INGREDIENTS - Emulsified Shortenings

These are soft shortenings that spread easily throughout a batter and quickly coat the particles of sugar and flour. Because they contain added emulsifying agents, they can hold a larger quantity of liquid and sugar than regular shortenings can. Thus, they give a smoother and finer texture to cakes and make them moister. On the other hand, emulsified shortening does not cream well. When recipe instructions call for creaming shortening...

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INGREDIENTS - Regular Shortenings

These shortenings have a fairly tough, waxy texture, and small particles of the fat tend to hold their shape in a dough or batter. Regular shortenings can be manufactured to varying degrees of hardness. They have a good creaming ability.This means that a good quantity of air can be mixed into them to give a batter lightness and leavening power. Also, this type of shortening melts only at a high temperatu...

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INGREDIENTS - Shortenings

Any fat acts as a shortening in baking because it shortens gluten strands and tenderizes the product. However, we generally use the word shortening to mean any of a group of solid fats,usually white and tasteless,that are especially formulated for baking. Shortenings generally consist of nearly 100% fat. Shortenings may be made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or both. During manufacturing, the fats are hydrogenated. This process turns liquid oils into solid fats. Because shortenings are used for many purposes, manufacturers have formulated...

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INGREDIENTS - Fat Emulsions

Most bakery ingredients mix easily with water and other liquids and actually undergo a change in form. For example, salt and sugar dissolve in water; flour and starch absorb water and the water becomes bound up with the starch and protein molecules. Fat, on the other hand, does not change form when it is mixed with liquids or other bakery ingredients. Instead, it is merely broken down into smaller and smaller particles during mixing.These small fat particles eventually become more or less evenly distributed in the mix. A uniform mixture of two...

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INGREDIENTS - Fats

The major functions of fats in baked items are: • To tenderize the product and soften the texture. • To add moistness and richness. • To increase keeping quality. • To add flavor. • To assist in leavening when used as creaming agents or when used to give flakiness to puff pastry, pie dough, and similar products. Many fats are available to the baker. Each has different properties that make it suitable for different purposes. Among the properties a baker must consider when selecting a fat for a specific use are its melting point,...

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