The variety of ingredients is a boon for bakers to customize and use appropriately in their cakes. For example, to decorate cookies, in addition to using Whipping cream, you can instead use Shortening while ensuring quality and flavor. So What is Shortening?
For those who have learned cooking and baking, it is not strange that Shortening is nothing. Shortening is one of the most commonly used ingredients to make the cake soft and fluffy. In addition, it is also used to whip cream to decorate the surface like regular cake decorating creams. To understand more about Shortening, the interesting information below will help you a lot.
Shortening is a commonly used ingredient in baking and cooking
1. What is Shortening?
Shortening is also known with the familiar name is fat. This is a form of fat made from vegetable oils such as cotton seeds, soybeans, ... in solid form. Hydrogen fatty acids will be used to obtain the best quality shortening. At room temperature, Shortening is solid and for melting, Shortening must use extremely high temperatures.
The processing of Shortening is also very diverse, each country will have a different recipe using ingredients. For example, Malaysians will use 50% palm oil with 50% hydrogenated cod liver oil, or 60% hydrogenated palm oil and 40% avocado oil. Meanwhile, in Vietnam we use 30-50% liquid oil, 40-60% coconut oil, 20% lard or 50% coconut oil and 50% peanut oil and sesame.
If you look from the outside, you will see that Shortening is no different from other fats. It is opaque white, porous with a glossy surface and has a certain degree of ductility, without cracking. When melted, the Shortening will be a transparent liquid, turning a pale yellow color and bearing the characteristic flavor of the starting materials.
2. What is the effect of Shortening?
Shortening is often used in baking. In addition, it is often whipped into cream for decorating certain cakes. Shortening works to increase the sweetness and increase heat to help the cakes perish longer. In addition, using Shortening in cake recipes also helps to make the cake soft, fluffy and more beautiful. The types of cakes that can use Shortening are Pie, Tart, Ice cream, Cookies, Multi-layer cakes like pastry ... In these cakes, Shortening helps to keep the moisture and fat of the cake, and the flavor is due to the ingredients. other make up.
Shortening is often used as a whipping cream to make cake decorations
The quality of Shortening for cakes and creams is checked based on criteria such as: dry matter content, melting point, triglyceride content, fatty acid composition.
If you make your own cookies at home without Shortening, you can use butter to ensure nutrition and aroma. The amount of fat in shortening is similar to butter, which helps to keep the cake in the shape of the original for longer. To preserve Shortening, you should store at room temperature or in a cool place. Refrigerator should not be stored because it will make the Shortening harden. Shortening storage time is relatively long, about 2 years from the date of manufacture and 6 months after opening.
3. How to beat Shortening to make cake decorating cream
Whipping cream is often used as a whipping cream, but you'll be surprised that Shortening can do that too. However, you must know how to beat Shortening to ensure the cream can stand and not melt. Please refer to our Cotton Shortening method below.
Materials to prepare:
- Fine ground sugar: 900 grams
- Shortening: 400 grams
- Water: 800ml
- Salt: 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon
- Vanilla: 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions on how to play Shortening:
Step 1: Mix Shortening with sugar, water, salt and vanilla prepared for the ingredients to blend together.
Step 2: Add the remaining shortening into the mix. Using electric mixer beat at a minimum speed of about 5-7 minutes until the cotton up. Be careful to carefully scrape the brass into the cream.
Step 3: Continue using an electric whisk to beat at medium speed for another 2 minutes that can be used to catch cream.
Use whipped Shortening to replace Whipping Cream for cake decoration
The above information we just shared has helped you better understand what Shortening is and its great uses. You should note that when using this kind of material, you need to consider the right proportion and weight accordingly because too much will reduce the quality of the dish.
