Do any of you clever people have any shortcuts or tips for measuring shortening?

I'm so glad you asked this question because I have found something that I can't live without now that I'm doing more and more cakes. It's a #8 scoop from a restaurant supply store. The #8 is exactly 1/2 C in size and releases the shortening easily. It looks like an ice cream scoop and comes in several sizes and costs around $6 - $9.

This keeps you from having to touch the shortening with your hands or use a 2nd utensil to release the shortening from a measuring cup. Each 1/2 C is exact and you can drag it level by using the inside edge of the shortening can.

I teach Wilton cake decorating and I recommend it to all my students.

I use what's called a "wonder cup" you can get either the one or two cup.. You fill it with shortening and the it pops it out so you don't have to touch the shortening...

If I can find a picture I will post it.. It's great for everything you can even measure liquids in it..

Dawn

Here's the wonder cup that works really well for measuring Crisco: http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/SearchResults.aspx?description=wonder%20cup&page=-1

Cookie4 - what a great idea. Do you purchase online or at a local supplier?
Thanks!

I make big batches of icing so I found a bowl that holds exactly 4 cups of shortening. Every time I need to measure out shortening I line the bowl with saran wrap, fill the bowl then pull the saran wrap up empty into mixer and the bowl stays clean. No mess no fuss.

I purchase at a local restaurant supplier called Ace Mart but I'm sure any restaurant supply store might have them. In fact just yesterday I was at Sur La Table (not sure of the exact spelling of that store) and I noticed they had some but they were much more expensive and I didn't see the 1/2 cup #8 size. Perhaps they were out of stock.

I love to tell people about this because you don't handle the shortening at all and when you do to use Dawn dishwashing soap to cut the grease. When I was first told about Dawn I thought, yea, yea, one soap is as good as another but that's not true. Dawn is used in oil spils on live animals and cuts the grease off your hands and out of the inside of your piping bags easily too. Hope this helps.

I'm a weigher... so I put my KA bowl on the scale - zero it out and then add 192 grams of shortening.. I do it first, so if I scoop in too much, then I can just scoop it back into the can. No extra bowls to clean.

You all are so great! Thank you!

I like to use the weighing method, too, depending on the recipe. Now I have great tips for both ways. Thanks so much.

And any more ideas are still more than welcome!

Weighing shortening is by far the easiest method of all, but another easy method is measuring by displacement.

Get a 4 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup and add 2 cups of water. Then add enough shortening so that the waterline goes up to 3 cups. Drain the water, and you're left with one cup of shortening.

But just get a good kitchen scale and don't worry about measuring it.

~ Sherri

Am I the only eye-ball measurer? Two big glops off the end of a certain spoon per batch of icing! At my daughter's request, I measured the glops once ... and they came out to the "required" 1-1/3 cups.

Mama knows!

I'm a weigher too. No utensils or bowls needed - weighed right in the KA!

I'm a weigher too One cup of shortening = 7 oz. Making buttercream became much, much less complicated when I started doing it that way.

My method works best of all! I buy ........ drumroll please......

CRISCO STICKS!!!!

they're already measured for me! and to me it's worth the extra cost in time savings and also in hot water and dishsoap money!!!

The pre-measured sticks are great, but they're twice the cost per ounce of the 48 oz tub, so the cost can really add up when you're making a lot of icing.

I can't believe how many different ways you guys come up with to do the same job. It's amazing! I can't wait to try all of these. Just made a cake for my Grandmother's birthday and while I was making that icing, I thought of asking you all about the shortening. Wish I'd asked sooner.

My husband's birthday is this Saturday, though, so I'll have a chance to try something new. Now which clever technique to try first.....?

Thanks so much!

I go with the old fashioned method. I run my measuring cup under very hot water, quickly dry off the inside and use a knife or spatula to fill it and pack it with the Crisco, then I use the knife or spatula to go around the inside of the measuring cup and more or less get all the Crisco out in one scoop. I find this method works very well for me.

When finished I soak my measuring cup in hot water, sometimes with dishwashing soap added and then it goes into my dishwasher when I clean up.

indydebi, i am a globber too! but the scoop sounds really neat

My scale is one of my best friends!! I use it to measure everything! I just used a coupon for my local Linens and Things and we have been best friends ever since!

i use the scoop. Very easy to do. The scoops come in all different sizes, so if you don't need a 1/2 cup you can get one that is smaller or larger. OR if you already have a generic spring action ice cream scoop. Fill it with water and pour in to a measuring cup to find out how much it holds.