shortening is 100% fat, butter is about 85% fat and 15% water. If you're leery of butter, you may be tempted to substitute an alternative fat for your pie crust dough. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, I developed a love for cakes, cupcakes, and everything sweet from an early age. Some of these recipes call for shortening, while others require butter or margarine. Many people are turning away from using traditional shortenings in baking and here is why- it is just not healthy. why would you want to put these harmful chemically created fats into Follow along for our Test Kitchen’s standard crust recipe. clearly time for a change! Read the alternative to crisco shortening for pie crust discussion from the Chowhound Home Cooking food community. (Lard doesn’t taste like pork unless it gets rendered with meat, as … The “butter” answer is good, but I personally prefer lard. Then … Thanks! The reason is that animal fat usually contains more water than vegetable oils, so it *might* interfere with the quality of your crust if you use 100% butter. When using butter in place of shortening in your pie crust, make sure the butter is room temperature so that it has the same soft consistency as shortening. Yield: One nine-inch pie crust. Study after study has shown that consuming too many trans fats will lead to coronary artery disease by raising cholesterol. Trans fats have actually been banned in the taste of your pie. 1 1/4 cups unbleached, all purpose flour (you can use whole wheat here, but it won’t be as tender. For more firm crusts, use vegetable oil. This using less fat. But it is Ever wondered what vegetable shortening is? Here are five great substitutes for shortening that will save the day pie. Shortening, with its higher melting point, adds stability to a baking pie crust. Press Esc to cancel. Countless pie crust recipes are available in cookbooks and on the Internet. Before the advent of vegetable shortening, lard was the fat of choice for pie crusts. As you can see, there are many ways to make a delicious pie crust without shortening. Trans fats have also been proven to cause inflammation which can increase the risk of arthritis, heart disease and can affect diabetes. Ingredients: Cold Butter – make sure your butter is rock solid cold, and use real butter (not margarine or low-fat). Use this dough immediately! Like butter, vegetable shortening is considered solid at room temperature with no flavor or smell. Types of Pies to make. Butter Shortening Pie Crusts are the happy medium between an all butter and all shortening crust. and will therefore be able to blend into the pie crust like shortening. It’s easy to understand why! While the butter contributes richness and flavor, the shortening helps ensure tenderness. No matter how much you ... to 5 single crusts. Consider increasing the amount of sugar and eggs in the pie recipe to counter the denser pie crust, recommends The Cook's Thesaurus. Coconut oil also lends a subtle tropical taste to the pie crust that compliments many kinds of pies. The first ingredient that you can use as a substitute for shortening in pie crust is good old butter. Read all about the secret to making the perfect pie crusts here. Another advantage of using shortening and lard in flaky, tender pie crust and baked goods is that, as solid fats, they don't mix as completely with the dry ingredients as oils do. Not only is it possible, but you have options! This is because the technique for making a pie crust is a little different than regular pie crust. Shortening substitute in pie crust recipe Can I substitute coconut oil for shortening in pie crust recipe? Butter is made up of water and fat, makes the pie crust less-flaky, but the rich flavor of it comes as a blessing for your crust. Seems like it is time to go try out those new pie crusts without shortening- who needs shortening anyway? Salt – Don’t skip this, it brings out the flavor in the crust and is extra necessary when using shorting because it doesn’t have the same flavor as butter; Vegetable shortening – I like to use Crisco sticks … Before vegetable shortening was invented, lard was commonly used for this purpose in baking. Both of these fat free options will give you a good pie crust but they will be quite different than your traditional crust that uses shortening or fat. Add three parts vegetable oil for every four parts shortening called for in the directions. As Julia wrote of her classic pie crust dough, “A mixture of 3 parts butter and 1 part vegetable shortening will give a tender crust with a good buttery flavor.” Easy as that!When using butter in place of shortening in your pie crust, make sure the butter is room temperature so that it has the same soft consistency as shortening. This crunchier texture holds true no matter what kind of oil you use. 4. When using oil in place of shortening So, if your recipe asks for 1 cup shortening, use ¾ cup coconut oil. But what if you don’t have any shortening on hand? In fact, the measurements are pretty much the same; you can put half a cup of butter instead of half a cup of shortening. Just don't use vegetable oil as a shortening substitute in recipes like pie dough, biscuits, or scones—you won't get … While however, the rich taste of butter will more than make up for the All of these are valid reasons for wanting to make pie crust without shortening! In fact, lard was once commonly used for pie dough, until it was largely replaced by commercially available vegetable shortening in the early 20th century. I've seen it at a farmer's market, but I am unsure where else you would find it. As lard lost its appeal in the second half of the 1900’s, vegetable shortening gained favor with the home cook. While you can make an oil pie crust, you can’t exactly substitute oil for butter or shortening in a pie crust. Not you! The first ingredient that you can use as a substitute for shortening in pie crust is good old butter. Shortening … Butter is a major flavor enhancer, but its low melting point can be an issue. You can also try a flaxseed replacement by using 3 tablespoons of flaxseed mixed with ¼ cup water. Try those fat free crusts too for something totally new and healthy! Making a pie crust with shortening is a classic way to ensure you have a soft flaky crust. Add three parts vegetable oil for every four … Sprinkle the first 4-5 tablespoons over the crumbs and pulse twice. You’ll need: 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed 3-5 tablespoons water. ), you still may have other reasons for wanting to look for ways to make pie crust without shortening. The crust will still taste delicious and be suitable for any kind of pie but you will definitely notice the difference when making a pie crust without shortening! Substitute an equal amount of peanut ... for in your pie crust recipe. Pie crust may be rolled out ... (2 tops/3 bottom crusts). Recipe calls for 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening in addition to 10 tablespoons butter. 3. You may use crunchy ... recipe and roll out as you would any pie crust. After the pie bakes, it won’t be extremely greasy anymore but the crust will be more firm and less flaky than if you had used shortening or butter. The only logical reason to specify 'shortening' *as well as butter*, is to suggest that you use some VEGETABLE fat instead of animal fat. Add in cold shortening pieces and pulse just until crumbs start to form, 3-4 pulses. A Web Experience brought to you by LEAFtv, Coconut Oil Online: Recipes and Tips for Using Coconut Oil Supreme, How to Use a 9-Inch x 13-Inch Pan for Monkey Bread. However, while it's the ideal ingredient from a texture perspective, it lacks the flavor of butter. Lard, like vegetable shortening, is easy to work with. It has all the same properties as vegetable shortening – makes flaky pastries, has minimal spread in cookies, and has a clean flavor. Residing in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Jaimie Zinski has been writing since 2009. Swapping oil for shortening can cause the pie crust to be less flaky, but it will still come out of the oven hot and ready to eat. The shortening, the theory went, would contribute flakiness, and the butter, taste. It also melts at a higher temperature than either butter or vegetable shortening… https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-vegetable-shortening Coconut oil is solid when it is at room temperature (not too hot!) Hi, I’m Sarah. Baking Kneads, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. However, they do taste good and get the job done if a fat free crust is what you need! Vegetable shortening is solid fat used as a substitute for butter or lard, perfect for baking or greasing pans. im trying to make apple pie but im out of shortening. Many people find shortening to be bland and want a richer flavor in their crust than shortening can provide. A lower-protein pastry flour, like our Pastry Flour Blend, will inherently make a more tender crust (and will also be a bit more fragile when you're rolling it out). Aside from baking, I love spending quality time with my growing family, which includes my husband, my two sons, two dogs, and two cats. Zinski is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of Wisconsin. Using Butter. For flaky crusts, go with the classic butter or coconut oil. If you want to use oil rather than shortening, the first type of oil to turn to would be coconut oil. Many pie dough recipes use a combination of butter and vegetable shortening as fats. A much better vegan substitute for pie crust is coconut oil, for one thing, it tastes like coconut. Shortening, of course, is a fat but not just any fat, it is mainly composed of trans fats. Mix with other ingredients in your recipe and roll out as you would any pie crust. That helps minimize the production of gluten, which can make crusts tough. You may notice a slight difference in The first is to replace the shortening with mashed banana. Easy as that! While you can find shortening that doesn’t have trans fats (thanks science! the pie crust when you use butter rather than shortening. You may use crunchy or smooth peanut butter. Vegetable shortening is a solid, usually hydrogenated fat made from vegetable oil, such as palm, cottonseed, or soybean oil. Other may want a crust that isn’t so flaky- shortening does make a messy crust! It is also very nice for curried meat pies. For instance, a recipe that calls for 1 cup shortening would use 3/4 cup vegetable oil. It doesn’t matter if you pie … your pie crust? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. SUBSTITUTE FOR SHORTENING IN PIE CRUST. If you are looking to make pie crust without shortening because you want to eliminate the fat, there are a few options you have. It is actually the source of the light flakiness we desire in pie crusts and biscuits. Store-bought lard boasts a neutral character, not unlike its vegetable cousin, as well as a high percentage of good-for-you monounsaturated fats, per Dr. Weil. Or maybe you just don’t want to use shortening and are wondering if there is another way. even more into the flour which will create an even greasier dough. It gets cold but not brittle. I don’t mind using a little white flour for this recipe) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. However, the brick sold in the supermarket is likely to be hydrogenated, which isn't so good. You should see a mixture of pea-sized crumbs and small crumbs. When home cooks cannot use those fats in their crusts, they may choose margarine instead. The consistency of the dough will more oily and should be used right away or else the oil in the dough will begin to separate from the other ingredients. There are exceptions aplenty, but this is a good rule too follow if there’s even the slightest doubt in your mind about which crust to use for any pie you’re about to make. We definitely preferred butter, but you can substitute the same amount of shortening or lard—or some of each—for butter here. Vegetable shortening. Vegetable oil will also work in a pinch If the recipe asks for 1 cup shortening, simply use one cup mashed banana and eliminate any water used in the recipe. and you must admit, shortening does make one tasty crust! It is made from soybean, vegetable or palm oil and is a very close substitute for lard. Combine flour and salt. What could i use instead? Butter vs. shortening in pie crust: the flour. Add in water a tablespoon at a time until the flour appears slightly moistened. Maybe you are looking for a replacement to shortening because you just never have it in the house and don’t feel like buying it just for when you make pies. No one wants to give up that amazing texture that shortening provides but don’t worry, there are many ways to make a great pie crust without shortening! …I will NEVER bake a pie in a crust containing Crisco or any other vegetable shortening: Almost all savory pies (especially meat-filled ones) are best with lard crust… and almost all sweet pies are best with all-butter crust. In a pinch, coconut or vegetable oil can be used as a substitution for a recipe that calls for shortening. Swapping oil for shortening can cause the pie crust to be less flaky, but it will still come out of the oven hot and ready to eat. 5 Shortening Substitute: Vegetable Oil. Flour does make a difference, but not as much as you might think. many states, making it illegal for restaurants to even use them! So, if your pie crust calls for ¼ cup shortening, you can just use ¼ cup butter. 1/3 cup cold butter or lardor firm coconut oil(coconut oil will make a slightly tougher crust, … So For me, olive oil is more heavy and greasy and not how I want a fruit pie to taste. Using butter in place of shortening is very easy as it is just a simple one to one swap. https://thetoughcookie.com/2014/05/12/all-shortening-pie-crust If a recipe calls for melted shortening, vegetable oil is a good swap. Margarine may not provide the flakiest crust, but you still can use it to easily create a masterpiece worthy of any filling. 1. Why the combination? You should use the pie crust made with oil Lard. Cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. In a pinch, coconut or vegetable oil can be used as a substitution for a recipe that calls for shortening. The thing you want is real leaf lard, pure rendered fat that comes from around the hog's kidneys. Eskay Lim / EyeEmGetty Images. Lard makes wonderfully flaky pie crust and biscuits. immediately after making the dough to prevent the oil from absorbing This doesn’t sound good! Really this crust is perfect for anything from Apple pie to Chicken Pot Pie and everything in between. slight reduction in fat will make the crust a little less flaky Combine the vegetable oil with the dry ingredients, such as flour and salt, all at once. Ingredients: n/a. A pie crust made with oil will be greasier than one made with shortening or butter. Recipe is Dori Greenspan’s “good for almost everything pie dough”. in pie crust, you will notice that the dough is much greasier despite This will make it easier to knead into your pie crust and the end result will be closer to your usual shortening pie crust. Shortening: The fat of choice for pie baking in the fifties and sixties, shortening has a very high melting point, which makes it very easy to mix into pie crust. The ingredients in pie crusts can vary, but typically crusts include lard, butter, shortening or a combination of these. Combine the flour, sugar, ... for 30 minutes. Add 1/2 cup butter and 3/8 cup coconut oil for every 1 cup shortening called for in the recipe if you do not want to substitute vegetable oil. Substitute an equal amount of peanut butter for the shortening called for in your pie crust recipe. These fat free crusts will be more firm, less flaky and also have a tendency to crumble a bit when cut. The coconut oil and butter should be cut into the flour and salt together with a blender or knife. Type above and press Enter to search. NEVER FAIL FLAKY PIE CRUST. Specializing in pop culture, film and television, her work appears on Star Reviews and various other websites. Use this mix to replace every ½ cup of shortening. change. Both lard and shortening are almost entirely fat, without water that would activate gluten formation. 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A farmer 's market, but I am unsure where else you any. For wanting to look for ways to make pie crust less chance of and/or!