If a recipe calls for butter, plastic (solid) fats such as butter, margarine or shortening with at least a 80% fat content work the best. Fats containing less than 80% in fat will adversely affect your recipe, such as lower calorie "spreads". Avoid their use.

SOLID, PLASTIC FATS: These are fats remain solid when set, even though they can melted; they always return to their solid state. When melted, they do not have the same characteristics as liquid fats, such as oils, so they can't be used, instead. However, clarified butter will stay liquid because the milk solids have been removed. 

BUTTER: Butter is a natural dairy product which essentially the fat extracted from the cream of sweet milk from domesticated animals, usually cows. Once separated from the milk, the cream is churned or shaken until it reaches a semisolid state; it is then formed into blocks of butter.

Butter adds flavor and texture to everything you make. It structure formation by coating and shortening gluten strands in baked goods. It retards the development of gluten strands, thus contributing to tenderization. Shortbread cookies are aptly named because of this functionality. It can be used to "grease pans" with. 

There are some very good butters available in the supermarket: Land'O Lakes is my favorite, especially Ultra Creamy. If you can find it or PluGra in the supermarket or specialty food stores, it is a better choice; it has a higher the fat to water content than butter, producing more flavor and a better texture in baking. However, both tend to be expensive, so good old butter in sticks, is perfectly fine. 

Butter becomes spreadable around 60 degrees F and begins to melt around 85 degrees F. To avoid burning, melt butter on low temperature settings and watch carefully. 

History: The ancient Greeks and Romans used butter as an external medicine for skin injuries and sore eyes. For centuries, butter was one of the only ways known to preserve milk. The word "butter" comes from the Greek word "bous" which mean "cow" and "tyros" which means cheese. The expression "to butter" meant to flatter as early as 1850, but didn't become "butter up" until the late 1930s.

Many older recipes, especially those near WW II will call for shortening or margarine just because butter wasn't available because of rationing. But, today, you can use either, including butter.

BUTTER TYPES: Butter has incomparable flavor and provides texture, richness, and leavening to baked goods.

There are two main types of butter produced in the U.S. – sweet cream butter and cultured cream butter. The United States primarily produces sweet cream butter, which includes lightly salted, unsalted and whipped butter. 

When buying butter, look for butter wrapped in foil. Light and heat adversely effect butter, and it can pick up other odors. Foil provides a good barrier to slow down rancidity and prevent odor absorption. 

Unsalted, Sweet Cream Butter - BEST FOR BAKING: is the same as salted butter but without the salt. It is great for baking, creating flaky crusts and sweet treats with great taste and texture. Both lightly salted and unsalted butter are available in sticks for easy measuring when cooking or baking. Salt used in salted butter is added to increase the shelf life and to hide any off flavors, so unsalted butter tends to be fresher and better tasting. 

Salted Sweet Cream Butter is the most popular kind of butter in the U.S. is made from fresh cream with no less than 80 percent butterfat. This butter is lightly salted. Salted butter lasts longer than unsalted butter; originally it was added as a preservative and it is still an antimicrobial agent. When used for frying, salted butter scorches much more easily than unsalted.

Plugra Butter takes its name from the French words meaning "more fat." It is a higher-fat butter with 82 percent butterfat making it wonderful for baking with. The more butterfat present, and the less solids and liquid, the better it will work for all baking needs. 

Whipped Butter has air or nitrogen gas whipped into it to increase the volume, lighten the texture and make it easier to spread. Do not use the "whipped" tub butter in baking because it contains only 25 % fat, and will ruin your recipe. Use only stick butter, which you can freeze in airtight plastic bags to retain freshness. I know that some of you have to watch your butter intake, so I have included reduced-fat recipes. Keep in mind that these recipes call for less butter than traditional ones to retain their great taste and texture.

Brown Butter - Is made by cooking butter over low heat until it turns light brown. If allowed to darken further, is is called Black Butter.

Clarified Butter is a purified, thicker form of butter that’s been melted and has had the water and milk solids skimmed from the clarified or clear part. Because they have been extracted, the resulting clear, liquefied butter will not burn at high temperatures, and therefore is most commonly used as a fat for cooking, or as a base for sauces like Hollandaise and Béarnaise. Clarified butter ca be heated to 400 degrees F before burning. How To Clarify Butter.

Cultured Butter, a rich butter made from cream to which lactic acid cultures have been added. The mild fermentation that results produces a richer, more developed flavor. It is popular in Europe and is now being produced in the U.S. It is available in most regions of the country. As with lightly salted and unsalted butter, it’s available in both sticks and tubs.

Drawn Butter is the same as Clarified. It is merely melted butter with the sediment removed. Melt butter over low heat. When completely melted, remove from heat. Let stand for a few minutes, allowing the milk solids to settle to the bottom. Skim the butter fat from the top and place in a container. This is the clarified drawn butter ready for use.

Ghee (Indian) Butter that has been slowly melted, so that the milk solids separate from the fat is called "clarified butter." Ghee is clarified butter than has been simmered until all of the moisture has been removed and the butter takes on a browned, nutty flavor. Ghee has a much higher smoke point and longer life than clarified butter. Often made at home, but commercially produced in Holland, Scandinavia, Australia and Indian, available in Indian and Middle Eastern markets.

Remonce Butter, sugar and cinnamon are creamed together to aerate the mixture. It is used as a filling when making Danish.

Butter STORAGE: The best place to store butter is the freezer to ensure maximum quality and guard against spoiling. There it will keep for up to four months at 20 degrees F to 30 degrees F, or up to one year at -10 degrees F. Butter will keep one month in the refrigerator.

While unopened butter cartons can be kept at room temperature (about 65 degrees F) with controlled humidity (80 - 85 percent) for a short time, the American Butter Institute recommends always storing butter in the refrigerator at or below 40 degrees F (temperature of refrigerator)  Opened butter cartons or unwrapped sticks should always be put in a separate refrigerator compartment or in a covered butter dish to prevent them from absorbing other food odors.

For long term storage, butter (in any form) can be frozen. Keep in mind that freezing for longer periods of time may affect the quality of flavor and texture. To freeze, place butter carton or sticks in a plastic freezer bag or wrap tightly with heavy-duty foil. If you’re unsure about whether to use butter that’s been stored, check the coding date marked on each butter container. This represents four months after production, so for best quality, butter should be used by that date. 

To thaw butter, place unopened cartons or sticks in the refrigerator. Be sure to thaw only enough for immediate use, or for use within one month. If you need butter for a pie dough recipe, and you only have frozen, don't melt it. Rather grate it and use the butter cold. You may have to place back in the freezer to chill after grating because it gets a bit warm from being handled.

LARD:  Originally, lard was rendered fat from hogs. Most supermarket lard, however, is not produced by rendering flavorful pork fat, and is therefore undistinguishable from vegetable shortening, although it is more expensive. Lard was traditionally used in savory crusts, especially where a slight meat taste was desired. My grandmother baked with it. 

Because it is 100% fat, lard produces the most wonderful baked goods and is virtually odorless and tasteless, however it is not a good substitute for butter. It acts much like vegetable shortening, and produces a tender crust and also has a high smoke point for deep fat frying. I prefer to use all butter in my own baking, but some bake with a combination.  A recommended ratio is to use 1 tablespoon of butter for every 5 tablespoons of lard. Cooks around the world, particularly in Mexico and Eastern Europe, use it regularly. 

MARGARINE: Margarine is made from a single oil, or blend of oils, including animal and vegetable fats. The original term for margarine was oleomargarine. Older recipes call it "oleo", a shortened name for margarine. In recipes that call for margarine, use stick margarine, not tub. Check package to make sure it contains at least 80% fat for baking.

I, personally, do not advocate using margarine. Margarine was developed to be a lower priced alternative to butter, and, also, was touted as a healthier alternative. Whether margarine is healthier than butter is now being questioned, but apart from that, I do not feel the price differential merits settling for significantly less flavor.

For baking, I have had success with a butter / margarine blend, such as Land O Lakes Country Morning (in sticks, not whipped or tub versions). I warn against using all margarine in baking because it does not have the same flavor and texture as butter. It also doesn't contribute the the final flavor of a baked good, as effectively.  

Today, because of the natural vitamin E content of the vegetable oils from which margarine is made, margarine is the leading source of vitamin E in the U.S. diet today. It is so popular, that even today Americans use 8.6 pounds per person a year, versus 4.2 pounds of butter.

SHORTENING:  Vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, is made from vegetable oil that has been hydrogenated to increase its melting point to withstand high oven temperatures. There are both regular and butter-flavored varieties. Vegetable shortening is usually used either in pastry as a butter alternative or complement. However, shortening does not have as good a taste as butter in recipes. Thus, I often use 50% butter and 50% shortening and some recommend using even 2/3rds shortening and 1/3rd butter, instead of 100% shortening in their recipes. Crisco shortening doesn’t contain water so if you want to get the same results as you get with butter or margarine, adjust the water. (Go to Substitutions). 

Compared to butter, shortening stays more solid at room temperature and creams better because it contains mono and diglycerides. In baking, these characteristics mean that shortening is distributed more effectively through the dough than butter, and is more efficient at coating flour particles, minimizing gluten development and does a better job at it.

Vegetable shortening, unlike butter, can be used in frying as it has a relatively high smoke point. However, you should purchase “pure” shortening, i.e. shortening made entirely from animal or vegetable fats. If “pure” is not on the label, there are additives, and the shortening will have a lower smoke point. Once it is opened, shortening can be stored up for a year in a dark, cool space.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of vegetable shortenings on the market are made with hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (also known as trans fats). Hydrogenated oils are artificially hardened, and there are many concerns about the havoc they may play in the body, including arteriosclerosis and cancer. They also appear to raise serum cholesterol levels almost as much as saturated fats do. Another concern is that if too many trans-fatty acids are ingested, they interfere with essential fatty acid function.

Wouldn't an organic vegetable shortening free of hydrogenated oils be terrific? Browsing through my local health food the other day, I was delighted to see just such a product from Spectrum Naturals, as well as organic margarine that is trans fat free. The shortening is also 100% Third Party Certified Organic, cholesterol free, contains less saturated fat than butter, and tests show that it is as good or better than leading national brands of shortening. You use organic vegetable shorting just like conventional shortening.

EMULSIFIED/HIGH RATIO SHORTENING: also known as cake, icing or high ratio shortening, can absorb more sugar and liquid than regular shortening. It gives a finer and smoother texture to cakes and help keep them moist, as well as keeps icings more stable. However, it should be used in icings and cakes where the recipe contains a large percentage of sugar. For home use, it can be found under the brand names Alpine Hi-Ratio Shortening or Sweetex. Find it at http://maidofscandinavia.com/ Click ingredients and then click "s" to find it. Or, go to http://www.cookscakeandcandy.com and click on online shopping, enter store and search on sweetex. It's Product ID: FP027/3

SUET: Rendered fat from cattle.

LIQUID FATS - OILS: These types of fats always stay liquid and never set into a solid form. Lubrication is a function of oil. The liquid oil coats the flour and sugar particles allowing for a smoother dough, easier mixing, reduced mixing times and some mixing tolerance. This coating also prevents some gluten development, but not as effectively as solid, plastic fats do. Oil does not aerate when creamed with sugar so it does not have air holding properties. The oil’s lubrication properties help keep the dough from sticking to the baking surface; the general rule is that if your batter or dough does not contain a lot of fat, that you must prepare their pans using more. See also Olive Oil and Vegetable Oil. See: how to substitute oil with applesauce and other fruit purees.

OLIVE OIL: the most noble and wholesome of fats. It is rich in HDL (cholesterol that helps the cleaning of arteries) and vitamins A, D, E, K.

Olive oil can be used in baking recipes, instead of vegetable oil or other liquid fats (not solid fats), BUT using it is a matter of personal taste -- most olive oils have too a strong taste for most recipes, but extra-light olive oil doesn't. Use olive oil in breads, both yeast and quick, in some cakes and cookies. I also think it makes a denser recipe than if using vegetable oil, so I only like to use it in some yeast bread recipes that call for liquid fat. However, some have told me that they bake with it all the time. 

Olive oil can be used when pan frying or sautéing foods because its smoke point is 375 degrees to 400 degrees. Most vegetable oils, such as corn, safflower, and peanut, have smoking points over 400 degrees and can be used for all cooking methods.

VEGETABLE OR NUT OIL:  Vegetable oil is a broad term for a category of oils pressed from seeds, nuts, grains or fruits from plants. 

With the exception of specialty oils (such as nut oils), vegetable oils are refined and filtered to create a neutral-tasting oil to be used in baking and cooking. In baking, vegetable oils act as flavor carriers, reduce stickiness and help retain flavors.  Vegetable oils do not have the ability to create or hold air, like creamed butter and sugar do.  

These days, supermarket shelves are loaded with all types of oils. When a recipe calls for vegetable oil, how do we know what the best one is for baking ? I prefer to use canola oil, but you can use any vegetable oil you prefer, except for olive oil, which is more viscous and can impart its strong flavor to the baked goods. 

VEGETABLE OIL SPRAYS: