Butter can be substituted for shortening in most cookie recipes.

One of the most common questions facing any cook or baker is how to substitute for a missing or unavailable ingredient. Some substitutions are easy, others can be quite difficult. In the case of cookie making, substituting one fat for another is not usually troublesome. Depending on the substitute you choose, you may not need to adjust the recipe much at all.

Video of the Day

What Shortening Does

The shortening in sugar cookies works together with the sugar to create a light, crispy texture. As the sugar is creamed into the shortening, the corners of the sugar crystals leave small gouges in the room-temperature fat. Over a period of a few minutes, the creaming process creates tens of thousands of tiny air pockets in the fat. When the cookies are baked, the baking powder or baking soda in the recipe will create small amounts of carbon dioxide, which will seep into these small air pockets and expand them, making the cookies light and crisp.

Substitute Butter

Butter can be substituted for the shortening in most cookie recipes. Butter will improve the flavor of most cookies, but can be more difficult to work with than shortening. If you live in a warm climate, butter will tend to soften and produce cookies that spread too much. This can be prevented by chilling the dough before putting it on the cookie sheets. Butter also contains a percentage of water, while shortening is pure fat. This will not matter except in large-volume recipes, where the flour might need to be increased slightly.

Substitute Margarine

Margarine is very similar to shortening in its makeup, since both are manufactured from vegetable oils. Simply replace the shortening with an equivalent quantity of margarine, and the recipe will need no further adjustment. Be sure when purchasing margarine for baking that you do not select a soft, spreadable margarine, which is high in water content and unsuitable for baking. It is best to choose a non-hydrogenated margarine that is trans-fat free, to avoid any health problems.

Other Fats

Highly refined lard can be used in place of shortening in many cookie recipes, though some brands will leave a faint hint of pork in the flavor. Some manufacturers produce a butter/margarine blend in varying proportions, which also works well for baking. Coconut oil can be purchased in solid form similar to shortening under the name copha, though it is hard to find in the United States. A less common alternative, still popular in some Amish and Mennonite communities, is to use purified chicken fat for light, crisp cookies.

These soft and delicious sugar cookies are easy to make, just follow the recipe – no short cuts! Plan ahead and allow time for the butter to come to room temperature on its own. Resist the temptation to roll out the dough before it has sufficient time in the refrigerator. Cut out in shapes for any festive occasion and decorate with icing and sugary sprinkles or simply dust with powered sugar.

Video of the Day

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Cream together butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and almond extract, beat 3 minutes.

Measure flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.

Tip

Spoon flour into a measuring cup until over-full. Draw a straight knife edge across the top of the cup to scrape away the excess flour.

Sift flour mixture into creamed butter, sugar and eggs and beat on low speed until smooth.

Divide dough into four sections, shape into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill a minimum of 2 hours, overnight if possible.

Unwrap a disk of dough, cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and roll to a thickness of 1/4 inch, slightly less for a crisper cookie.

Peel away the plastic wrap, lightly dust surface with flour, dip cutter in flour and cut out desired shapes. Transfer cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll out scraps, and repeat once. Repeat this process with the other disks of dough.

Tip

Work in small batches and keep the dough as cold as possible until placing in the oven. Store prepared cookies waiting to be baked in the refrigerator.

Bake in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for 5 minutes, gently rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake for 5 more minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.

Enjoy!

Want to top off your cookies with the best sugar cookie icing ever? With a few simple ingredients you'll be on your way! Follow our favorite recipe.

Things You\’ll Need

• Fork

• Scissors

• Parchment paper or aluminum foil

• Pie weights or dry beans or uncooked rice

Prick pie crust with a fork to keep it from bubbling. Image Credit: Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

Getting a pie crust just right — so that it's flaky, tender and holds the pie filling in place — takes time and attention to detail. When a crust bakes, air that occurs naturally in the ingredients — namely pure butter — expands in the oven heat. This can cause the layers to bubble up, which weakens the crust and makes for a messy presentation.

Video of the Day

Step 1

Prick the entire bottom surface and sides of the pie crust with a dinner fork to keep it from bubbling, a technique known as docking. Turn your fork in various directions as you prick the crust, spacing the sets of holes approximately 1 inch apart. Use this technique when baking the pie filling and crust together at the same time, such as you might do with a pumpkin pie. For covered fruit pies, such as cherry or blueberry, make slits in the top crust to let out the steam as the pie bakes.

Step 2

Place your pie crust or tart shell in a baking dish if you plan to pre-bake it, a technique known as blind baking. Cut a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, which won't burn in the oven, the same size as your pie crust or tart shell and gently place it on top of the dough.

Step 3

Set pie weights — usually ceramic or metal balls — on top of the parchment paper or foil to keep the crust from bubbling while it bakes. Use a heaping handful of dry beans or dry rice instead of pie weights to accomplish the same task.

Step 4

Bake the pie crust or tart shell for about 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 5

Check the crust after the initial baking time. If the parchment paper or foil releases without sticking to the crust, and the crust feels dry, carefully remove the parchment paper or foil and the weights.

Step 6

Prick the bottom and sides of the shell with a dinner fork and let it continue baking until it turns golden brown and done, which could take an additional five to 10 minutes. Check the crust every minute or so to ensure that it doesn't burn.

Tip

Blind bake your pie crust or tart shell if you're using a filling that won't be baked, such as the case with some fruit tarts, or if the delicate filling requires a very short baking time, such as with custard-filled pies.

Blind baking can also be used with moist pies, such as peach or berry, to prevent a soggy crust. Add your filling at the point when you remove the pie weights.

You can buy pie weights for your kitchen gadget collection at specialty kitchen retailers.