Baking goods ingredients

Post by **FABlux** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:26 pm

No idea for the vegetable shortening I'm afraid I found this when I Googled vegetable shortening (didn't know what it was

)

Q) I need to substitute vegetable shortening

A) I would use butter. For every cup of shortening substitute 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter. This is because butter has water in it and shortening does not. But your biscuits will be good! Not healthy, but good!

I got butter in 40 supermarket yesterday, it was in the chiller under the deli counter so not on show when a lady came in & asked for it & I remembered I was getting low. It was either 27 or 29/kg I think, sorry I have thrown the wrapper away

very fresh, on a poly tray weighed out in kilos but in several bits. I'm pretty sure there were smaller quantities as well.

Good luck with the cooking.

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:45 pm

Vegetable shortening is everywhere! Just ask for semna, the non-cow kind. It's made from palm oil though and isn't very healthy.

Butter and cow semna are expensive these days, as stated, at least 27LE/kilo. I'm rationing my semna these days hoping it gets cheaper after the holidays.

Post by **FABlux** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 6:19 pm

Glyph is that the stuff that you can get in tins ?

I tried it once for cooking as a substitute for the olive oil marg I used to use but didn't get on very well with it

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:35 am

Post by **Umyusuf** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:46 am

I want the kind of vegetable shortening you can make a pie with....will that work?
I thought semna was more for frying....and not the whipped version of vegetable oil like we get in the states.

Post by **redsaffy** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 11:25 am

When it has been in the fridge if I remember right it does go solid! so would be about right for what you are looking for

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 11:32 am

Yes, you need to put it in the fridge if you want to use it for pastry, but it doesn't need refrigeration for general storage. You could use it for frying but I use oil for that.

Post by **Scott** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 12:44 pm

Hi, GD!

Is semna poor man's ghee???

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:52 pm

Semna is ghee. But there is semna nabati (made from vegetable oils, usually palm) and semna baladi (baqari) made from cow or buffalo butter. The former is cheaper.

Post by **Scott** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:24 pm

Ahhh! That's what I suspected! We have been using pure ghee since we got here for sauteeing - it doesn't scorch.

If you think back to good ol' USA - did you ever use Crisco?? Makes perfect pie crusts! Would the 'semna - palm oil version) work similarly?

Best!
Scott