High Ratio Shortening for Cookies

[john.c1993]

Hello all, I came here in search for an answer to a problem I have and have found other threads very helpful so far. Anyway, I am in the UK and have acquired some high ratio shortening from Cardowan Creamies in Scotland. I thought these would make amazing cookies if I changed the baking margarine to the high ratio shortening. I had two problems, they were sickly sweet and they didnt spread when baked like they normally do. Is it a bad idea to use high ratio shortening for cookies?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

It's complicated.

Unlike retail shortening, high ratio shortening contains emulsifiers to allow it to hold more liquid and sugar. It's 100% fat, so it contains no water; retail shortening, butter, and margarine all contain some water. Butter and margarine contain about 18% water. High ratio shortening has a higher melting point than butter and margarine.

So high ratio shortening holds more sugar; has no extra water to help dissovle sugar in early stages of baking, and sugar and water are necessary for spread; Iit's higher melting point inhibits spread because expansion of the dough depends on total water content, the melting of the fat, which in turn effects the timing of starch gelatinization and protein denaturation, which determine rise and spread.

Whenever you substitute an ingredient, you normally have to reformulate the recipe since different ingredients have different chemical reactions.

 

[john.c1993]

Would there be any stand out reason why it makes everything taste insanely sweet?

 

[retired baker]

Hello all, I came here in search for an answer to a problem I have and have found other threads very helpful so far. Anyway, I am in the UK and have acquired some high ratio shortening from Cardowan Creamies in Scotland. I thought these would make amazing cookies if I changed the baking margarine to the high ratio shortening. I had two problems, they were sickly sweet and they didnt spread when baked like they normally do. Is it a bad idea to use high ratio shortening for cookies?

look for italien cookies made with shortening on youtube.
they've already figured it out for you.
Sugar conceals the shortening taste .

 

[Steelman]

High ratio shortening can make cookies too sweet and affect how they spread. This shortening often holds its shape better than margarine, so cookies don’t spread as much. To fix this, try reducing the sugar in your recipe and maybe adding a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness. You might also need to adjust baking times since the texture might be different. A bit of experimentation should help you get the right results!

 

[Mona]

High ratio shortening is great for stable cookies, but it can make them overly sweet and prevent them from spreading because it has a higher melting point. To fix this, you might want to reduce the sugar in your recipe by about 10-15% and slightly increase the liquids. Alternatively, you could mix the high ratio shortening with some butter or another fat to help your cookies spread better and improve their flavor.