Is it better to use Crisco or butter 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.
Shortening is 100% fat, containing no water. That means no steam is created during baking which effectively reduces gluten production, so shortening cookies tend to be softer and more tender. Also, shortening has a higher melting point than butter, resulting in taller cookies.
Shortening generally makes baked goods softer. Shortening is flavorless. Butter adds a rich flavor to baked goods.
Cookies made with butter or margarine may be softer and spread a little more. Cookies made with butter are usually crisper than chewy cookies made with shortening, but the flavor is richer with butter. So if you need a substitute for shortening in cookies, a one-to-one butter swap will work great.
In general, you can substitute Crisco shortening for butter or margarine in equal amounts (1 cup Crisco shortening = 1 cup butter or margarine). Not only does Crisco shortening have 50% less saturated fat than butter and 0g trans fat per serving, it gives you higher, lighter-textured baked goods.
Nutrition. Some say butter is not the healthiest choice when cooking, but compared to shortening, it packs way more nutrition value. Harvard Public Health even states that fats are crucial to our health, and butter is more of a natural and heart-healthy ingredient overall.
Crisco® all-vegetable shortening will make your cakes moist, pie crusts flaky, and cookies soft and fluffy, with 0g of trans fat per serving*.
So one way to get the best of both: Use half butter and half shortening. By the way “butter” here is butter. Real butter, not margarine. And “shortening” here is Crisco baking sticks.
When baking with oil instead of butter in your recipes, keep in mind that some cookies just won't work as they're supposed to without a solid fat. Try replacing just half the butter with oil, which still cuts your saturated fats but retains much of the cookies' original texture.
Cookie chemistry: We're taking a 180° turn from our crunchy cookies, substituting higher-moisture brown sugar and butter for their lower-moisture counterparts: granulated sugar and vegetable shortening. That, plus a shortened baking time, yields a cookie that's soft and chewy all the way through.
Can I use Crisco instead of butter in cookies?
The answer is yes, butter or shortening can be used interchangeably in baked goods and can be used as a one-to-one swap.
Butter also plays a critical role in cookie structure; the fat and moisture can enhance or inhibit gluten development, which directly impacts the shape, spread, and texture in your cookies. In short, the temperature of your butter for cookies directly impacts how cakey, crispy, or flaky your cookies will be.
If you want your cookie to hold its shape and rise up rather than being thin, then you need to use shortening. Shortening will hold its shape while the rest of the baking occurs.
Does Crisco Need to be Refrigerated? It's not necessary to refrigerate Crisco shortening. The product stays safe at room temperature both before and after opening.
Do you have to refrigerate shortening? No, it is not necessary to refrigerate shortening- in very hot, humid storage environments, shortening may be refrigerated if desired, but it should be returned back to room temperature before using to ensure best results.
Butter adds important fat and flavor to recipes it's used in; it contains 80 percent butterfat and about 20 percent water. Shortening, on the other hand, is all fat, no flavor. It's typically made with vegetable oils and used for its ability to help baked goods retain shape while staying soft.
What butter does for flavor, shortening does for texture and stability. Shortening helps create a light and fluffy frosting while also providing a neutral flavor to help cut the richness of the butter.
It goes through a special process called hydrogenation so it remains semi-solid at room temperature. It's 100% fat, unlike butter. Even though these ingredients are clearly different, shortening and butter are often used interchangeably in recipes with acceptable results.
What can you substitute for Crisco in cookies? Instead of using Crisco, you can use one of the recommended shortening substitutes listed above: lard, butter, margarine, coconut oil, or applesauce.
Rest the Dough A secret baker's trick is to rest your cookie dough in the fridge. You can rest it for at least an hour, which will evaporate some of the water and increase the sugar content, helping to keep your cookies chewy. The longer you allow your dough to rest in the fridge, the chewier your cookies will be.
Is it better to use Crisco or butter for chocolate chip cookies?
Butter has the better flavor, by far. But it has a lower melting temperature which can make the cookies flatter. It also contains about 10 percent water, so when the water steams off in the oven, it leaves the cookies crispier.
The answer is yes, butter or shortening can be used interchangeably in baked goods and can be used as a one-to-one swap.
Reheat them in the microwave on medium setting for 15 to 20 seconds. This should be enough time for the cookies to soak in the moisture from the paper towel. If you take them out and they haven't softened enough yet, wrap them in another damp paper towel and microwave again for 10 more seconds.
