If you have a recipe calling for shortening, how much oil can you substitute instead? Or should you use butter? Any tips or ideas?

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 26, 2002

Answers

In general, you cannot substitute oil for shortening and have the same results unless your recipe calls for melting the shortening. You could try experimenting with it, but just be sure and adjust the liquid called for in the recipe.

You can, in most instances, substitute butter; however, in things like cookies, they will be flatter and will create a crisper cookie. I am not crazy about chewy cookies and I often substitute butter to get a crisper cookie.

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), March 26, 2002.

I substitute oil for shortening all the time. The only difference seems to be buiscuits are less flaky but taste the same, pie crust is also less flaky. You have to work quickly with the pie crust, though; it can get tough very quickly. For that, you just want to make it sort of mixed.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 27, 2002.