Hi Everyone,

For some reason I cannot find Crisco shortening in my grocery store....which is strange to see the least. I did find lard though. Is it possible to substitute the lard for the shortening without affecting the flavour of the buttercream. I was going to try and make either the Dream Whip Buttercream or the Buttercream Dream recipes found here on CC.

Thanks

I don't know what the substitution ratio is, but many people do not want to eat lard, so beware.

No, don't substitute lard for shortening in buttercream. It won't taste right, nor have the right texture. Use all butter if you can't find vegetable shortening.

I wouldn't try it, I don;t know if you've ever cooked with lard but me it has a pork taste. I use it when I refry beans I don't think it would be good in frosting. Hope this helps!

Lard is pork fat. It will not make good icing. Besides the taste and the greasy texture, it will not hold its shape. But it does make a great flaky pie crust!

Thanks for the quick responses. The lard will be thrown out tonight and I will buy butter to use in my buttercream.

That brings up another question...unsalted or salted butter in buttercream?

Unsalted.

Also, ask your grocer to stock crisco - its insane that he doesnt carry it.

monizcel,
don't throw out the lard use it 4 frying...

unsalted butter

the recipe online for the dream buttercream is for
1 stick unsalted butter
1 stick salted butter
1/2c crisco
1 1/2 teas. flavoring
2 lb powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Enjoy!

I've always used salted butter. PLUS, I add another pinch when making buttercream. Otherwise, it's too cloyingly sweet for my tastes. Salt cuts the sweetness quite nicely. Everyone raves about my buttercream.

I agree. The salt cuts the sweetness. I always use salted.

I like salted too! That way you dont have to add the additional salt and you avoid those pesky white salt spots!

I use salted butter as well.

I found the Crisco...i'm so silly, I didn't realize that Crisco did not have to be refrigerated so it was with all the other oil products in the supermarket.

Thanks for all your help

I just posted about NOT doing this yesterday in cake dec. forum...

Color separates and doesn't hold its shape

Not a good idea

I just thought i would share Australia's best kept secret.

In place of shortening you can use Ghee. It is found in most middle eastern, indian, Malaysian food stores. It is literaly vegetable fat that solidifies at room temperature with a transparent appearance. I used it today to make cannolis and they were spot on.

Middle east, Malaysia, indian use this product in a large number of their dishes so it shouldnt be hard to find.

That's interesting about the ghee.  I thought it was just clarified butter, at least that's what I've heard on TV a couple of times.

Absolutely, ghee is just clarified butter - so it is 100% fat as the milk solids (protein etc) are removed in the clarification process.

Never tried it in buttercream though! And I don't like the flavour or the idea of crisco or other similar fats - so I make all butter SMBC with unsalted butter and add my own salt so I can control the quantity in the final product - safer not to rely on manufacturers! 

She is talking about vegetable 'ghee' which is basically palm fat and coco fat and lots of homogenisers and other nasties. I use real ghee in my cooking and baking. It has a really strong flavour so it has to be used sparingly. I would not use it for buttercream and neither would I use shortening or any kind of margarine. Good old-fashioned butter for me!

As for lard, don't throw it away. Use it on your roast potatoes to give them extra crispiness (as lard cooks at higher temps than veg. oil) and flavour. It is weird because lard itself does not have a flavour but it seems to enhance the taste of roast potatoes. 

Ghee is clarified butter and wonderful for cooking. I've used it all my life but never for buttercream or baking except for certain cookies with cardamon. It is made by heating the butter for at least half an hour or until all the whey has burnt of leaving a golden liquid which once cool solidifies.

Try cooking eggs with ghee, scrambled or fried you will never go back to oil, it's delish.

Lard definitely has a flavor.  Or at the very least, a texture, as in: I can feel it in my mouth after eating it.  As a vegetarian, I would be shocked to learn that someone had used it in a cupcake.  Not an equal substitute.

I will have to try making me some ghee. It's always been expensive wherever I've seen it, but I'd like to try it in some things now.  

As a side note, I don't eat twinkies because they are made with lard, probably fried in them.  The low fat twinkies are not.