What to Use— Butter, Margarine, Vegetable Shortening

34 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, April 25, 2008 Reader’s question: What to use— butter, margarine, vegetable shortening ... I love questions from readers— today’s (meaning that there are two different ways of article is the result of a reader who wrote in Lori producing the lard— a wet or a dry method). saying that they really enjoyed the article on Lard has saturated fat and unsaturated fat, with baking soda/powder, could we please write Gysel some trans fats due to the hydrogenation a story on butter/shortening/lard and how it & process. It has a high smoke point and large fat relates to cooking. crystals, which help make the flakes so desired So, here we go. Butter, margarine, short- Gerry in pie pastry. Lard makes an excellent pastry ening, Lard, copha, suet— will the real win- Kentner crust. ner please stand up? Suet: suet is raw beef or mutton fat— hard Cheery Cherry First of all, I am looking into these prod- fat found around the loin and kidneys. It is pri- ucts as they relate to cooking and baking. If pastry covered dishes, a butter crust can con- marily found in dehydrated form now, mixed Muffins tribute to over-browning and the crust may you want to compare which is better to top with flour to make it stable at room tempera- Makes 12 large muffins your toasted bagel— that you will have to need to be covered for some portion of the bak- ture. It is an essential ingredient in the making determine on your own. ing. of Christmas pudding, haggis, mincemeat and Ingredients Butter: a dairy product made by churning Margarine: Margarine today can be made the crust for steak and kidney pie. The low • 2 cups cake and pastry flour fresh or fermented milk or cream. Butter con- from a variety of different animal and vegetable melting point of suet makes it perfect for cook- • 1/4 tsp salt sists of butterfat surrounding tiny miniscules fats and then often mixed with skimmed milk, ing at moderate temperatures— such as steam- • 1/2 cup sugar of water and milk proteins. Butter is most salt and emulsifiers. Margarines are generally a ing. As a pastry, it is quite soft and does not • 2 tsp baking powder commonly made from cow’s milk, but can be combination of saturated and mono and poly yield the crispness often yearned for in a pie • 2 eggs made from other animals as well. When unsaturated fats. There are many different fat pastry. • 4 tbsp melted butter refrigerated, butter is a solid, moving to contents of margarine. For the purposes of bak- Copha: a vegetable shortening made from • 3/4 cup milk spreadable consistency at about 15 degrees C ing, you need to choose a margarine with a fat hydrogenated coconut oil. Produced only in • 1 cup halved sour cherries (either and then to a thin liquid when heated. Butter content of 60% or more. Although a 60% fat Australia— it is difficult to find in Europe and canned or frozen— if frozen, then is about 80% fat— all saturated fat. content margarine can be substituted for butter North America. It is used in traditional thawed and well drained) Butter has a low smoke point—although it in many cooking and baking recipes, it is not Australian treats such as Chocolate crackles can be stretched a little higher when clarified recommended in recipes that are extremely and White Christmas. Method butter (butter with the water and milk solids precise in the fat and moisture contents such as The bottom line? When cooking and bak- Sift together flour, salt, sugar and removed) is used. Butter adds essential flavour pie pastry. ing, I primarily use butter. I will never substi- baking powder. to sauces and is used in many forms of cook- Vegetable shortening: a semi-solid fat tute for margarine in my own cooking. Crisco In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add ing. As it pertains to baking, many recipes call (100% fat) used in cooking and baking. It is vegetable shortening is the only product I use melted butter and milk. Mix well. for butter and sugar to be creamed together at made with partially hydrogenated oil, meaning for pie pastry. It makes a great pastry with per- Add the wet ingredients to the dry. the start of the recipe— adding to the leavening it is traditionally high in trans fats. However, fect flakes and just the right amount of brown- Add the cherries. Fold the batter power of the recipe. Some cookies, such as Crisco has been changing all of their formula- ing— it’s easy to handle, the pies turn out deli- together extremely gently. Be very shortbread may have no other form of moisture tions over the past number of years and now cious— and its what my mom taught me to careful to mix for a minimum of time. other than the water in the butter. claims that their regular vegetable shortening in use. I use suet for Christmas puddings and Pour into paper-lined muffins tins For making pastry, butter adds great a 12g serving has only 1 gram trans fats. mincemeat and will continue to do so. You’ll or tins well sprayed with non-stick flavour, but can be difficult because of its low Vegetable shortening has a higher smoke point have to make your own choice! spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 smoke point— keeping all the ingredients for than butter and therefore holds up well to the Have fun and keep cooking! minutes or until tops are rounded, the pastry chilled and chilling the pastry before making of pastry. (Lori and Gerry can be reached at golden brown and a tester inserted in it goes in the oven can help. For long-baking Lard: is pig fat, rendered or unrendered [email protected]) the muffin comes out clean..

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