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Can I substitute shortening in an apple pie?

I want to make an apple pie but dont wan to use shortening, can I substitute it with anything? I heard butter can be used. Has anyone tried this before? If you have used anyother ingredient to subdtitue the shortening I would like to know. Thanks.

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Answer #1

I’m assuming this is for the crust, as I’ve never heard of an apple pie with shortening in the filling.

You can use butter, but you’ll have to handle the dough gently as it will be much more delicate - use a lot of flour when rolling, and don’t handle it too much or the heat from your hands will cause the butter to melt.

Answer #2

Use the shortening it tastes better

Actually, the butter crust is the better tasting of the two and it doesn’t leave a greasy film in your mouth (my opinion, anyway).

Answer #3

You can but…It’s Pie is suppose to be unhealthy. Use the shortening it tastes better. :)

Answer #4

The best pie crusts are made with lard; that is the gold standard. As most of you know I’m a vegetarian so I obviously don’t use lard for any pastry I bake.

Butter should not directly be substituted for shortening but there are good recipes for butter pie crusts.

Coconut oil is another option; some vegan pie recipes use coconut oil and this would probably be a reasonable substitution for shortening.

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