Any
fat that is solid at
room temperature. This means a "
saturated fat," i.e, one whose fatty acid chains cannot incorporate additional hydrogen atoms. Some types of shortening include
lard,
palm oil,
cocoa butter,
hydrogenated vegetable oil (aka
Crisco),
margarine,
butter.
Shortening is invaluable for making pie crust, biscuits, and lots of different manufactured crumbly baked goods including Oreos or Ritz crackers.
To measure shortening: Get a liquid measuring cup that holds at least twice as much by volume as the amount of shortening you need. Fill it halfway with cold water. Scoop shortening into the measuring cup, making sure to submerge it. When the level of the water in the cup has increased by the amount of shortening you need, dump out the water and use your shortening. For example, if you need half a cup of shortening, put a cup of cold water into a two cup measure. Add the shortening to the cup, making sure it's all underwater, until the water reaches the 1 1/2 cup level. Dump out the water, retaining the shortening. Make baking powder biscuits.