Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.

added over 2 years ago

Well, there's always Crisco vegetable shortening. But Spectrum brand is "healthier."

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Kayb added over 2 years ago

I've used butter pretty successfully in pie crust, as well. I actually (heretically, I guess) prefer vegetable shortening to lard.

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phyllis added over 2 years ago

Lard vs vegetable shortening: is it a one-to-one substitution? Thanks.

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pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.

added over 2 years ago

Geez, I hate vegetable shortening. It's actually worse for you than lard unless you are some PETA freak. Myself, I would buy some leaf lard and render it. I love pigs.

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Serene added over 2 years ago

Butter makes a great pie crust. One-to-one sub.

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Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.

added over 2 years ago

I prefer all-butter, too.

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whowantsdinner added over 2 years ago

I always go with a combination of butter and shortening. I'm not sure the exact ratio, but something like four parts butter to one part shortening. If you google Julia Child's pastry crust recipes I'm sure you'll find it.

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All butter. I think shortening is an evil product that adds an off flavor. Your pie crust will be easier to work with if you use slightly more butter than you would another fat.

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phyllis added over 2 years ago

I usually use all butter in my pie crusts, but a friend, who is an amazing baker, sent me a recipe that calls for lard. I may make two; one with each. Thanks everyone.

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Meg is a trusted home cook.

added over 2 years ago

all butter, altho both butter and Crisco are worse for your heart than lard.

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AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added over 2 years ago

You can't substitute butter for lard one to one because butter is about 80% fat, 20% liquid. The correct ratio is one cup + 3 tablespoons of butter per one cup of lard. I'd probably just to find a recipe that calls for butter and/or shortening. If you want to use all vegetable shortening, you can substitute one to one because both are 100% fat. ;o)

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betteirene added over 2 years ago

I do a couple of Julia's recipes--they're mostly butter for flavor and flakiness and a little shortening to help tenderize American flour. I've also used the vodka crust from Cook's Illustrated. I quit buying lard because I always ended up throwing out more than I used--what a waste.

Why do you need a substitute for the lard? If it's because you are vegetarian, do what AntoniaJames suggests and use 100% vegetable shortening. If it's because you don't have, or can't find, lard, but you would like to use it for the inimitable flavor and flakiness it adds to crusts, substitute two tablespoons of fresh bacon grease strained through a paper coffee filter for an equal amount of other fat, and reduce the salt in the recipe by 1/2 teaspoon.

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betteirene added over 2 years ago

I forgot. . .Oil is another option for pie crusts--I've done in a couple of times over the years when I've been short of solid fats.

But who cares if a pie crust is made with lard, butter, Crisco or oil when the filling is so full of sugar? What's that old saying? "Life is short. Eat more pie." I think I'm going to write that on my refrigerator right now.

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I'm a butter man. I just think it adds a good flavour, though I acknowledge lard gives a flakier crust.

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Meg is a trusted home cook.

added over 2 years ago

betteirene, sugar, interestingly, is not bad for your heart, unless it causes you to be obese. Crisco on the other hand can lead you directly to the emergency rm, and butter and lard are not really good for your arteries. The short, happy life with a lard crust vs a long life with an oil crust is a valid food pickle type of issue but there are two sides to it.
One of my favorite patient interactions occurred in Wisconsin in 1985 (I'm a physician). I was seeing a lovely older woman with high cholesterol. We were talking about diet and she said she and her husband had just been strawberry picking, which seemed healthy from a number of points of view. Then she added that she was going to make a biscuit shortbread with whipped cream. She and her husband looked so happy I had to file it under the "strawberry shortcake can be health food" tab. :) Still like lard, but agree you can't beat butter for flavor.

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betteirene added over 2 years ago

So. . .I haven't tried it yet, but I think I'll be playing around with this recipe soon:

http://www.food52.com/recipes...

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