Picked butter over shortening for my pie crust and it was a mess

I was making apple pies for Thanksgiving last week and couldn't decide between butter or shortening for the crust. I went with butter because I figured it'd taste better, but the dough was a nightmare to work with - kept cracking and getting sticky. The pie came out okay but the crust wasn't flaky at all, just kinda dense. Next time I'll probably split the difference with half of each, anyone tried that mix before?

3 comments

3 Comments

dixon.james1mo ago

Picked butter" is like picking the fancy option for anything then wondering why it fights back.

the_brian1mo ago

Read an article about how people who buy "luxury" butter (like Kerrygold) end up complaining it melts wrong or doesn't hold its shape in recipes. But the whole point of high-fat butter is that it melts faster and softer because it has less water and more cream. Same thing happens with fancy olive oils that go bitter when you cook them hot. You can't pick the premium option and then get mad it behaves like a premium option. It's like buying a sports car and complaining it has a stiff ride.

pat_moore1mo ago

32% fat content in Kerrygold means it breaks at room temp, so @dixon.james is right that folks treat it like cheap butter. If you need structure for cookies or a roux, just grab the store brand. Match your ingredients to the job and stop blaming the butter.