281815 Sun Dec 18 11:03:28 -0800 2005 7 31 Home Cooking 0 1500408 I'm about to bake a recipe from the new Bon Appetit for Chewy Ginger Cookies, but it calls for shortening, which I would prefer not to use. Would the measurement be the same for butter or does the amount need to change? Thanks! Laurie Sun Dec 18 11:03:28 -0800 2005 0 sivyaleah 1 1500417 You will get a totally different cookie than the original recipe would--butter has a different melting point than shortening from what I've read. If you do a straight substitution, you'll end up with a very spread-out, thin cookie. You may be pleased with the final result but it will likely not be the same result as the original recipe's. I've learned that you can substitute in cooking, but not in baking, for the most part. Sun Dec 18 12:03:05 -0800 2005 1500408 0 Val 1 1500423 If you are trying to avoid trans-fats, Crisco now makes a shortening with no trans-fats. It comes in small containers and is more expensive of course but as the other poster said, making the switch will really change the texture. Sun Dec 18 12:40:13 -0800 2005 1500408 0 Candy 2 1500432 Thanks Val and Candy. I had a feeling it might change the texture. I'm not much of a baker - I'm more experienced with everyday meals because I've never had a sweet tooth for the most part. I couldn't find the Crisco w/out the transfats unfortunately, and don't want the cookie to spread out so I bought the regular Crisco. I'm looking for a chewy dense cookie, not a thin crisp one. I'm baking for family, so I realized that the amount of transfats any of us will get from a couple of cookies is probably not worth worrying about. I'll be on the lookout for it in the future. Laurie Sun Dec 18 13:44:42 -0800 2005 1500423 0 sivyaleah 3 1500461 I went to look up my Ginger Molassas Cookie recipe for you - they are thick and chewy and I don't use shortening either so I figured it was a butter recipe. But it's not - it says shortening and I've always used butter. I think my mom uses margarine (don't get me started) So 1. I think you could sub with more success than you might expect 2. be sure not to overbake or they'll be bricks Here's my recipe - they're delish! 3/4 c butter or other shortening - let it sit out and get soft 1 c sugar CREAM TOGETHER add one egg 1/4 c molasses CREAM THAT IN IN A DIFFERENT BOWL - MIX WELL THE FOLLOWING 2 c all purpose flour 1 1/2 T ground ginger - make sure it's fresh and hasn't been sitting around since last xmas! 2t baking soda 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon 1/2 t salt ADD 1/4 of your dry mix to creamed mix, and er, MIX keeping adding til its all together REFRIDGERATE pinch off walnut or pecan sized balls, roll in your hands and roll in sugar UNGREASED cookie sheet in 350 oven rack in the middle/top 10-12 minutes - watch them and don't over bake! remove from cookie sheet immediately and cool on wire racks or plates this makes around 3 dozen cookies if you like these, you'll LOVE the ginger molasses cake in the David Lebovitz book Room For Dessert. It's online as his most popular - it's a little sharper and less kid-friendly than these cookies. Sun Dec 18 16:54:06 -0800 2005 1500432 0 pitu 4 1500481 Oh no! Now you've confused me about which recipe to use LOL. I've been collecting soft ginger cookies recipes for a few weeks now, trying to figure out which sounds most like a cookie I used to be able to get at one of the gourmet grocers in NY. Yours sounds amazing too. I might just have to do a taste test one day - too bad I don't have kids to help my husband and I eat them all up! Laurie Sun Dec 18 20:29:19 -0800 2005 1500461 0 sivyaleah 1 1500474 Well, butter has more moisture in it than shortening (butter has 5/6 the calories of oil or shortening on an equal unit basis, because it has water and milk solids in it; clarified butter or ghee is closer to oil or shortening in quality, but all have different melting points). Normally, with butter cookies, you have to refrigerate until cold before baking to help limit the spreading of the cookie due to the lower melting point of the butter. Sun Dec 18 19:39:55 -0800 2005 1500408 0 Karl S. 1 1500495 do a search on the web for a new york times ginger molasses cookie recipe called "season's drippings." the recipe calls for bacon fat instead of butter, margarine, or crisco! (hey, no trans fats!) I made them once with lard instead of bacon fat. they were v. easy (it's a food processor recipe) and won raves. So then i made them again with the bacon fat. I didn't like them quite as much--the porky flavor was just a little too pronounced for me. But this is just to say that if you don't want to use crisco and feel butter will compromise the flavor, try lard instead. the new conventional wisdom is that lard is better for you than butter anyway! Sun Dec 18 22:11:22 -0800 2005 1500408 0 missmasala