Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION:
Can I use butter in place of vegetable shortening?
If the recipe calls for 3/4 cups vegetable shortening can I use butter and if so how much butter would equal 3/4 cup shortening? Thanks in advance.
ANSWER:
Yes, in most instances you can use butter or margarine in place of vegetable shortening. However, be aware that butter and margarine both contain a small amount of liquid and shortening does not, which adds some moisture to the recipe, but in most cases not enough to make a noticeable difference. For example, when adding a small amount of fat to thin out chocolate for use as a coating, it is best to use the vegetable shortening so that water is not introduced into the chocolate that could cause it to not firm up properly, or worse, seize up.
Butter (and margarine) are equivalent in measurement to vegetable shortening. For instance, 3/4 cup shortening = 3/4 cup butter (which is 1 1/2 sticks of butter).
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