Since I asked for advice about shortening, and people were kind enough
to reply, it seems appropriate to follow up and tell what happened next.

Here is the recipe I used:

<quote>

Soft Sugar Cookies

1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt

Drop by spoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned.
Cookies should be soft. Cool slightly, then remove from baking sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

<end quote>

With many thanks to the posters who guided me to less than lethal
"shortening," I ran out and got some "0-trans fat Crisco," and will try
some butter and other oils in the future.

At about 7 minutes in the oven, all the cookies merged. They made
little grooves where they met. When I removed them from the oven, I
used a pizza cutter on the grooves. I didn't see this coming, because
the dough was really pretty stiff.

The cookies are very delicate, about 3" square. (I was hoping for little
rounded lumps, maybe 2 inches in diameter.)

I used an aluminum baking sheet, which I spritzed with a no-stick oil.
I mean, the recipe said to do that. But, apparently, I greased the holy
hell out of it, because the cookies are still moist on the bottoms. The
sheet, however, is quite clean.

The upside is that cookies are really, really good.

On Jun 15, 5:53*pm, Cuthbert Thistlethwaite >
wrote:
> Since I asked for advice about shortening, and people were kind enough
> to reply, it seems appropriate to follow up and tell what happened next.
>
> Here is the recipe I used:
>
> <quote>
>
> Soft Sugar Cookies
>
> 1 c. shortening
> 1 c. sugar
> 2 eggs
> 2 tsp. vanilla
> 2 1/4 c. sifted flour
> 1/2 tsp. soda
> 1 tsp. salt
>
> Drop by spoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned.
> Cookies should be soft. Cool slightly, then remove from baking sheet.
> Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
>
> <end quote>
>
> With many thanks to the posters who guided me to less than lethal
> "shortening," I ran out and got some "0-trans fat Crisco," and will try
> some butter and other oils in the future.
>
It's not zero trans fat, but <1/2g trans fat PER SERVING

The Crisco owners are no better than drug dealers who sell meth and
coke to middle schoolers, and are in fat, worse, since they cannot
claim poverty as an excuse. Don't be fooled, Cuthbert. You've just
cooked up a toxic concoction.

--Bryan

Cuthbert Thistlethwaite > wrote:

> Since I asked for advice about shortening, and people were kind enough
> to reply, it seems appropriate to follow up and tell what happened next.
>
> Here is the recipe I used:
>
> <quote>
>
> Soft Sugar Cookies
>
> 1 c. shortening

....

> With many thanks to the posters who guided me to less than lethal
> "shortening," I ran out and got some "0-trans fat Crisco," and will try
> some butter and other oils in the future.

That cup of '0-Trans Fat Crisco' has about 7 grams of trans fats.

-sw

> > 1 c. shortening

> ...

> That cup of '0-Trans Fat Crisco' has about 7 grams of trans fats.

That's what I'm learning . . .

Zero: Another perfectly clear, simple concept bites the dust.

On Sun 15 Jun 2008 03:53:37p, Cuthbert Thistlethwaite told us...

>
> Since I asked for advice about shortening, and people were kind enough
> to reply, it seems appropriate to follow up and tell what happened next.
>
> Here is the recipe I used:
>
> <quote>
>
> Soft Sugar Cookies
>
> 1 c. shortening
> 1 c. sugar
> 2 eggs
> 2 tsp. vanilla
> 2 1/4 c. sifted flour
> 1/2 tsp. soda
> 1 tsp. salt
>
> Drop by spoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned.
> Cookies should be soft. Cool slightly, then remove from baking sheet.
> Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
>
> <end quote>
>
> With many thanks to the posters who guided me to less than lethal
> "shortening," I ran out and got some "0-trans fat Crisco," and will try
> some butter and other oils in the future.
>
> At about 7 minutes in the oven, all the cookies merged. They made
> little grooves where they met. When I removed them from the oven, I
> used a pizza cutter on the grooves. I didn't see this coming, because
> the dough was really pretty stiff.
>
> The cookies are very delicate, about 3" square. (I was hoping for little
> rounded lumps, maybe 2 inches in diameter.)
>
> I used an aluminum baking sheet, which I spritzed with a no-stick oil.
> I mean, the recipe said to do that. But, apparently, I greased the holy
> hell out of it, because the cookies are still moist on the bottoms. The
> sheet, however, is quite clean.
>
> The upside is that cookies are really, really good.

A couple of points... Use baking parchment and eliminate the need for
greasing the cookie sheet. Try reducing the size of "spoonful" you use.
Never substitute *oil* for shortening or butter. God only knows what the
result will be. There are some cookie recipes that do call for oil, and
these are okay, but substituting oil for any solid fat could give you a
disaster.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Sunday, 06(VI)/15(XV)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Today is: Father's Day
-------------------------------------------
Junk: stuff we throw away. Stuff: junk
we keep.
-------------------------------------------

"Cuthbert Thistlethwaite" > wrote in message
...
>
> Since I asked for advice about shortening, and people were kind enough
> to reply, it seems appropriate to follow up and tell what happened next.
<snip>
>
> With many thanks to the posters who guided me to less than lethal
> "shortening," I ran out and got some "0-trans fat Crisco," and will try
> some butter and other oils in the future.
>
> At about 7 minutes in the oven, all the cookies merged. They made
> little grooves where they met. When I removed them from the oven, I
> used a pizza cutter on the grooves. I didn't see this coming, because
> the dough was really pretty stiff.
>
> The cookies are very delicate, about 3" square. (I was hoping for little
> rounded lumps, maybe 2 inches in diameter.)
>
> I used an aluminum baking sheet, which I spritzed with a no-stick oil.
> I mean, the recipe said to do that. But, apparently, I greased the holy
> hell out of it, because the cookies are still moist on the bottoms. The
> sheet, however, is quite clean.
>
> The upside is that cookies are really, really good.


A couple of things:
1. I'm sure you've already been told that 0 trans-fats in the Crisco doesn't *really*
mean actual zero
2. When you get spreading with the first sheet, you can try a couple different things
with the remaining dough:
a. add a couple tablespoons of flour or powdered sugar
b. refrigerate the dough, or even freeze (after shaping into balls)
3. Ok, about the fat part of the recipe: oil shouldn't be substituted in cookie
recipes calling for butter. If you think these turned out funny, wait'll you see what
oil will do

Have you thought about using Smart Balance? They have a shortening, and I've used it
with great success for many recipes...even pie crusts. I won't go on extolling their
virtues since I don't want to be accused of posting spam (no, I don't work for them),
but suffice it to say it's a much healthier alternative, and works great.

kimberly

In article >,
Cuthbert Thistlethwaite > wrote:
> I used an aluminum baking sheet, which I spritzed with a no-stick oil.
> I mean, the recipe said to do that. But, apparently, I greased the holy
> hell out of it, because the cookies are still moist on the bottoms. The
> sheet, however, is quite clean.


"It's a mighty poor cookie that can't grease its own cookie sheet."
Read that somewhere and I like it.
-
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com