices." Then Sheldon can get to go
> through it and point out the herbs.


And Bob can point out the fact that the 'H' is silent...

~john!


....just kiddin' Bob

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

Hark! I heard "Mike Pearce" > say:
> "J.J. [aka j*ni]" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hark! I heard "Mike Pearce" > say:

> > > Doesn't this question, or a variation of it, come up every few
> > > weeks or so?

> > Heck, more often than that. Not only did we have "What is the point
> > of shortening?" in October, we also had the "Oil questions" thread
> > just last week:

> I think we are about due for a list of "spices." Then Sheldon can get to go
> through it and point out the herbs.

Ahh, tradition... ;-)


--
J.J. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!

J.J. [aka j*ni] wrote:

> Hark! I heard "Mike Pearce" > say:
>> "J.J. [aka j*ni]" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Hark! I heard "Mike Pearce" > say:
>
>> > > Doesn't this question, or a variation of it, come up every few
>> > > weeks or so?
>
>> > Heck, more often than that. Not only did we have "What is the point
>> > of shortening?" in October, we also had the "Oil questions" thread
>> > just last week:
>
>> I think we are about due for a list of "spices." Then Sheldon can get to
>> go through it and point out the herbs.
>
> Ahh, tradition... ;-)
>
>

Aren't we also about due for a discussion of "authentic" Alfredo? :-)

"Cream!" "No cream!" "Tastes great!" "Less filling!"

---jkb

--
"Moose burger or caribou dog?"
-- Ed Chigliak

(J.J. [aka j*ni]) writes:

>"Mike Pearce" says:
>> "J.J. [aka j*ni]" wrote:
>> > "Mike Pearce" says:
>
>> > > Doesn't this question, or a variation of it, come up every few
>> > > weeks or so?
>
>> > Heck, more often than that.
>
>> I think we are about due for a list of "spices."
>> Then Sheldon can get to go through it and point out the herbs.
>
>Ahh, tradition... ;-)

Just keep in mind that's it's also tradition for me to point out the idiots,
morons, imbeciles, and douche bags.


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

levelwave wrote:

> Mike Pearce wrote:
>
> > I think we are about due for a list of "spices." Then Sheldon can get to go
> > through it and point out the herbs.
>
> And Bob can point out the fact that the 'H' is silent...
>

And Bob will be wrong. In English, it is pronounced with with the "h". In French
the "h" is silent.

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 14:00:56 -0600, "Mike Pearce"
> wrote:

>
>"levelwave" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> > Some recipes call for "oil"
>> > Some call for "shortening" ( I assume Crisco )
>> >
>> > Why use one or the other ?
>>
>>
>> You might find this an interesting read...
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/upjj
>
>
>Doesn't this question, or a variation of it, come up every few weeks or so?
>
>-Mike
>
>
You're absolutely correct.

I guess we tend to focus on the topics
that are relevant ( at the moment )


<rj>

PENMART01 wrote:
> Just keep in mind that's it's also tradition for me to point out the
> idiots, morons, imbeciles, and douche bags.
> ---= BUY FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---

But then you would just be pointing to yourself

Cristina