Because I am about to post a cookie recipe involving shortening, here's a note about evil trans-fats: Trans fatty acids are produced when normally liquid oils are heated and treated with hydrogen, causing the chemical structure to change in a way that the oils solidify. The basic problem with trans fatty acids is that they increase LDL bad cholesterol, while decreasing HDL good cholesterol. Trans fats also seem to shockingly increase one's chances of having coronary disease; one 1994 study published in the American Journal of Public Health suggested that 30,000 premature deaths EVERY year from coronary disease can be attributed to the consumption of trans fats. Yikes.
Here's a really good report from the Harvard School of Public Health which details the need to include trans fats on nutrition labels in the US.
Because I feel a little stab of guilt every time I reach for the Crisco, I picked up Earth Balance Natural Shortening in the "organic" section of the grocery the other day. This politically correct product - no genetically modified ingredients, no trans fats, no gluten, dairy, or eggs, certified organic and kosher to boot - contains expeller-pressed (manually pressed, rather than chemically extracted) oils (palm, soybean, canola and olive) and claims to "bake and fry perfectly and deliciously without the bad stuff." I feel that I should mention that 1 TBSP contains 25% of one's daily saturated fat (butter has 36%). I was a bit skeptical about this product. Nothing is ever as good as the original. Sure, Olestra may enable you to eat chips with abandon, but it could be just as honestly marketed as a laxative, margarine is a sin against nature and an insult to cows, carob - well, I get the shivers just THINKING about carob (I was allergic to chocolate as a child. Need I say more?)
When I started creaming the sugar with it, I did have a moment of "SEE!!! This will never work!" I have to admit, though, that the Earth Balance Natural Shortening really did live up to its claims. It did cream with the sugar, it did produce a cookie superior to the butter cookie (in this one instance), and I feel that I can recommend it in good conscience. It is significantly more expensive than regular shortening; I can't remember exactly, but I feel like the 1 pound package was $3.80 or something. Also, it has to be refrigerated and therefore must be softened at room temperature just like butter.
