Hi from a newbie in Australia

[Shaz]

Hi everybody! I arrived at your site while trying to find a substitute for Crisco shortening; I'm an American living in Australia, and a-a-a-l-l my mom's recipes call for Crisco. There just isn't anything like it here. Found something that sort of worked in cookies, but the pie crust is going to be a bigger problem I think. Never mind.. a solution will show itself at the right time. Looks like a great place here, and I am looking forward to discussing everyone's cooking experiments / successes / disasters.

Bye for now!
Shaz

 

[Anne]

Hi Shaz!

Welcome to DC. I think you'll like it here --- lots of friendly, helpful people. You're a long way from home without a can of Crisco! Maybe you're going to have to ask all your friends and relatives to donate a can. There are recipes for crusts made with vegetable oil. I don't remember where my old one is, but we always thought it was good. If I come across it, I'll post it. Enjoy yourself here!

Anne

 

[boufa06]

Hi Shaz, welcome to DC! To answer your question on Crisco, you can substitute it with butter or margarine. Perhaps the information contained in this site might help you. We look forward to your active participation.

 

[jkath]

Hello Shaz! You've really found the nicest cooking site here at DC. Where were you from, before your move across the world?

 

[JoAnn L.]

Welcome, so glad that you are going to be with us.

 

[pdilippa]

Hi, welcome. I am an Aussie living in Australia but on the otherside of the country. Sorry don't think I've seen the Crisco that you need. Is it a type of shortening. In the dairy/butter section there are quite a few different brands for types of vegetable shortening like Copha but I don't know if thats what you need. How long have you been down under? I'm born and bred. Hope to hear from you.

 

[Swann]

Crisco is a hydrogenated vegetable oil usually soybean in the US. You can sub with any veg. oil shortening, oleo or butter. Depending what you are amking the texture might be different. Crisco makes cripier cookies. Cakes you will not notce a difference as long as the sub is 100% fat. Oleo is presently only 50-75% fat so it is called a spread. Butter is wonderful for flavor. I use either butter or lard for pie crust.

I love Adelaide; it is a charming city. I spent about a month there a few years ago. My husband and I spent a year bumming around Australia.... retired very senior citizens. A wonderful time.

 

[graysmoke]

Hi newbie. I would bet you could find lard. Here is an excellent pie crust recipe using lard. You could post it to one of the sites that ehlp to reduce the amounts so it would make less than the 4 double crusts. one pound lard, 5 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt. cut until crumbly.In a mesuring cup placce 1 egg, 1 tablespoon vinegar. Mis lightly. Add water to make up one cup. Add to fidrt misture. Works up like Play Dough! and the best flaky, tasty
Most recipes calling for crisco may have lard substituted by making it 1/2 and 1/2 butter. Hope this helps

 

[justplainbill]

Hi newbie. I would bet you could find lard. Here is an excellent pie crust recipe using lard. You could post it to one of the sites that ehlp to reduce the amounts so it would make less than the 4 double crusts. one pound lard, 5 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt. cut until crumbly.In a mesuring cup placce 1 egg, 1 tablespoon vinegar. Mis lightly. Add water to make up one cup. Add to fidrt misture. Works up like Play Dough! and the best flaky, tasty
Most recipes calling for crisco may have lard substituted by making it 1/2 and 1/2 butter. Hope this helps

IMHO, lard takes the cake. Rather eat most baked goods made with lard once a month than those made with any other shortening once a week (with the exception of butter cookies and cakes).

 

[Andy M.]

Welcome aboard!

 

[pdilippa]

Hi Shaz, I was just looking at Ebay and came accross a shop there that sells the Crisco product you a looking for to make your mums recipes. The shop is based in Melbourne and can supply you with it. It may be overpriced but if you are desperate for it to make your yummies you should look it up. The Ebay Shop is called Dizzy Squirrel Trading. Hope this helps.

 

[shpj4]

Hello Shaz and welcome to DC.

 

[Louette]

Hi Shaz, I have the same problem "across the ditch". I've used an old Betty Crocker recipe with oil - for 8 inch pie, use 1cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour, half tsp of salt, half cup of salad oil, and 2-3 tbsp of water. Mix the oil in first with a fork, then add water as needed. It certainly came out like my mother used to make with Crisco. I recently found that I got a good "cross" of the two types of pastry with 1cup flour, 2tbsp cornflour, 75 grams of butter grated into the flour then rubbed in with a fork against the side of the bowl, then mix in 3-4tbsp of salad oil. and 2-3 tbsp of cold water. This dough handles better than the all oil one. You can just shape it right in the pan for mini-tarts at Christmas.
Good luck! Louette

 

[Shaz]

Thanks!!

Gosh! so many replies! Sorry it's taken me so long to get back on here and thank you all properlyfor the warm welcomes, and the recipes and advice.

I think I'll answer all the questions in this one post (hope that's ok guys!)

to Anne - thanks for the welcome and the great suggestion for donations of cans. I'll tell all my rellies all I want for Xmas is Crisco!!

to boufa06 - thanks for the welcome and the advice. Muchly appreciated!

to Jkath - I was born in PA, and moved to AZ when I was 12. I lived there until coming out to Australia in '85.

to JoAnn L - thanks for the welcome!

to pdilippa - Copha is much too hard to be able to use it - although I haven't tried leaving it out of the fridge to see what it's consistency is when warm... maybe I'll do that.... I came out in 1985, and actually lived in WA for 5 years before heading east. Spent 5 years in Sydney, and then came to Adelaide. Thanks for the eBay site info. I'll have a look at that!

to Swann - that would have been a wonderful year for you and your husband. I think Adelaide is charming too - of the cities I've lived in, I prefer it and Perth, but that's only MHO. Everyone has their own favourites!

to graysmoke - thanks! I'll have a look for lard on my next trip to the grocery store. didn't think of that!

to justplainbill - thanks for the advice. Sounds like lard or butter will be in my next experiments.

to Andy M - thanks for the welcome!

to shpj4 - thanks for the welcome!

to Louette - thanks for the recipes! Where are you originally from? I've not been to NZ yet, although it's on my to-do list.

I think I might have a pie-making weekend, and try all the different recipes out to see what works best! Thank you all so much for your help! I really do appreciate it.

Happy Cooking,
Shaz

 

[Barb L.]

So glad you have joined us Welcome ! I like my Crisco too ! Good Luck!

 

[Louette]

Another ex-pat

Hi Shaz,

originally from Baltimore, Maryland, but I've been in NZ since 1970. Food was pretty
plain here then i.e. no real Italian food (pizza was a tin of Watties so-called spagetti tipped into a flaky pastry crust and baked!!), cheddar was the only cheese, no bread but Lanes bakery where they handed you your loaf wrapped in a bit of clean newsprint - none of the things I was used to on the East Coast of the US. The good thing was, everything was pretty much home-made like my grandmother used to do, so I had a very steep learning curve in cooking, baking, bottling, jam making and clothes making! Now you can get almost anything in Christchurch, if you know where to look. The internet sure has been great, though, for finding out how to make some things I couldn't find regular book recipes for, or for tips on how to do something.

 

[csalt]

Hello Shaz! You've really found the nicest cooking site here at DC. Where were you from, before your move across the world?

Not only is it a brilliant cooking site, but a really friendly and caring one too.
Hope you enjoy it here. http://]

 

[jkath]

Shaz, I'm glad you came back!