What can I replace shortening with?
 

Long story; I have a coworker who is born in America and moved to Sweden for love. She'd done some Hershey's Kisses cookies that were candy also to the eyes. I now got hold of some Hershey's kisses and want to make some of them.

However, the recipe calls for shortening. We don't have that in Sweden. I looked at what shortening contained and I felt that it was not for me... I prefer as little processing to go into my raw materials as possible. I'm a cream and butter kinda girl.

So the question is, can I replace shortening with butter? Do I perhaps need to add something else to the mix to get the same texture? I do want the pretty cookies looking as nice as hers did.

The cookies are called Hershey's Kisses Peanut Butter cookies and can be found on Hershey's web page.

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/lv2ae5y1...ey-kisses.html
I am sure butter would be fine I know I use it instead of shortning

I don't know about your Hershey's Kisses Peanut Butter cookies, but I can tell you that I have made the Quaker Oats "Oatmeal Cookie" recipe for more years than I like to remember. The original recipe called for shortening. Now the recipe uses butter. They are baked at 350 degrees F. Butter could burn if your oven is too hot. I'd try a small batch of your recipe. Can it be cut in half? I looked at the recipe and cutting in half isn't a good option, because it uses 1 egg. If you could find some really small eggs, cutting in half might work. I would bake at 350 degrees for a few minutes longer and use butter. These days, I am like you, I don't use shortening for very much of my cooking.

Have fun and let us know how they came out.

Even if it doesn't cut in half very well I can still make the recipe and just bake one or two cookies off. If it doesn't turn out ok I might add some more flower or something and try again. Most stuff in the recipe is pretty cheap stuff, it's just the kisses that are hard to find. :)

Thanks for the help. I'll get back to you!

After making the cookie dough cut it in half or quarters then only use that amount (a half or quarter) of the Hershey's kisses. If you don't like it then add something else like nuts or left over candy from some other project. One thing I would definitely use is parchment/baking paper. I use it for all my baking even on the non-stick pans. it's easier to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Just slide the paper onto the rack.

Thank you! Well, it's only one kiss per cookie. :)

We don't have the non-stick pans so baking paper is what I always use. But thanks anyway.

It amazes me how different our countries are when it comes to cooking. When I go into an american store I find it very difficult (and expensive) to find any non-processed groceries. Sweden is generally considered to be a rather expensive country, but I get a large container of full cream for about a dollar. A pound of butter is a couple of dollars and good meat locally produced is also comparably low priced. I had trouble even finding real butter in the american store. I was later told I choose the wrong chain... who knew? :o

As an engineer I've seen to much of the food industry to have anything processed. Expensive and important nutrients tends to be exchanged for cheaper stuff (mostly cheap carbs). How things are processed in the body is still measured in the same way as in the 1950's.

I really don't want you to take this the wrong way, but for me I don't do margarine at all. If it works for you - I'm glad. My blood works are excellent even though I eat a lot of cream and butter. :) It will not stay that way if I eat too many of these cookies though... but I believe that will be because the sugars. I'll just have one and then tempt everyone else with the rest. :p:thumbup:

here is a list:
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articl...hortening.html

I found this on the Better Homes and Gardens website. I substitute all the time, and do find that the consistency sometimes changes, but not enough to ruin what I am baking.

"Generally, you can use butter or margarine in place of shortening, but making this substitution may slightly alter the texture of baked goods.

Shortening is 100 percent fat, but butter and margarine are composed of about 85 percent fat and 15 percent water. Though this additional liquid may change the consistency of the sweets you bake, butter and margarine’s rich, pleasing flavors and texture usually outweigh the disadvantages.

Cookies made with butter or margarine may be softer and spread out a little more. In cakes and breads, the substitution is rarely noticeable. Piecrust made with butter or margarine not be as flaky as one made with shortening."

Do not use whipped butters, margarines, or blends in baking.

Butter would make a good substitute. IMHO.

I use butter instead of shortening in ALL cookie recopies!
I do not like what is in shortening!!
Butter is made with milk products and living in dairy country we use the real stuff!
Enjoy them!!!

what about mayo or applesauce

when you use butter be sure to refrigerate the dough for an hour or so before forming/cutting/scooping onto cooking parchment. well this is California....so if your kitchen is as warm as California, refrigerate the dough.

Tartan - for a "normal" person you can only affect your cholesterol marginally with the diet. Most of it we make on our own. I know this is isn't true if you have hereditary conditions, as you do. I'm sorry to hear about your condition. However, the medications are not nice either (the statins)... so if you can control it by diet - good for you!

SunlitenSmiles - that's exactly what my co-worker advised me! She was kind enough to answer my email even though we are off! Keep it in the refrigerator first! It is rather warm in here. Swedish houses have the thickest walls filled with insulation.

And let me tell you, it worked great with butter:
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The taste is delicious. It's not like anything from a Swedish kitchen. I had 1/4 of a cookie... I'm not going to have any more or I will just gobble them all down! :)

I've been using butter instead of shortening for a while and it seems to work out fine. I also have a pie crust recipe that uses oil instead of shortening - that seemed healthier to me!

Been baking for 70 yrs. and always was perplexed by recipes calling for one egg and I only wanted to make 1/2 the recipe. What would 1/2 an egg be? I was lamenting my dilemma when my granddaughter came up with what I think was a brilliant answer. She said to beat the egg and then put in a measuring cup and use 1/2 of what it measures.
Duh! So simple but in 70 yrs. never thought of that solution.

I don't use shortening or margarine because I think all those unnatural man-made ingredients are disgusting. I use either butter or coconut oil for my baking.

By all mean BUTTER.. It IS a food group of its own, you know!!
MaryKatherine

You can use butter for shortening in equal measure, but if the butter is salted, remember to cut any salt in the recipe by half to make sure your cookies are not too salty.

Why don't you try LARD, I have used lard in recipes that call for margarine.

You can always replace shortening with applesauce 1:1 for a lower calorie product. You don't notice the change.

Coconut oil is my new shortening. Solid at 70 degrees and below and liquid if above 70. I switched because it is the new healthy fat.

Chocolate chip cookies recipes are that way too. I love butter and cream too...but somethings turn out better with shortening....Crisco is vegetable shortening and works great for all kinds of recipes. I like cookies made with shortening, they have a better texture and rise up more, butter makes them flat and more greasy. Just my preference. I use Crisco in my homemade yeast rolls, but put real butter, not margarine on them to eat.
Your choice.... Oh, try and find Jalapenos in Europe! My best friend married a bagpiper from Scotland and move there. First time out of the state of TX for her. I sent her Mexican spices and jalapenos all the time....until they moved back to the states.

You could try coconut oil. It has the consistency of shortening, but is healthier for you.

Butter, or coconut oil (depending on the particular recipe) would be the healthiest choices. Butter, though, NOT margarine. It's for good reason that chemists called margarine "edible plastic". I haven't had any shortening or margarine in my kitchen for more than 25 years and haven't missed it. You do not need to add anything else - just measure out the amount of butter called for in the recipe. You will not be disappointed. I make chocolate chip cookies all the time with butter, as well as pie crust. No problem. Cooks everywhere used butter long before shortening was invented. Somebody just had some effluent they found a way to make a profit on, instead of throwing it away... much like the fluoride they put in our water.

By the way, I have never had a problem with crispness. I like crisp cookies, not soft ones, and believe me, if they weren't crisp with butter, I'd never bake them again. I've never had to alter the amount of flour or anything else... just substitute the butter for shortening. I'm thinking a lot of the flap may be because of what we've been taught by the shortening-making industry.

I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil which is much more healthful that shortening for any recipe calling for shortening.

I always use butter, It gives it a much better taste.

You got it right, there is only one answer, butter.

I use lard instead of shortening, or for cookies and cakes, half lard/ half butter. Your cookie looks fantastic -- had me drooling all over the keyboard!

MariaTherese, I make those cookies every year, and I use butter. They'll be just fine. I prefer unsalted butter. I can't explain why, but using unsalted butter and adding salt tastes so much better than using salted butter. Can't explain it, but I can sure tell the difference. Happy baking!

I have been using coconut oil in my baking. It is a solid for use in place of butter/shortening and can be melted to replace oil.

I always substitute butter (or margarine; oleo) for shortening in most cookie recipes. It makes cookies softer.

I'm going to try 50% coconut oil and 50% butter next time, just for experimenting. It's going to be interesting.

i substitute coconut oil for shortening in lots of recipes. It is much healthier than shortening. The other option would be a very mild lard if you can find that in Sweden. Speaking of cream, using heavy creme for some of your liquid might give enough fat content to hold them together, you'd have to adjust the amount of solid ingredients though if you used creme, so i'd make a batch using the coconut or lard and go from there.

I have so many recipes that call for lard and have been converted to shortening, why not use lard?

There was nothing than Grandmas cookies made with lard!!

Lard is actually something I think I could have a problem finding in the store. Need to check if it is available locally and how it's processed.

Butter or coconut oil.....

Hej Mariatherese!
Your Peanut-Butter-Blossom cookie (kakor?) looks wonderful. It is my husband's favorite and so I do make these but only at Christmas. I usually use Crisco vegetable shortening but half it with unsalted butter. (I do not use margarine, even if it is less expensive.) I commend you for going "natural" with foods.

Processed foods are a big problem in America and I believe cause or will cause many health issues in the years to come. Some packaged items are quicker and simpler to make, esp. for working parents, but an everyday diet of these, esp. for the young children, is dangerous.

Happy baking.
cpfrog