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Butter won for my grandma's pie crust recipe
I had to choose between shortening and butter for my first solo attempt at her famous apple pie. Grandma always used shortening, said it made the crust flakier. But I'm a butter guy through and through. Picked butter, crossed my fingers, and baked it at 375 for 45 minutes. The crust came out golden and actually held together. Not quite as flaky as hers though. Any shortening veterans here have tips to get that extra flake without switching fats?
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grantf731mo ago
Lol butter gang represent! I tried the same thing with my aunt's biscuit recipe and got the exact same results - good but not quite grandma level. Honestly though, I think the flake difference is overrated once you've got that butter flavor locked in. You could freeze your butter and grate it into the flour next time, that might get you closer to shortening's texture without actually switching. Or just tell everyone it's a "modern twist" on grandma's recipe and call it a day.
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keith_rivera1926d ago
@the_paul you came around huh? haha yeah butter is worth it. but to get that extra flake without switching, try working the dough less. like barely mix it, just enough to hold together. grandma probably had that shortening thing dialed in but with butter you gotta be more careful about not overworking it or it gets tough. also cold water, ice cold, makes a difference. and if you rest the dough in the fridge for like an hour before rolling, that helps too. still won't be exactly the same but you'll get closer.
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