hi everybody!
It's my first post in this lovely forum and I have got a question I hope you can help me with

I already have some experience with baking cakes and decoration ( thanks mom! ) - although I'm just 20 - but I'm new in this "American styled cakes" thing...sooo, I'm trying to make Fondant (to cover the cake) and the recipe says I need vegetable shortening but given that I'm from Spain I can't seem to find it anywhere in this country!!!! what I have found is animal shortening (? I mean made of pork fat) would that work? is there any difference beside one being from vegetable and the other one from animals?

I have also found a brand called Crisco - which I think is from the USA- that is sold online though it's a bit -lot- expensive 7 + shipping compared to 1,65 of average animal shortening/ butter/ margarine.

Thank you very much in advance for your help! and I apologize if I made any mistake in English

I don't know what to suggest to you as a substitution, but don't use animal shortening. It would be gross. The animal shortening is going to taste a bit like animals, as is my understanding.

And yes, Crisco will work, but hopefully someone else will have a better suggestion than just buying that online.

Crisco is a popular brand in the USA. Do you have Cookeen? Wikipedia says it's a brand in the UK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortening

Your English is great! Never (never never never) use animal based shortening!!!! Eeew! Yes, Crisco is a common brand of vegatable shortening here. In many recipies, though, you could substitute butter for the shortening.

Here's a recipe for fondant that doesn't require shortening...only butter: http://cakecentral.com/recipes/3663/michele-fosters-delicious-fondant The recipe suggests using shortening to grease your work area, but if you use butter, it would work, too.

I think if you search the recipe section here, you'll find others that don't require shortening.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for your replies!

Ok! no lard ( which is the correct name for "animal shortening" haha ) I don't want my fondant to taste like a pork.

I'm already checking the no-crisco recipes! useful!

And about the british shortening, hopefully that will be easier to find here in Spain!

thank you once again!