Butter vs shortening in sugar cookies - which do you swear by for cutouts that hold their shape?

Every recipe I see online swears butter gives better flavor but you have to chill the dough forever, but shortening keeps those sharp edges on holiday shapes without spreading, so after 3 batches of mushy snowmen last December I went with shortening and they came out perfect, am I missing something with butter.

2 comments

2 Comments

shah.shane9d ago

Stick with the shortening for cutouts, no question about it. It's the same reason I use margarine in pie crusts when I want a flaky result instead of a tender one. Butter is like that trendy friend who shows up late and changes the whole plan, great for flavor but terrible for keeping things in line. Shortening just does its job without any drama, like a reliable coworker who clocks in and out quietly.

oscar3909d ago

Oh man, that whole shortening vs. butter thing reminds me of something that happened to my friend Dave last Thanksgiving. He was dead set on using butter for his cutout cookies like his grandma always did. The dough got so soft it basically melted in his hands before he could even get the cookie cutter in there. He ended up with these weird blobby shapes that looked more like abstract art than stars and trees. His wife just stood there with the sprinkles, not saying a word, while he tried to peel the mess off the counter. He still talks about it like a war story.