What is shortening?

Shortening is like a squishy friend that helps things become softer and fluffier.

Imagine you're baking cookies, and you want them to be super soft, almost like clouds. That’s where shortening comes in! It's kind of like butter’s cousin, but it doesn’t melt as easily when the oven gets hot. This means your cookies stay soft and not too crispy on the outside.

Shortening is made from fats, think of it as a bunch of tiny fat balls packed together. When you mix shortening into dough, those fat balls make it easier for the dough to stretch without tearing. This helps your cookies (or cakes or pie crusts!) stay fluffy and tender.

You can even find shortening in some store-bought pastries, like croissants, they’re extra flaky because of it!

So next time you're baking, remember: shortening is like a softness superhero working behind the scenes to make your treats delicious.