Had to choose between butter and shortening for my grandma's pie crust

My grandma always used shortening in her pie crusts, but I wanted to try butter for the flavor. I made two pies last Saturday with her apple filling, one with each. The butter crust was flakier but harder to roll out, and it browned faster. The shortening one held its shape better and was way easier to work with. Has anyone else tested both for the same recipe and picked a winner?

3 comments

3 Comments

terryw678d ago

Butter crusts are way overrated for pies that need structure. Shortening does exactly what it's supposed to do - hold together without falling apart. Grandma didn't use shortening because she was lazy, she used it because she wanted a reliable crust that wouldn't stress her out. That buttery flavor people chase gets lost anyway once you add filling and bake it. Shortening wins every time for actual pie making, not just for showing off on Instagram.

josephmartin8d ago

Oh man, I did the exact same thing last year with my mom's pumpkin pie recipe. Butter crust was amazing flavor wise but it crumbled apart on me when I tried to transfer it to the pan. Shortening just feels more forgiving, you know? I ended up doing half and half, that might work for you too.

wesley1818d ago

Shortening is just easier to work with and I'll take reliability over fuss any day. Did a test batch myself a few months back with cherry pie and the butter crust looked great but cracked all over when I tried to move it. Half and half like josephmartin mentioned gave me a happy medium with enough flavor and way less headache.