Cooking Resources

Jim in Phoenix · 12-20-2006, 12:06 PM

Hi!

I am going to try to make my mother's old cookie recipes tonight and I have a question.

The receipes are sort of old and they call for "Crisco" or "Spry". These products seem somewhat old fashioned to me....is it okay to still use those in the recipes? None of the recipes call for butter, but they call for Crisco. Should I make them as called for or subsitute something else for the shortening?

Unfortunately, Mom is no longer with us, so I can't ask her.

Thanks for your help!

GB · 12-20-2006, 12:23 PM

Crisco is still used very frequently. It is not something that was only used back in the olden days. I am not sure about Spry, but that might be something that is no longer used. I could be wrong about that though.

Feel free to use the Crisco in you recipe and enjoy the cookies you mom used to make.

Welcome to the site by the way.

Jim in Phoenix · 12-20-2006, 12:37 PM

Thanks for your help. This is a great site and I look forward to keeping up with the posts.

My recipes are also my Mom's Italian cookies. I noticed the post before mine was also in reference to Italian cookies.

Andy M. · 12-20-2006, 01:02 PM

Crisco and Spry are two different brand names for vegetable shortening. I don't think Spry is arpund any more. Use the Crisco.

Swann · 12-20-2006, 05:20 PM

I would use butter. Cost was the factor in the 50s and 60s but butter has a better flavor and no transfat. Oleo is almost 50% wateer now and called spread.

Shunka · 12-20-2006, 05:23 PM

Use the Crisco; more than likely substituting butter or margarine would ruin the recipe because of the different melting temps they all have. I still use Crisco over any other vegetable shortening.

Andy M. · 12-20-2006, 05:30 PM

Using butter in place of shortening will result in flatter, thinner cookies.

StirBlue · 12-20-2006, 05:53 PM

Those recipes may be listed in the Brand Name Recipe Collection cookbook. People used to make cookies with fat drippings from sausage or bacon. They let the grease settle and scrape off the clean from the top. We always used chicken grease for making french fries. The flavor is tops to any oil out there.
I can't remember life without crisco. It was always a must for pie crust. Besides butter or margarine, what are you using for shortening? Oil does not sub for shortening. Maybe yogurt or sour cream?

auntdot · 12-20-2006, 06:31 PM

Spry is not longer available and has not been for many years.

But Crisco sure is and I would go with it.

My cholesterol is low and became that way by eating healthier than I used to.

But that does not mean I shun all fatty foods all of the time.

This is Christmas time and have tossed away my self imposed dietary restrictions for the interim (cannot really follow anything I feel forced to do, am a stubborn old bird).

But even when I am trying to be aware of what goes into me, would try Crisco if a recipe called for it.

Just my opinion.

And I am sure many here would love it if you would post the recipe.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and Holidays. God Bless.

JenLee09 · 03-25-2009, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim in Phoenix

Thanks for your help. This is a great site and I look forward to keeping up with the posts.

My recipes are also my Mom's Italian cookies. I noticed the post before mine was also in reference to Italian cookies.

Jim in Phoenix: my mom was raised in an ol Catholic Italian family & has been desperatley searching for a recipie that her grandmother used to make. The only description she has is that it took quiet a while to make, had a fruit filling & she believes that cream cheese was in the batter. Any ideas?

I would love to get some of your mothers recipes if you are one to share. Thanks for a newbie to the forums