Baking: Butter vs Margarine vs Spreads vs Other Fats

[MrsPinecone]

Since this seems to be a recurring problem, I thought it would be worth elaborating upon.

Many people seem to lump butter, margarine and speads under "butter" and try to use them interchangeably in recipes. This doesn't work for a couple of reasons: fat and moisture.

Recipes for baking are actually based on chemical reactions. This is why you need to be precise in your measurements. These reactions are affected by the amount of fat and water in the recipe.

If a recipe calls for butter or margarine, you must be absolutely sure to use butter or margarine. Using a spread will throw off the balance and give VERY disappointing results.

Butter and margarine are 80% fat; effective brands are ones like Land O Lakes butter or Fleischmann's or Blue Bonnet margarine, because they have the required fat content.

Spreads (tub margarines or butters; reduced fat sticks) contain much more water than butter, shortening or margarine and the cookie dough will spread WAY out; these can contain as little as 35% fat. Brands like Country Crock, Parkay, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, etc will not work in baking. This does not apply to the ICBINB sticks made especially for baking, just the tubs of spread.


Other information on fats and baking:

Vegetable or cooking oil (100% fat) does not hold air so will not cream with the sugar. Some types of cookies will then be greasy and too thin when baked.

Shortening and margarine are hydrogenated fats—they will melt slower than butter in baking and the resulting cookie may be thicker and chewier.

Shortening (100% fat) is generally less flavorful than butter.

Salted or unsalted butter: If there is salt in the recipe, unsalted butter is best OR adjust the salt called for to taste if using salted butter.

Margarine does not need to be softened before creaming or mixing with the sugar(s).

Baking butter with canola oil is a new butter formulated to not require softening, but bakes like butter.

If butter or margarine are softened too much (melted or fingers go all the way through the stick when touched), they will not incorporate air—get fluffy-- when mixed (creamed) with the sugar. The water or liquid part of the butter or margarine will also be released and will make the cookie tough, greasy and affect spread.

[mama22qts]

Very useful info-- thank you Mrs. P!

[MrsPinecone]

Bumping for newbies

[MrsPinecone]

Bumping, because baking season is rolling around again.

[Cin42382]

Great info thx

[Lurkergirl]

Thanks for the info

[TheWoman]

Ohhhh.....now I want cookies!

[billig]

How about the fact that making pie crust from lard is the best tasting on the planet?
It just seems so gross that lard would do that, but I've never had as good tasting pie crust as I do when I use lard.
Just using crisco by itself is never good to me, so I always use a little butter in the mix if I'm down to that.

[MrsPinecone]

Bumping for baking season.

[wealthybarney]

Now that makes sense.
I like this practical & useful info, presented so clearly.
I rarely bake, & I wondered why my cookies were flat & greasy?

Have you ever baked with Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil?
I wondered if it had enough air to cream?

Though much less $$ to use margarine/shortning in baking, I use butter because all margarine has Trans-Fats (there is no "safe level" of trans fats) that are even more toxic at 350 degrees or higher, whether baked at home, or baked goods by a commercial company purchased at the Grocery Store.