Cooking Resources

cheryla · 11-28-2010, 04:09 PM

Is anyone else having problems with the new crisco. My recipe is for clothespin cookies, in which you make a puffed pastry. Everyone I know is having the same problems. The dough actually dissintegrates in the oven. Any solutions?

bethzaring · 11-28-2010, 04:12 PM

Welcome!

me, personally, I use butter for cookies. If the cookie recipe does not work with butter, I don't make it.

justplainbill · 11-28-2010, 04:12 PM

Use lard?

cheryla · 11-28-2010, 04:17 PM

I was thinking of using lard. Thats what my grandmother used.

justplainbill · 11-28-2010, 04:23 PM

Sure beats hydrogenated vegetable oil. Only problem is that it's relatively hard to come by (in its pure form), in most if not all of the USA, and can be pretty expensive.

You might have to settle for Armour lard / manteca.

Robo410 · 11-28-2010, 06:01 PM

new crisco is a mixture of an oil and a fully hydrogenated oil (which is like candle wax). Making a puff style pastry which requires working and resting the dough breaks down the emulsion of the two. Lard or butter are your choices for such a dough.

cheryla · 11-28-2010, 06:05 PM

thank you robert. I will try the lard and it should work. I should have tried it sooner. I have ruined two batches of dough, and I have made this recipe for years.

Alix · 11-28-2010, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justplainbill

Sure beats hydrogenated vegetable oil. Only problem is that it's relatively hard to come by (in its pure form), in most if not all of the USA, and can be pretty expensive.

You might have to settle for Armour lard / manteca.

Really? You can't get plain old lard there?

If you really HAVE to use the crisco, try refrigerating your dough or whatever you are making right before baking. The colder you can keep it the more likely you will be to have it do the right stuff when it finally gets it to the oven. And forgive me but, YUCK. That just sounds gross.

taxlady · 11-28-2010, 07:52 PM

If you can get solid palm oil (it's normally solid at room temperature), that works well. I used to buy it at the health food store, but the don't carry it any more. You just have to measure volume, not weight. 1 lb. of palm oil is a lot more than 2 cups.

bakechef · 11-28-2010, 08:46 PM

ugh, the new crisco is awful. As unhealthy as the old Crisco was (and the new one isn't really much better) it was a perfect for many things. I used to be able to make the fluffiest decorating icing, but the new stuff just makes your mouth feel waxy.

I just bought some Spectrum Organics shortening, which I believe is palm oil. I made pie crust with it last week and it worked quite well, I look forward to trying it in other things.