What is shortening in baking?!

It's butter, margarine, crisco, or lard

Shortening, in its most generic meaning, is any fat or oil that is used to make a short crust or dough (one that has a high ratio of fat to flour, and turns out tender, crumbly, and rich).

In general usage, when you see the word shortening as an ingredient in a recipe in this country, the author is referring to solid vegetable shortening, of which Crisco is the leading brand.

If your recipe calls for shortening to grease the griddle, of course you can use any fat you like, or you can be resolutely traditional and omit the fat. If it is an unexpected ingredient in the tortilla, vegetable oil, butter, or margarine would serve as a substitute.

Shortening is solid vegetable oil; brand names are Crisco, or Wesson, which you should be able to find with the liquid oils in the baking aisle, or for incredible pie crust, ask at the meat department for solid lard. It's unhealthy as all get out because it's rendered animal fat instead of vegetable fat, but it makes the best pie crusts and dumplings you'll ever eat.

It's another name for Crisco. It will be in the section of the supermarket next to other oils.

Shortening is the same as crisco and you can ALWAYS use butter (or lard)

Fat or lard

Fat

I use Crisco....but there are other products...shortening is a solid fat........


Hope this helps !!!